Six In The Morning Sunday 6 July 2025

 

How Trump is using the 'Madman Theory' to try to change the world (and it's working)

Allan Little

Senior correspondent

Asked last month whether he was planning to join Israel in attacking Iran, US President Donald Trump said "I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I'm going to do".

He let the world believe he had agreed a two-week pause to allow Iran to resume negotiations. And then he bombed anyway.

A pattern is emerging: The most predictable thing about Trump is his unpredictability. He changes his mind. He contradicts himself. He is inconsistent.

‘Our days are full of hardship’: people in Gaza barely dare to hope for success in ceasefire talks

Mood is tense and subdued after nearly 21 months of Israeli offensives that have displaced almost the entire population

Malek A Tantesh in Gaza and Jason Burke in Jerusalem

Sun 6 Jul 2025 15.49 BST

In Gaza City on Sunday morning, there was only one topic of conversation: the possibility of peace. In the half-ruined town, as across the entire territory, few took their eyes off their phones, a television or better-informed relatives or friends for more than a few minutes.

Um Fadi Ma’rouf, from the now destroyed town of Beit Lahia in the far north of Gaza, said she was encouraged by the positive response from Hamas to the most recent US-sponsored proposal of terms for a deal.

Using AI to Humiliate WomenThe Men Behind Deepfake Pornography

AI-generated naked images of real women is the business model behind Clothoff, a dubious "nudify" app that has millions of visitors. Now, a whistleblower has provided details of just how cynical the site's operators are.

By Max Hoppenstedt und Marvin Milatz

Miriam Al Adib is still furious. "The operators of Clothoff only care about money. They are clearly uninterested about the consequences of their app for young women.” The Spanish gynecologist knows what she’s talking about. In September 2023, faked naked pictures of her daughter, who was 14 years old at the time, were produced using the artificial intelligence tool offered by the app Clothoff. The images were circulated in local WhatsApp groups in the family’s hometown and the 14-year-old was approached on the street about the pictures and bullied by boys. "If I didn’t know what my daughter looked like naked, I would have thought the pictures were real,” says Al Adib.

Beijing disinformation targeted French Rafale jets to boost sales of China-made planes, intel says

French military and intelligence officials say China deployed its embassies to promote a disinformation campaign sowing doubts about the performance of Rafale jets during the India-Pakistan military clashes in May. It was aimed at undermining sales of the French-made fighter planes while promoting Chinese-made military hardware. 

China deployed its embassies to spread doubts about the performance of French-made Rafale jets after they saw combat in India and Pakistan's clashes in May, French military and intelligence officials have concluded, implicating Beijing in an effort to hammer the reputation and sales of France's flagship fighter. 

Findings from a French intelligence service seen by The Associated Press say defence attachés in China's foreign embassies led a charge to undermine Rafale sales, seeking to persuade countries that have already ordered the French-made fighter – notably Indonesia – not to buy more and to encourage other potential buyers to choose Chinese-made planes. The findings were shared with AP by a French military official on condition that the official and the intelligence service not be named. 

London police chief calls for 'mega' forces to cut costs

The head of the Metropolitan Police has called for dozens of police forces in England and Wales to be merged into 12-15 regional giants. Mark Rowley says the savings made could be used for new crime-fighting technology.

The commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police Mark Rowley on Sunday called for major reforms to the United Kingdom's policing model, saying it "hasn't been fit for purpose for at least two decades."

The call comes amid falling public confidence in law enforcement in Britain and as police forces struggle to overcome years of austerity.

Iran tells millions of Afghans to leave or face arrest on day of deadline

Afghans given Sunday deadline amid concerns over security after conflict with Israel, but humanitarian groups warn that mass deportations could further destabilise Afghanistan.

Millions of Afghan migrants and refugees in Iran have been asked to leave or face arrest as a deadline set by the government comes to an end.

Sunday’s target date neared amid public concerns over security in the aftermath of the 12-day conflict with Israel, which the United States joined with air strikes on Iran’s uranium-enrichment facilities.