The match will take place at Birmingham's Villa Park in November
Blocking Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending an Aston Villa match is the "wrong decision", the prime minister has said.
Followers of the Israeli team will not be allowed to attend the Europa League match on 6 November because of safety concerns, the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches said on Thursday.
Sir Keir Starmer criticised the move, saying "we will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets" and that the role of police was "to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation".
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branded the decision a "national disgrace" and suggested Sir Keir should act to reverse it.
She wrote on X that Starmer should "guarantee that Jewish fans can walk into any football stadium in this country".
"If not, it sends a horrendous and shameful message: there are parts of Britain where Jews simply cannot go."
West Midlands Police said the game had been classified as high risk based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including "violent clashes and hate crime offences" between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans before a match in Amsterdam in November 2024.
The force said it had concerns about its ability to deal with potential protests at the match at Villa Park.
The Safety Advisory Group, which issues safety certificates for matches, told Aston Villa that no travelling fans would be permitted at the match in Birmingham.
Ayoub Khan, the Independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, welcomed the decision.
He said: "From the moment that the match was announced, it was clear that there were latent safety risks that even our capable security and police authorities would not be able to fully manage.
"With so much hostility and uncertainty around the match, it was only right to take drastic measures."
Putin and Trump met in person at a US base in Alaska in August 2025
US President Donald Trump says "great progress" was made during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with the pair agreeing to face-to-face talks in Hungary.
He said the call, the first with Putin since mid-August, was "very productive", adding that teams from Washington and Moscow will meet next week.
Trump did not confirm a date for his meeting with Putin in Budapest. The Kremlin said work on the summit would begin "immediately" after the "extremely frank and trustful" call.
The talks came a day before Ukraine's President Zelensky was to visit the White House, and with Trump weighing whether to arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russia.
As he arrived in the US, Zelensky said Moscow was "rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks".
Writing on his Truth Social platform after the call concluded, Trump said he and Putin "spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over".
He said "high level advisors" from both countries would meet at an unspecified location next week, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the American delegation.
Trump also said he would update Zelensky on his talks with Putin on Friday, adding: "I believe great progress was made with today's telephone conversation."
He later told reporters he expected to meet Putin "within two weeks".
Asked about the prospect of giving the missiles to Ukraine after his call with Putin, Trump said "we can't deplete" the US stockpile of Tomahawks, adding "we need them too... so I don't know what we can do about that".
Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, said Russia launching overnight strikes on Ukraine "hours before" Putin's call with Trump "exposes Moscow's real attitude toward peace".
In a statement to the BBC's US partner CBS, she added: "These assaults show that Moscow's strategy is one of terror and exhaustion. The only effective response is pressure - through tougher sanctions, reinforced air defense, and the supply of long-range capabilities."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on X the planned Budapest meeting was "great news for the peace-loving people of the world".
Earlier, he also said: "Peace requires patience, strength, and humility. Europe must shift its stance. Instead of arrogance and fanning the flames of endless war, we need negotiations with Russia. Only dialogue can bring peace to our continent."
Trump has taken a much tougher line towards Putin over the Ukraine war since a face-to-face summit in Alaska in August failed to produce a decisive breakthrough in attempts to broker a peace deal.
The pair met on US soil on 15 August for a summit which the US president hoped would help convince the Russian president to enter comprehensive peace talks to end the Ukraine war. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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The two leaders last met in Alaska in August for a summit which last only a few hours
They spoke again days later when Trump interrupted a meeting with Zelensky and European leaders to call Putin.
Since then, neither the White House or Kremlin have public confirmed any communications between the two.
During his presidential election campaign, Trump claimed he would be able to end the war in Ukraine within days but has since admitted resolving the conflict has been more challenging than any he has been involved in since returning to power.
Trump had been seen as more sympathetic to Russia than his predecessor Joe Biden, and strained relations with Zelensky came to a head on 28 February when he and Vice-President JD Vance berated the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office on live television.
But public relations with Zelensky have vastly improved in recent months.
In September, Trump signalled a major shift in his view of the conflict, saying he believed Kyiv could "win all of Ukraine back in its original form", a far cry from his public calls for Kyiv to cede territory occupied by Russia.
During Zelensky's upcoming visit to Washington on Friday, his third since January, the subject of Tomahawk missiles is likely to be high on the agenda.
