With the noise around Arsenal and their history under Arteta when trying to win the title, the Gunners boss was asked if he needs to ensure that his side do not panic and remain focused on their task.

“That’s what we have to do,” he said. “I mean we are going to be willing and preparing to win every single match and the only thing that we can do is focus on that and raise the levels collectively and individually to be better than the opponent every week.

“It’s just the things that we have to do, that’s the most important thing.”

Before Manchester City‘s dramatic win against Liverpool on Sunday, it looked as though Arsenal would be nine points clear.

But after Erling Haaland’s late penalty to secure the three points and their win against Fulham on Wednesday, the gap was reduced to three points and the pressure was put back on to the Gunners.

When asked if playing after City is bringing a new pressure to his team, Arteta said: “I don’t think so, I think we played well after them a few times this season and we have won games.”

Of the 17 games in which Arsenal have scored first in the Premier League this season, the draw at Brentford was just the second time they have failed to win, along with their loss to Manchester United in January.

Midfielder Declan Rice could not have put it better: “This is a rollercoaster of a season.

“You can’t be naive to think this is going to be easy. We are playing against the best teams week in, week out. We have to keep pushing and believing in ourselves, controlling the controllables.

“We have to block out the outside noise. We have done that really well. People are going to talk up the title race and Arsenal but we have a really calm group.”

Feb. 12 (UPI) — The Department of Homeland Security likely will shut down early Saturday after Senate Democrats blocked a funding bill Thursday.

The Senate voted 52-47 to approve House Resolution 7147, which would have funded the department through Sept. 30. The House narrowly approved the measure Wednesday.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the only Senate Democrat to vote in favor of the funding measure, which failed to muster the 60 votes needed to overcome the Senate’s filibuster rule.

Senate Republican leader John Thune of South Dakota voted against the measure to keep open a procedural mechanism that would enable the Senate to quickly revisit the measure in a floor vote.

During floor debate, Thune said the House and Senate three weeks ago reached a bipartisan agreement that would fund Homeland Security for the remainder of the 2026 fiscal year that started Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30.

That agreement included requiring federal immigration enforcement officers to wear body cams and cease enforcement sweeps in favor of more targeted operations.

“It included funding for de-escalation training for ICE, and it included additional oversight for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol spending,” Thune said.

“And then Democrats reneged on the agreement,” he added. “And so, we are here.”

After defeating the funding measure, Senate Democrats in a statement “demanded Republicans get serious and work with Democrats to pass common sense reforms and rein in ICE and end the violence” that has occurred in Minneapolis.

“They need to sit down. They need to negotiate in good faith, produce legislation that actually reins in ICE and stops the violence,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday.

After the measure failed Thursday, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., proposed extending the current short-term extension of the agency’s 2025 funding that expires at the end of the day Friday.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., opposed that effort, which effectively ended it.

The Department of Homeland Security shutdown would affect the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Science and Technology Directorate, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which processes visa applications.

It also would affect the Coast Guard, Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ICE and the CBP would not shut down, though, as both were funded for three years via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 and will continue enforcing federal immigration laws.

Caracas, February 12, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez hosted US Energy Secretary Chris Wright at Miraflores Palace in Caracas on Wednesday.

Wright is the highest-ranked US official to be received at the presidential palace in over 25 years. The high-profile visit took place a little over a month after US forces bombed Caracas and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores on January 3.

Rodríguez and Wright, who was accompanied by US Chargé d’Affaires Laura Dogu, held a private meeting before briefly addressing the press.

Venezuela’s acting leader centered her statements on a joint “energy agenda” between Caracas and Washington that could be “mutually beneficial.” The talks reportedly included discussions on oil, natural gas, electricity, and mineral projects.

“The main point in our agenda is the establishment of a long-term productive alliance, with an energy agenda that becomes the engine of our bilateral relations,” Rodríguez told reporters. “This energy agenda should be effective, complementary, and beneficial for both countries.

Defending the recent rapproachment, she pointed to Venezuela and the United States’ energy ties dating back 150 years. 

“Our relationship has had its ups and downs in political terms, but I am confident that through diplomacy we can overcome our differences,” Rodríguez added. She made no mention of Maduro in her public remarks. 

Rodríguez, who served under Maduro as vice president, assumed the presidency on an acting basis on January 5 as directed by the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber. Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty to charges including drug trafficking conspiracy.