Zelensky has called on the US to provide Ukraine with the advanced missiles, which have a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles).
Asked earlier this week if he was considering giving Ukraine the missiles, he said: "We'll see... I may."
In late July, Trump set Putin a deadline of less than a fortnight to agree to a ceasefire or face sweeping sanctions, including measures against countries which still trade with Russia.
But he did not follow through the threat after Putin agreed to meet Trump in Alaska, which the US president hailed as a significant diplomatic success at the time, despite it not producing any tangible outcome.
Earlier on Thursday, India's foreign ministry cast doubt on a claim made by Trump a day earlier saying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil.
An Indian government spokesman said he was "not aware of any conversation between the two leaders" taking place the previous day, after Trump said Modi had assured him purchases would stop "within a short period of time".
The US has pushed for countries - in particular India, China and Nato members - to stop buying Russian energy in an effort to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin. Zelensky has also repeatedly echoed those calls.
Former members of the military will be able to start applying for a digital version of their identity cards from Friday.
About 1.8 million veterans are eligible to download the new digital ID to a smartphone - with ministers saying the rollout can serve as a "case study" to show the public how the technology for a planned scheme for all British citizens and residents will work.
Physical veterans' cards will continue to be issued, but the digital version will allow holders to prove their status more easily to access to public services, the government says.
Digital government minister Ian Murray said the veterans' digital ID could also help address "legitimate concerns around privacy and security" of the UK-wide scheme.
The digital veteran card is optional but the government says it will allow former service personnel to show their entitlement to services such as GP and mental health support, supported housing, careers advice as well as reduced entry prices at museums and money off their shopping.
Murray said the veterans ID was "probably a demonstration to the public by default... on the basis that this is the first use case for having a digital credential on your smartphone, and that digital credential is the first sort of verifiable one that government have now launched".
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: "We are modernising our public services so they work around people's lives and keep pace with the digital world we live in.
"The digital veterans' card will help remove barriers, reduce red-tape and make it easier for people to access the public services they need."
Watch: Grocery bills, Trump and Gaza - How NYC mayoral debate unfolded
Live from New York: It's mayoral debate night.
The three leading candidates for New York City mayor took the stage at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan Thursday night to make a case to lead America's biggest city.
Early voting in the race is set to begin next week, and the most recent polling, suggests Zohran Mamdani has widened his lead to 46 percent, while Andrew Cuomo stands at 33 percent.
The outcome of the race could have political implications beyond the Empire State as President Donald Trump looms large, and whoever wins will likely face pressure from Washington in some form.
The Democratic Party nationally also is likely watching to see if the America's biggest Democratic stronghold chooses an establishment, centrist Cuomo, who is running as an independent or the progressive Mamdani. The winner could help determine the kind of candidate and platform Democrats choose in the future following their staggering 2024 loss to Trump.
Republicans also will watch to see if their candidate, Curtis Sliwa, continues to make inroads with his public safety platform.
Here are five big takeaways from tonight's debate.
Mamdani addresses his support for Palestinians
Mamdani's past statements on Israel and Palestinians came up several times during the night in questions from moderators and opponents' criticisms.
The candidate has stressed his support for Palestinians and statehood, and has criticized Israel's military operation in Gaza.
He also was criticized for declining to condemn the phrase "globalise the intifada" when probed by interviewers, but has said he would seek to serve as a mayor for all New Yorkers, including its large and ideologically diverse Jewish population.
Cuomo, however, attacked Mamdani for his views, calling the New York state assemblyman a "divisive personality across the board."
Angelina Katsanis/Pool via REUTERS
The fourth man: Donald Trump
Although there were three candidates at tonight's debate, another name kept coming up: Donald Trump.
President Trump has implied he wants to send the National Guard into cities controlled by Democrats - in spite of resistance - and has moved to withhold government funds for infrastructure projects in New York City. Trump also has prioritized New York City for his mass deportation policy, and the mayor — who has little power over federal immigration enforcement — will likely have to weigh the city's response.
Sliwa, the Republican, noted that the mayor would need to get along with Trump regardless of political views. But Mamdani made his opposition to Trump explicit from his very first response, promising to "take on Trump."
Cuomo positioned himself as the only candidate experienced enough to deal with the current White House, warning "it will be Mayor Trump" if Mamdani is elected.