Venezuelan authorities have fast-tracked a diplomatic reengagement with the Trump administration since the January 3 attacks. In a recent interview, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, brother of the acting president, emphasized the prospect of establishing a “win-win” relationship with Washington.

The parliamentary leader stated that Venezuela was “adapting” legislation to attract US investment. The Venezuelan legislature recently overhauled the country’s Hydrocarbon Law to grant increased incentives to foreign corporations. Under the reformed law, private corporations will enjoy reduced taxes and royalties, as well as expanded control over operations and sales and the prerogative to take disputes to external arbitration bodies.

For his part, Wright said that he brought “a message” from Trump, that the US president was committed to a “broader agenda to make the Americas great again.” The Energy Secretary praised a “wonderful and candid dialogue” with Venezuelan leaders and spoke of “tremendous opportunities” in the Caribbean nation’s energy sector.

Wright highlighted the Trump administration’s recent sanctions waivers allowing US companies to return to the Venezuelan oil sector and permitting exports of diluents, other inputs, and technology for oil operations to the South American country.

“We have been working to issue licenses to existing businesses, to new businesses that want to enter Venezuela, for Venezuelan companies to buy [US] products and raise oil production,” he continued. “We want to set the Venezuelan people, and the economy, free.”

On Thursday, Rodríguez and Wright visited Petroindependencia, a crude upgrader in the Orinoco Oil Belt. According to reports, Wright is also scheduled to visit Petropiar. Chevron is a minority stakeholder in both joint ventures. The US official will also hold meetings with business executives, and claimed he wants to “improve the management” of PDVSA.

Since January, the Trump administration has exerted control over Venezuelan oil exports. Commodity traders Vitol and Trafigura have lifted Venezuelan crude to resell to other customers, while depositing proceeds in US-run accounts in Qatar. Washington has thus far returned to Caracas US $500 million out of a reported $2 billion initial agreement.

The recent licenses likewise mandate that payments be made to accounts designated by the US Treasury and block transactions with companies from China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Russia. US forces have maintained a naval blockade and seized several tankers for allegedly transporting Venezuelan crude. PDVSA also remains under financial sanctions.

Former President Hugo Chávez (1999-2013) had a confrontational relationship with Washington, repeatedly denouncing US interventions abroad, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. He likewise promoted several regional integration projects.

Maduro severed diplomatic ties with the US in 2019 after the first Trump administration formally recognized the Juan Guaidó-led self-proclaimed “interim government” as the country’s legitimate authority.

Despite the rapid rapprochement, the White House has yet to recognize the acting government of Delcy Rodríguez. The formal recognition could pave the way for a restructuring of Venezuela’s sizable foreign debt.

JAMES Van Der Beek’s heartbreaking last moments with close pal Alfonso Ribeiro shows the pair hugging with their heads touching.

Fresh Prince of Bel Air actor Alfonso shared the snap to his Instagram on Thursday, a day after the Dawson’s Creek star died aged 48.

Taking to Instagram, he revealed that he was by his friend’s side while in hospital shortly before his death.

“This was taken by Kimberly a few minutes before I said my last goodbye,” he wrote.

In the heartbreaking photo, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star is seen holding Van Der Beek’s head as he lies in bed.

The pair touch foreheads and have their eyes closed – with the sick Van Der Beek wearing a cream beanie pulled low.

Read more on Van Der Beek

BRAVE FAREWELL

How Van Der Beek fought cancer with sensitivity of Dawson’s Creek character

SAD TURN

Why James Van Der Beek made ‘no money’ from Dawson’s Creek – as family ‘struggle’

Their final moments together were filled with laughter, sharing, “My last moment was making him laugh one last time.”

A lengthier tribute on Ribeiro’s Instagram described Van Der Beek as his “true friend, brother and life guide” who will “live forever in my heart.”

He wrote: “I‘m so broken right now with the passing of my friend James Van Der Beek today.

“He was my true friend brother and life guide. I was with him through this horrible journey to beat cancer.

“His family and friends went on this roller coaster ride. The highs when it looked like he had it beat to the breaking lows of it coming back.

“I’ve learned so much from James. He and Kimberly Van Der Beek changed my life. I will forever be in debt for all they’ve given me and my family.

“He will live forever in my heart. I will always be there for their children. I will always hold my role as Gwen’s Goddie daddy as one of the most important roles of my life.

“I love you James and know I have a guardian angel watching over me. Being able to say goodbye this weekend will always live with me. RIP my brother. RIP.“

Van Der Beek revealed his diagnosis publicly in November 2024, telling PEOPLE Magazine that he had been “privately dealing” with it and had been taking steps to resolve it.

“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” he said at the time.

The TV and film star spent the last few years of his life advocating for early health screenings to help spread awareness, and even mentioned the importance of being proactive in the final video he posted less than one month before his death.

By the end of his life, the noughties heartthrob was physically weakened, but his mind remained resolute, and his wisdom moved his many friends and fans.

A source told the Mail: “James was on hospice for several weeks and he was rail thin when he passed.

“He was mostly in bed because he was very weak, and he was not eating.

“He was in hospice, they held his hand and were there for him, of course, but it has been hard because James was so ill, he was weak.

“He had so much charisma, he was a wonderful soul, and his presence is missed. Those poor little kids.”

Van Der Beek leaves behind his wife, Kimberly, and six children – Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12. Emilia, nine, Gwendolyn, seven, and Jeremiah, four.

Conversations about Culver City — the vibrant enclave on Los Angeles’ Westside often called “the Heart of Screenland” — usually include phrases such as “walkable” and “green spaces” and “Erewhon.”

So when U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi insinuated the city of 39,000 residents is a crime haven during a heated exchange with Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) Wednesday, local officials and personalities responded with statistics, memes and wry mockery.

Bondi slipped in the jab near the end of an arduous House hearing largely focused on the Department of Justice’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Kamlager-Dove, whose district includes Culver City, hammered Bondi over deleted Department of Justice data linking far-right ideology with political killings, asserting that “there are violent, dangerous people out there with real threats.”

“There are — in your district,” Bondi responded. “Her district includes Culver City, and she’s not talking about any crime in her district. Nothing about helping crime in her district. She’s not even worth getting into the details.”

Hometown names stepped up to defend the burg by posting photos of clean streets, manicured parks and humming community events.

Political commentator and Angeleno Brian Taylor Cohen called the city “one of the most non-controversially safe” places in L.A., while Culver City-based comedian Heather Gardner said: “The worst crime of the century is that this woman had made a mockery of our justice system. Release the un-redacted files. Prosecute the REAL crimes.”

Kamlager-Dove shrugged off Bondi’s comment, saying Culver City was known for “breakfast burritos — not crime.”

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for Bondi to clarify her statements.

Crime in Culver City declined 9.7% in 2024 and was down an additional 6.1% in the third quarter of 2025 compared with the same period of 2024, according to the Culver City Police Department. Violent crime declined 3.9% in 2024 — the last full year of available data.

Over that period, murders dropped to zero while aggravated assault, kidnapping and robbery also fell. There were 26 cases of sexual assault in the city in 2024, compared with 25 in 2023. The only violent crime that saw a significant increase were simple assaults, which rose 8.1%.

The California Department of Justice and the FBI reported in 2024 that crime in the state had fallen to “among the lowest levels ever recorded.”

Mayor Freddy Puza, in an interview Thursday, described Culver City as a “strong and vibrant community” of people with no shortage of job opportunities at small businesses and corporations alike, including TikTok, Pinterest and entertainment giants Apple, Amazon and Sony.

He said the local government has been able to lower crime rates through community-based policing and by providing housing and social services to its unsheltered population. The mayor characterized Bondi’s retort as a “knee-jerk reaction” from an attorney general faced with damaging public trust concerns at her department.

“My read of it is that she’s trying to deflect,” he said. “I think she could really spend her time prosecuting the people in the Epstein files and making sure that information from the federal government is transparent.”

The city had seen no ideological violence, he said, adding, “but the potential for it is right around the corner. There’s no doubt that it is on the rise and the president is stoking it. People are becoming further and further polarized.”

At the hearing, Bondi faced sharp criticism over the Justice Department’s Epstein investigation — specifically over redaction errors in the release millions of case files last month. In one instance, the attorney general refused to apologize to Epstein victims in the room, saying she would not “get into the gutter” with partisan requests from Democrats.

Her performance has already prompted a volley of bipartisan demands for her resignation, including from conservative pundits including Megyn Kelly, Nick Fuentes and Kyle Rittenhouse.

Culver City was not Bondi’s only target Wednesday. She called Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) a “washed-up loser lawyer,” accused Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome,” and branded former CNN anchor Don Lemon a “blogger.”

Since the hearing, however, she has stayed silent as locals continue to question her intel and chuckle over images of the pylon-protected war zone of Culver City.