"I fought Donald Trump," he told voters. "When I'm fighting for New York, I am not going to stop."
Affordability front and center
As large as Trump looms, the biggest policy issue around this mayoral election is affordability. New Yorkers face high costs of living on everything - especially rent and groceries.
In his opening statement, Sliwa acknowledged the "really serious issues of affordability" facing the city. He called for the next mayor to free up vacant apartments in NYCHA - New York's public housing programme — and allow people to move in.
The moderators directly asked each candidate how much they paid for rent, groceries and whether they paid off credit card debt monthly. The candidates pitched a volley of proposals, including Mamdani's plan to make buses free and Cuomo's proposal to place income limits on people who resided in rent-stabilized apartments.
He criticised Mamdani for living in a rent-stablised apartment, even though his parents are wealthy (his mother is the filmmaker Mira Nair).
"If you think that the problem in this city is that my rent is too low, vote for him," Mamdani said. "If you know the problem in this city is that your rent is too high, vote for me."
Cuomo also opposed Mamdani's proposed rent freeze on stabilized apartments, saying it would only postpone future increases, force building owners into bankruptcy, and fail New Yorkers who don't live in rent-stabilized apartments.
Cuomo touted his decades of experience in office, rising from federal housing secretary during President Bill Clinton's administration to New York's governor.
But his controversies while governor have shadowed his campaign and Cuomo came prepared for a fight.
He resigned as governor in 2021 after an investigation by the state attorney general found he had sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo apologised for acting "in a way that made people feel uncomfortable" but denied allegations.
The New York attorney general also investigated his administration for undercounting nursing home deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic, finding he understated the actual number of deaths.
Mamdani attacked Cuomo on these matters, accusing him of "sending seniors to their death in nursing homes," and accused him of lacking integrity.
Cuomo said the allegations about harming seniors in nursing homes was "totally false."
"During Covid, everyone did whatever they could in this state, and there have been numerous investigations where they've gone through it, and they said we followed federal guidance," Cuomo said. "But yes, people died during Covid. And my heart breaks for everyone that broken, that died in this state and across this nation."
Sliwa, too, attacked Cuomo for the "lawsuits filed against you for sexual harassment." The former governor rebutted that the case brought New York attorney general Letitia James, who investigated the misconduct claims, "was political."
Curtis Sliwa makes his mark
Sliwa held his own as the only Republican on stage.
His voting bloc might be in the minority in New York City, but the 2024 presidential election revealed that residents prioritise public safety issues and Sliwa hammered that repeatedly. As the founder of the Guardian Angels, a New York City organization devoted to crime prevention, he seized the opportunity to connect with voters.
The longtime New York media and political personality also knew how to make himself heard. He frequently interjected, telling moderators he wanted to speak, and elbowing his way into the debate's most heated moments. From centre stage, he took swings at both opponents in equal measure.
He felt confident after the debate, saying his night went "extraordinarily well" and likening his opponents to "two kids in the schoolyard.
Bolton, who Trump fired from his first administration in 2019, has been a vocal critic of the president
John Bolton, who served as Donald Trump's national security adviser before becoming a vocal critic of the president, has been criminally indicted on federal charges.
The Department of Justice presented a case to a grand jury in Maryland on Thursday, and they agreed there was enough evidence to indict Bolton.
It comes after FBI agents searched Bolton's home and office in August as part of an investigation into the handling of classified information.
The indictment makes Bolton, 76, the third of the US president's political opponents to face charges in recent week, after former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Bolton has not yet commented, but he has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, earlier said Bolton had handled records appropriately.
He was fired from Trump's first administration in 2019. His 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened, recounted his time working under Trump and portrayed him as a president who was ill-informed about geopolitics and whose decision-making was dominated by a desire to be re-elected.
The White House filed a lawsuit to block the book from being published, arguing it contained classified information and had not been properly vetted. A judge denied the request and the book was released days later.
The US Department of Justice then opened an investigation into whether Bolton had mishandled classified information by disclosing certain information in the book.
Asked about the indictment on Thursday at the White House, Trump said he did not know about it, but added that Bolton was "a bad guy".
Trump has previously described Bolton as "grossly incompetent" and "a liar". He has also called for him to be prosecuted.
Asked in August about the investigation into Bolton, Trump said he did not "want to get involved" and had not directly ordered the searches of Bolton's home and office, but referred to Bolton as a "sleazebag".
Watch: How the FBI raids on John Bolton's home and office unfolded
Around the time the searches began, FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X: "NO ONE is above the law." The post did not name Bolton.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi shared the post and added: "America's safety isn't negotiable. Justice will be pursued. Always."
Bolton, who served as George W Bush's UN ambassador, was among former officials critical of Trump who had their Secret Service protection stripped by the Trump administration in January.
He is the third Trump critic to be criminally charged since September.
Former FBI director James Comey was indicted in late September on charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
The indictments followed a social media post from Trump, where he called on US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who leads the justice department, to prosecute his political opponents.
The post named Comey, James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who oversaw Trump's first impeachment trial.
"We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility," he wrote.
Witherspoon has co-written her debut novel with bestselling author Harlan Coben
Growing up, Reese Witherspoon's dad was a huge James Bond fan - which meant she also watched a lot of 007 films.
But she questioned why the girls all wore bikinis, with the young Reese asking herself what their revealing attire had to do with solving a crime.
The Oscar-winning actress - and now novelist - says that's why she wanted her new thriller to centre on a woman who has a unique skill, rather than being about her sex appeal.
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Witherspoon won an Oscar in 2006 for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk The Line
Witherspoon, 49, is best known for roles in Legally Blonde and The Morning Show, but has now written her first adult fiction book.
Gone Before Goodbye, co-written with bestselling author Harlan Coben, tells the story of a talented surgeon called Maggie, who is trapped in a deadly conspiracy.
Speaking exclusively to BBC News, she admits that part of her was worrying, "Oh God, why did I do this?" - but says she also felt excited to see her idea come to life.
Witherspoon, who already runs an influential book club that's picked out hits like Where the Crawdads Sing, adds that she mainly cares about how other writers will receive it. "I have so much reverence for authors," she says.
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The actress starred as Elle Woods, a fashionable sorority queen, in hit 2001 film Legally Blonde
Witherspoon was born in New Orleans to a medical doctor father and a mother who worked as a nurse.
Her breakthrough role came with the 1999 teen drama Cruel Intentions, alongside her now-ex husband Ryan Phillippe.
Legally Blonde, released in 2001, made her a major star, and was followed by roles including country singer June Carter Cash in Walk The Line, which earned her an Academy Award in 2006.
Witherspoon says her parents' line of work helped inspire the characters in her new novel.
"I grew up in a medical military family and I grew up on a military base, so I was surrounded by other mums and dads who were medical military people," she says.
"There was this sense of service, and that what they were doing was an important service to humanity, but also to their country."
"We both have the viewpoint that doctors are heroic," adds Coben, who is married to a pediatrician. "They really are. I mean, it's a cool profession."
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Coben and Witherspoon co-wrote Gone Before Goodbye
In the book, Maggie has lost her medical licence after a series of tragedies, but is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague.
The theme of career setbacks is familiar to Witherspoon, who starred a string of poorly received films in the years after her Oscar win and her 2008 divorce from Phillippe, with whom she shares two children.
In 2014, she opened up in an interview about how her marriage breakdown affected her career.
"You can't really be very creative when you feel like your brain is scrambled eggs," she told CBS's 60 Minutes. "I was just kind of floundering career-wise. I wasn't making things I was passionate about."
Asked whether her personal experience of a career setback inspired her book's plotline, Witherspoon says: "I think every great story has a character who is taken to their knees. We just happen to start the story with her on her knees."
It was "a great place to start" the book, she adds, "because it can really only go up from there".
Witherspoon's acting career has bounced back. And through her production company Hello Sunshine, she has made a point of celebrating strong female characters through films and TV series including The Morning Show and Big Little Lies, which she produced and starred in.
'Skills more important than sex and violence'
I ask Witherspoon how rare it is to see a female character like Maggie, who is not about her sex appeal but rather about her particular skill.
"Growing up, I always saw James Bond movies, my dad was obsessed with them, but I was like, why are [the girls] all in bikinis, and I don't understand what that's got to do with solving the crime," she replies.
"If I was going to do a thriller, I wanted the woman to be at the centre of it. I wanted her to have a unique skillset everybody in the world wanted, but she didn't even realise it, and that she doesn't have to shoot guns or punch bad guys. She's actually just very smart and very intuitive and an incredible surgeon."