“The worst crime in Culver City,” Gardener joked again on TikTok, “is that they charge $24 for a smoothie at Erewhon.”

Feb. 12 (UPI) — Former Ohio State University board member Leslie Wexner must testify in federal lawsuits accusing the school of enabling sex abuse by Dr. Richard Strauss, a federal court ordered.

Wexner is neither a defendant nor a plaintiff in three lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court of Southern Ohio, but a Jan. 13 subpoena seeks to depose him on the matter.

Wexner filed a motion to quash the deposition subpoena, which Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Preston Deavers and District Judge Michael Watson denied Wednesday.

They ordered Wexner to participate in a deposition within 60 days.

“Given the timing and length of Mr. Wexner’s tenure on the OSU Board of Trustees, including his time as vice chairman and chairman of the full board, as well as ranking positions on the board’s personnel committee, plaintiffs are entitled to discover what Mr. Wexner knew about Dr. Stauss and when he knew it,” Deavers and Watson said.

“Mr. Wexner’s testimony may also illuminate what the board did to monitor OSU’s sexual harassment compliance,” they wrote.

“If Mr. Wexner or the board had no knowledge about allegations surrounding Dr. Strauss, this would be evidence of OSU’s deliberate indifference,” they added.

Wexner argued he has no knowledge of the matter and never discussed allegations against Strauss while he was a board member or afterward, but the judges said that is insufficient cause for granting his motion to quash the deposition subpoena.

The three federal lawsuits filed by former students name Ohio State as the defendant and arise from the time that Strauss was the campus doctor from September 1978 to March 1998.

Strauss was accused of sexually abusing at least 177 OSU male student-athletes and chose to end his life by suicide in 2005.

His suicide prevented Strauss from being tried in court and potentially convicted of the alleged crimes.

His alleged victims last year held protests, during which they accused Wexner, his security staff and his attorney of preventing process servers from delivering the deposition subpoena to compel his testimony.

Watson issued the court deposition subpoena on Jan. 13 to negate the need for serving him with the prior subpoena, which Wexner’s legal team unsuccessfully sought to quash despite there being no accusations of wrongdoing on his part.

Police say 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar killed her mother and stepbrother before carrying out mass shooting in BC.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he will shortly visit the remote British Columbia town of Tumbler Ridge, where nine people died in one of the country’s worst mass shootings, according to his office.

Police say 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who had suffered mental health problems, killed her mother and stepbrother on Tuesday before shooting a teacher and five young students at the local school.

Van Rootselaar, who police say was born a male but began identifying as a woman six years ago, then died by suicide.

“The Prime Minister will be visiting Tumbler Ridge shortly in support of the community … [we are] working closely with the community and local authorities to finalise details based on their own immediate needs,” Carney’s office said on Thursday in a brief statement, which gave no details.

Across Tumbler Ridge, a town of about 2,400 in the Canadian Rockies, flowers and stuffed animals could be seen at unofficial public memorials.

“Hold your kids tight, tell them you love them every day. You never know,” a tearful Lance Young, father of 12-year-old victim Kylie Smith, told reporters on Wednesday.

Carney announced on Wednesday that Canadian flags will be flown at half-staff for seven days on federal buildings following the mass school shooting.

Honouring the victims

Police, who say they still do not have a motive, held a meeting with provincial officials late on Wednesday.

“They are working very hard – they recognise the public does need to hear information to fill that vacuum,” local provincial legislator Larry Neufeld told CBC News on Thursday.

Police said they had visited Van Rootselaar’s house on several occasions to address mental health issues and had twice taken her away for formal assessments.

British Columbia Premier David Eby said on Wednesday he had reached out to local health officials to ask for more details of the interactions.

At one point, police seized guns from the house but returned them after the owner, whose identity they did not disclose, successfully appealed the decision.

British Columbia on Thursday observed an official day of mourning. Provincial Lieutenant-Governor Wendy Cocchia, the personal representative of King Charles, Canada’s head of state, is scheduled to deliver a speech in the legislature to honour the victims.

In Toronto, the iconic CN Tower went dark at the top of every hour on Wednesday to honour the victims of the tragedy.

“Tonight the #CNTower will dim for 5 minutes at the top of each hour in honour of the victims of the attack in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia,” the CN Tower’s official social media account posted on Wednesday.