But the film industry still has further to go in creating such roles for women, Witherspoon suggests.
When I ask whether Hollywood still suffers from a lack of strong female leads, the A-lister says: "I always see the gap, I see the white space.
"I started Hello Sunshine in 2011 because I just wasn't seeing complex storytelling for women in the movie space.
"So, in a way, I was just taking the relationships I've had from 30 years of being an actor and just helping shine a light on women who were ready for those opportunities."
Entertainment journalist Lauren Morris believes Witherspoon has been "quite clever" in the way she's built her business empire.
"She has her book club, where she publicises books, often centring female stories. Then she has her production company, where she adapts it for TV or film, and she often stars in it herself too," she says.
"It's a good business model and it's working well for her."
'I'm really enjoying this moment'
Celebrity novels have been all the rage in recent years, with stars such as Keanu Reeves and Millie Bobby Brown among those releasing books.
Often, collaborations involve a ghostwriter or co-author who does the majority of the writing, with minimal input from the celebrity. Reeves admitted as much to BBC News last year, when he said his novel had been mostly written by British science fiction author China Miéville.
But both Witherspoon and Coben insist that wasn't the case for them. Witherspoon originally brought the idea to Coben, and the pair say they were both involved in the writing, to the point that - according to Witherspoon - "we couldn't figure out who wrote what".
A number of Coben's books have recently been adapted for the small screen, with mystery thriller Fool Me Once becoming one of Netflix's most-watched dramas last year.
So will Gone Before Goodbye get the same treatment? For Coben, the answer is yes.
"I think one day it'll be adapted. I think I have somebody in mind who I think would like to play Maggie, but I'm not going to say anything," he says.
Is he thinking about Witherspoon by any chance? He laughs. "Yeah."
I ask Witherspoon whether she sees herself in Maggie.
"Every character I play is some part of my personality," she responds. "My personality is a big pie. Each character is a piece of the pie."
So, having conquered film, TV, book clubs and now novels, what's next?
"Wow, when you put it like that, I want to lie down," Witherspoon laughs.
"I'm just really enjoying this moment. This is a big new frontier for me. And it just made me feel like, gosh, creativity doesn't stop at any one age. It just goes on and on."
Gone Before Goodbye is published on 23 October in the UK.
Gus was last seen playing outside his house on the family's remote sheep station
Australian police have called off a search for a four-year-old boy who has been missing in the outback for almost three weeks, after fresh efforts failed to find any traces of the child.
Gus Lamont was last seen playing outside his home on a remote sheep station near Yunta, about 300km (186 miles) from Adelaide, on 27 September.
His grandmother left him alone for about half an hour before checking on him, only to find the boy missing, prompting one of the largest land and air searches in South Australian history.
Police - who do not suspect foul play - say they will continue investigating, but that the case has become a "recovery operation".
Last week, authorities briefly wound down the search, only to restart it on Tuesday alongside 80 Australian Defense Force personnel.
Commissioner Grant Stevens said authorities were searching a wider area based on updated assessments from survivability, medical and search specialists, rather than any new information.
On Friday, police confirmed that the new search had not uncovered any signs of Gus.
"The fact Gus is a small child, the terrain is extremely rugged, harsh and subject to changing weather conditions has made the searching difficult and more challenging for those involved," police said in a statement.
About 470 sq km - an area roughly twice the size of Edinburgh - has now been covered, and a 12-person taskforce set up earlier this week is expected to continue investigating. Police have not ruled out more searches of the property in the future.
Gus, who has been described as an adventurous but shy boy, was last seen wearing a grey hat, light grey long pants, boots and a blue long-sleeve T-shirt featuring a yellow Minion character. Police believe he wandered off.
The case has sparked huge interest across Australia, with images of the blond, curly-haired boy featured across local media and speculation running rife online.
It prompted police to ask that members of the public stop calling them with their "opinions", and appeal for them to source information from credible places.
Their warning came after fake AI-generated images of the child spread on social media, which the BBC's Verify team investigated.
Police earlier this week said the boy's family remain "stoic" despite the tragic circumstances.
"You can imagine just how they are feeling... without having answers as to exactly where Gus is and what's happened to him. This would be traumatic for any family," Commissioner Stevens said.
Through a spokesperson, the Lamont family has previously said they are "devastated" by Gus's disappearance.
"This has come as a shock to our family and friends, and we are struggling to comprehend what has happened," Bill Harbison said, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"Gus's absence is felt in all of us, and we miss him more than words can express."
President Yoweri Museveni (C) came to power as a rebel leader and is serving his sixth term in office following the 2021 election
Toting sub-machine guns and sometimes wearing masks as they drive along the streets of Uganda, members of an elite military unit are increasingly viewed as a private army to keep 81-year-old President Yoweri Museveni in power - along with his ever-growing family dynasty.
Museveni has led Uganda since 1986, when his rebel forces marched into the capital, Kampala. He has since won four elections - all marred by allegations of violence and rigging.
But this is nothing new in the country - since Uganda gained independence in 1962, power has only ever changed hands through rebellions or military coups.
Museveni is seeking re-election next year and the opposition fears that the Special Forces Command (SFC) could be used to prevent it from campaigning, as it says was the case in 2021.
But the SFC, which for years was commanded by Museveni's son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has been accused by government critics of abducting, torturing and killing opposition activists all year round, not just during elections.The SFC denies these allegations.
"It's like a shadow army within the army which is only answerable to the president and his son. Its rise and influence is causing resentment among senior generals," one military source told the BBC.
This is compounded by the fact that Gen Kainerugaba, 51, who is now the army chief, and has said he wants to succeed his father one day, has enlisted his own son into the army.
Gen Kainerugaba has also been contemptuous of some long-serving generals, calling one a "buffoon".
His remarks sent shockwaves through military and political circles, but the government downplayed them as "mere social-media banter" - something for which Gen Kainerugaba is well known.
Analysts say the unit has become so influential that it rivals the power of the regular army, which still has commanders who fought in the guerrilla war that brought Museveni and his National Resistance Movement (NRM) to power.
These observers have raised fears that the two could clash one day - as in Sudan where a civil war has broken out following a power struggle between the army and a paramilitary group once allied with it, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The unit now known as the SFC was established when Museveni first took office, and has a motto stating "there is no substitute for loyalty".
"The SFC is the most powerful unit within the Ugandan military, comprising the [most] highly trained, best-equipped, and best-funded officers in the country," Dr Gerald Bareebe, a Uganda-born academic based at Canada's York University, told the BBC.
Both the Ugandan army and the SFC declined to comment when approached by the BBC.
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Museveni's son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba first became commander of the SFC in 2008
Museveni has previously defended the SFC, saying it was formed for Ugandans. He said that only people who did not wish Uganda well could be unhappy with such a force.
But Museveni's critics see it differently - arguing that the president has ruled with an iron fist since seizing power, and has turned the country into his family's fiefdom.
They note that the president's wife, Janet, is the education minister and Gen Kainerugaba is the army chief. His grandson's enrolment into the army - announced in July - is seen as perpetuating the family dynasty.
Gen Kainerugaba has twice led the SFC and is credited with expanding it into a force with an estimated membership of more than 10,000. The regular army is thought to have around 40,000 active members.
"They go through specialised training. And also they have sophisticated weapons, unlike the regular army," a former senior military officer told the BBC.
Although his father promoted him to chief of the defence forces in March last year, Gen Kainerugaba is said to have maintained de facto control over the SFC, with its current commander, Maj Gen David Mugisha, reporting to him.
Gen Kainerugaba mostly operates from the unit's headquarters - in a building named after his father - in Entebbe, about 34km (21 miles) south of the capital, Kampala.
State House Uganda/X
Those in the SFC are highly trained and the unit is estimated to now be 10,000 strong
The SFC boasts on its website that it carries out specialised missions "at a moment's notice", and is assigned to secure critical installations such as the main airport and oil fields.
It is widely suspected to have crossed into Kenya last November to capture opposition politician Kizza Besigye, once Museveni's doctor, and take him back to Uganda to face trial for treason, which has yet to start. The army's prosecutor has acknowledged the involvement of the Ugandan security forces.
Analysts like Dr Bareebe feel the SFC's core function "is to guarantee regime survival" by fending off threats - not only from the opposition but also army generals.
"It plays a disproportionately central role in suppressing anti-regime mobilisation and shielding the ruling NRM from both internal dissent and external threats," Dr Bareebe said.
Although the SFC has denied involvement in the wave of abductions and torture of opposition members, some of its officers have been convicted of abusing their power.
The most prominent case was that of a 32-year-old SFC soldier, who was court-martialled and sentenced to death last November for shooting dead three people and injuring two others, including a one-year-old child.
In May, the presidency said it was investigating a reported incident where SFC soldiers were accused of torturing the driver of a boda boda - as motorbike taxis are known locally. The rider had been rushing to reach his pregnant wife when he got caught up in a presidential convoy.
He said his "boys" were holding Edward Sebuufu, alias Eddie Mutwe, "in my basement", and in a social media post, attached a photograph of the bodyguard with a clean-shaven head.
Gen Kainerugaba mocked Mr Sebuufu, saying he was "looking very smart these days" as his beard had been shaved by "my boy", referring to a junior soldier.
The Uganda Law Society said Mr Sebuufu's ordeal had not been an isolated case, but was "part of a systematic campaign to silence dissent and crush the aspirations of people yearning for freedom".
It added that the incident underscored "a dangerous nexus of military power and political oppression".
The shadowy nature of the unit and its operations have often led to accusations that its existence was illegal.
But in June, parliament passed a controversial legislative amendment, recognising the SFC as one of four official military services - along with the land forces, air force and reserve force.
Opposition MPs criticised the move, saying the unit should not be given such legitimacy and should instead be disbanded.
"The new law validates an entity that has been operating illegally," said opposition MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda.
For Dr Bareebe, the SFC's "elevation in law merely reflects its already dominant position within Uganda's militarised power structure and reinforces its role as the cornerstone of regime security".
This concern was shared by respected Ugandan analyst Godber Tumushabe. He recently warned that despite the country's apparent stability, "all that we have is the absence of war".
State House Uganda/X
This year, parliament recognised the SFC as one of the four official military services
A senior army officer, who preferred not to be named for fear of repercussions, told the BBC that there has been growing discontent within the military about the unit's recruitment process as it appeared to be along ethnic lines.
Various sources, including those in the military, told the BBC that the SFC was heavily dominated by officers from President Museveni's Banyankore ethnic group, and related communities, in order to guarantee loyalty.
"If you look at all SFC commanders since its inception, they come from Museveni's ethnic group," says Nganda, the opposition MP.
Of the six commanders who have held the position since 2007, only one does not hail from the west country, where the Banyankore live.
Given these competing interests, analysts fear that a power struggle could break out between rival military factions in the post-Museveni era.
"My greatest fear is that we don't know what will happen when Museveni goes and there is dissent within the army," Nganda said.
Dr Bareebe echoed this concern: "A stand-off between the SFC and the regular army - each with its own loyalties, interests, and command structures - could trigger significant political instability and even violence, especially in the absence of a clear succession plan."
But other analysts disagree, saying that this is where Gen Kainerugaba will come into his own given his long career with both the army and SFC.
They argue he is well placed to hold the rival factions together and ensure that the Museveni dynasty continues, guaranteeing stability in Uganda.
Such an outcome would of course be seen as undemocratic by the opposition.
Robert Kyagulanyi, a former pop star better known as Bobi Wine who is running against President Museveni for a second time next year, describes the unit as a "torture squad".
Earlier this year Gen Kainerugaba threatened to behead the opposition leader, though he later deleted the "joke" tweet and apologised.
Bobi Wine told the BBC he and his colleagues were often targeted and beaten up by SFC officers - and he wants the squad disbanded.
"This is largely seen as the section in the military that is responsible for regime survival through brutality," he said. "They operate with impunity and they operate under the protection of General Museveni and his son."
Ms. Pelosi, 85, has not yet said whether she will run again. The challenge would be the latest example of the Democratic Party facing a push for generational change.
His televised address as prime minister delivered 50 years to the day after Japan announced its surrender set a marker for his country’s “deep remorse” over wartime atrocities.
Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995, the year he delivered his landmark apology. “Our task,” he said, “is to convey to younger generations the horrors of war so that we never repeat the errors in our history.”
Putin and Trump met in person at a US base in Alaska in August 2025
US President Donald Trump says "great progress" was made during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with the pair agreeing to face-to-face talks in Hungary.
He said the call, the first with Putin since mid-August, was "very productive", adding that teams from Washington and Moscow will meet next week.
Trump did not confirm a date for his meeting with Putin in Budapest. The Kremlin said work on the summit would begin "immediately" after the "extremely frank and trustful" call.
The talks came a day before Ukraine's President Zelensky was to visit the White House, and with Trump weighing whether to arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep into Russia.
As he arrived in the US, Zelensky said Moscow was "rushing to resume dialogue as soon as it hears about Tomahawks".
Writing on his Truth Social platform after the call concluded, Trump said he and Putin "spent a great deal of time talking about Trade between Russia and the United States when the War with Ukraine is over".
He said "high level advisors" from both countries would meet at an unspecified location next week, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the American delegation.
Trump also said he would update Zelensky on his talks with Putin on Friday, adding: "I believe great progress was made with today's telephone conversation."
He later told reporters he expected to meet Putin "within two weeks".
Asked about the prospect of giving the missiles to Ukraine after his call with Putin, Trump said "we can't deplete" the US stockpile of Tomahawks, adding "we need them too... so I don't know what we can do about that".
Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, said Russia launching overnight strikes on Ukraine "hours before" Putin's call with Trump "exposes Moscow's real attitude toward peace".
In a statement to the BBC's US partner CBS, she added: "These assaults show that Moscow's strategy is one of terror and exhaustion. The only effective response is pressure - through tougher sanctions, reinforced air defense, and the supply of long-range capabilities."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on X the planned Budapest meeting was "great news for the peace-loving people of the world".
Earlier, he also said: "Peace requires patience, strength, and humility. Europe must shift its stance. Instead of arrogance and fanning the flames of endless war, we need negotiations with Russia. Only dialogue can bring peace to our continent."
Trump has taken a much tougher line towards Putin over the Ukraine war since a face-to-face summit in Alaska in August failed to produce a decisive breakthrough in attempts to broker a peace deal.
The pair met on US soil on 15 August for a summit which the US president hoped would help convince the Russian president to enter comprehensive peace talks to end the Ukraine war. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
EPA
The two leaders last met in Alaska in August for a summit which last only a few hours
They spoke again days later when Trump interrupted a meeting with Zelensky and European leaders to call Putin.
Since then, neither the White House or Kremlin have public confirmed any communications between the two.
During his presidential election campaign, Trump claimed he would be able to end the war in Ukraine within days but has since admitted resolving the conflict has been more challenging than any he has been involved in since returning to power.
Trump had been seen as more sympathetic to Russia than his predecessor Joe Biden, and strained relations with Zelensky came to a head on 28 February when he and Vice-President JD Vance berated the Ukrainian president in the Oval Office on live television.
But public relations with Zelensky have vastly improved in recent months.
In September, Trump signalled a major shift in his view of the conflict, saying he believed Kyiv could "win all of Ukraine back in its original form", a far cry from his public calls for Kyiv to cede territory occupied by Russia.
During Zelensky's upcoming visit to Washington on Friday, his third since January, the subject of Tomahawk missiles is likely to be high on the agenda.
Zelensky has called on the US to provide Ukraine with the advanced missiles, which have a range of 2,500 km (1,500 miles).
Asked earlier this week if he was considering giving Ukraine the missiles, he said: "We'll see... I may."
In late July, Trump set Putin a deadline of less than a fortnight to agree to a ceasefire or face sweeping sanctions, including measures against countries which still trade with Russia.
But he did not follow through the threat after Putin agreed to meet Trump in Alaska, which the US president hailed as a significant diplomatic success at the time, despite it not producing any tangible outcome.
Earlier on Thursday, India's foreign ministry cast doubt on a claim made by Trump a day earlier saying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil.
An Indian government spokesman said he was "not aware of any conversation between the two leaders" taking place the previous day, after Trump said Modi had assured him purchases would stop "within a short period of time".
The US has pushed for countries - in particular India, China and Nato members - to stop buying Russian energy in an effort to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin. Zelensky has also repeatedly echoed those calls.
美國智庫「保衛民主基金會」（Foundation for Defense of Democracies）分析師蒙哥馬利（Mark Montgomery）認為，「提供戰斧既是政治決定，也是軍事決定」，但戰斧飛彈所需要的裝備和訓練可能會耗費數年，因此短期內對烏克蘭更有幫助的做法，是提供烏克蘭更多「增程攻擊飛彈」（ERAM）和「陸軍戰術飛彈系統」（ATACMS）。
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