EastEnders legend Danny Dyer, best known for his role as Mick Carter on the soap, has landed a role in a “heart-stopping” new drama based on one of the most memorable events in UK history

EastEnders legend Danny Dyer has landed a role in a “heart-stopping” new drama. The actor, 48, is best known for playing Mick Carter on the long-running BBC soap, but more than three years after he left Albert Square, he has been cast in the leading role of the heroic PC Trevor Lock in a new programme about the 1980 embassy siege, all based on the book by Ben Macintyre, with a script by Will Smith.

The Siege, which begins filming this week, will cover the events that unfolded in South Kensington, London, more than 45 years ago, and the soap icon will take on the part of the police officer who was on guard when he was taken hostage alongside 25 others.

It all came to a head when the SAS stormed the building during a live television broadcast following a six-day standoff. A total of five of the six terrorists were killed in the operation

READ MORE: Channel 4’s ‘warm and authentic’ Secret Genius sparks surge of applications to MensaREAD MORE: Rivals Series 2 first look as Emily Atack teases ‘welcome to the naughtiest show on TV’

Dyer will be joined in the series by Downton Abbey actor Lewis Doyle and The Crown’s Alex Jennings, amongst a host of others. BAFTA winner Lewis Arnold will direct the six-part series, and Patrick Spencer, who also worked on it ,Mr Bates vs The Post Office, will serve as executive producer for AC Chapter One.

Ian Katz, Chief Content Officer, Channel 4 said: “The Iranian embassy siege and the daring raid which ended it was an iconic moment that forged the ferocious reputation of the modern SAS.

“The show is a heart-stopping, emotional thriller that reveals the little-known motivations of the hapless hostage-takers and the very human reality of what went on inside the embassy as the world looked on and Britain’s most lethal soldiers practised their high-stakes assault.

“It will change the way people understand the siege and reveal how close the famous SAS operation came to disaster. We’re thrilled to be working with Will Smith, Ben Macintyre, Lewis Arnold, Patrick Spence and the remarkable cast. This major commission underlines Channel 4’s commitment to dialling up exceptional drama in its slate of original British programming.”

Alexandre Piel, Deputy Head of Drama, ARTE France, said: “The Siege is our first co-production with the UK, and we are truly honoured to be associated with Channel 4 on this fantastic project. Will Smith is a brilliant author; his adaptation of Ben Macintyre’s novel masterfully blends a gripping thriller with the emotional depth of this tragic event.

“He made it an intense, moving, and funny story all at once. It has been wonderful to stand at Patrick Spence’s side in his adventure. It’s a unique opportunity, the one that allows you to witness the unfolding of a historical moment turning into a disaster in front of the whole world.

“And we are also more than happy that this project enables us to have worked for the first time with the esteemed Channel 4 team.”

It all comes less than a year after PC Lock passed away at the age of 85. At the time, a Polce Federation spokesperson said: “PC Lock is remembered for calming his fellow hostages during the siege, acting as an intermediary between the terrorists and the security forces that ringed the building and – as the embassy was stormed – tackling the leading gunman.

“PC Lock was awarded the George Medal for his ‘outstanding courage, sustained bravery, calmness and devotion to duty. We could not have said it any better.”

Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Great Britain’s Jack Pinnington Jones is through to his first ATP Tour quarter-final as he continued his superb run at the Dallas Open.

The 22-year-old, who had to come through two rounds of qualifying to make the tournament’s main draw, followed up his stunning victory over Italy’s world number 20 Flavio Cobolli by beating American Eliot Spizzirri to reach the last eight.

Pinnington Jones, ranked 181st in the world, overcame world number 68 Spizzirri in three sets, prevailing 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (7-4).

He will face former US Open champion Marin Cilic for a place in the semi-finals on Friday.

Pinnington Jones completed his junior season at Texas Christian University in May but opted against returning for a final year in order to pursue a full-time tennis career.

After losing his first qualifying match at the Australian Open in January, Pinnington Jones reached the final at the Soma Bay challenger event in Egypt before embarking on his four-match winning run in Dallas.

He is set to climb 43 places to 138th in the world after reaching the quarter-finals, and could enter the top 110 with victory over Cilic.

Elsewhere, Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina and top seed Iga Swiatek both suffered shock defeats at the Qatar Open.

World number three Rybakina lost 7-5 4-6 6-4 to Canada’s Victoria Mboko, while Swiatek won the first set but fell to a 2-6 6-4 7-5 defeat by Maria Sakkari.

Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby says current NATO approach ‘no longer fit for purpose’.

Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby has called for NATO “partnerships not dependencies”, saying Europe must take primary responsibility for its defence.

The US official was in Brussels to meet with NATO’s defence ministers on Thursday, where he delivered remarks calling for “clear-eyed realism and fundamental adaptation by all”.

Noting that the current approach of the military alliance was “no longer fit for purpose”, he said a new “NATO 3.0” required “much greater efforts by our allies to step up and assume primary responsibility for the conventional defence of Europe”.

Insisting that the US’s reprioritising of its interests was not a retreat from Europe, he said it was an “affirmation of strategic pragmatism and a recognition of our allies’ undeniable ability to step up”.

Colby said the US would continue to provide its extended nuclear deterrent and, “in a more limited and focused fashion”, contribute to NATO’s defence, as well as “train, exercise, and plan alongside our allies”.

“But we will also continue to press, respectfully but firmly and insistently, for a rebalancing of roles and burdens within the Alliance,” he added.

PURL pledges

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said at a news conference on Thursday that the meeting was “one of the most pivotal” that he had been part of.

He said that he believed that the longer term would see the US’s “nuclear umbrella as the ultimate guarantor of our security here in Europe and Canada, but also a strong conventional presence of the US here in Europe.”

He told reporters that NATO states have announced hundreds of millions of dollars in support for the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). The initiative supplies Ukraine with US-made equipment and munitions.

Rutte thanked the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Lithuania for their contributions, and said he expected more pledges soon.

“The good news is that the billions are coming in,” he said.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more protection from Russian strikes.

“It is the ‘Patriots’ that work most effectively against Russian ballistics, and the supply of missiles to these systems is needed every day,” he said, thanking those who contribute to the PURL programme.

“Everything that is currently in the air defence programme should come faster. Thank you to the leaders who understand this and help.”

When India and Pakistan meet in the T20 World Cup on Sunday, the match will not just be significant for its on-field cricket action but also the political climate that has shrouded the encounter and the tournament itself.

The South Asian nations share a decades-old history of wars and hostile relations. The most recent encounter came in May 2025, when the nuclear-armed neighbours were engaged in a four-day cross-border conflict.

This 78-year-old bitter history has fuelled the sporting rivalry, which has – at times – led to tournament boycotts, cancelled matches and ground invasions.

Players from both teams have often been involved in heated encounters on the field, but have also publicly shared lighter moments off it.

However, the lingering hostility of the last conflict has made a severe and long-term impact on cricket, which is the most widely followed sport in South Asia.

We look back at the deteriorating cricket relations between India and Pakistan since the May conflict and the on-field events steeped in politics:

September 14 – No handshake row

The controversy began when India’s Suryakumar Yadav opted out of the customary pre-toss captains’ handshake with Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha, prompting fans to wonder if politics were at play.

The doubts were cleared at the end of the match when, after hitting the winning runs, Yadav and his batting partner Shivam Dube walked off the field without approaching the Pakistani captain and team for the traditional post-match handshakes.

Pakistan’s players trudged off in a group and waited for the Indian squad, but the Indian contingent only shook hands with each other before walking into their dressing room and shutting the door as the waiting Pakistan players looked on.

Later, Yadav confirmed that his team had planned to not shake hands with Pakistani players all along, linking it to the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that preceded the May conflict.

“A few things in life are above sportsman’s spirit,” the 35-year-old said.

September 17 – Pakistan refuse to take the field against UAE

The fallout of the handshake row carried over into Pakistan’s next group game in the Asia Cup, when they refused to take the field against the UAE in protest against match referee Andy Pycroft.

Pakistan insisted that Pycroft be removed from their fixture as he was the key official in the India match and helped carry out India’s request that the captains not shake hands at the toss.

“Andy Pycroft had barred the captains of India and Pakistan from shaking hands during their match,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.

The Pakistan-UAE match was delayed by an hour as negotiations took place behind closed doors, and Pycroft apologised for the “miscommunication”.

September 21 – Players exchange heated words, make references to conflict

When the teams met for the second time in the Asia Cup, players from both sides were seen exchanging verbal blows in the middle of the pitch.

Pakistan’s Haris Rauf had a go at India’s batter Abhishek Sharma, who later said his match-winning innings of 74 runs was a response to Pakistani players.

“The way they were coming at us without any reason, I didn’t like it at all,” Sharma said after the match.

Rauf was also seen making gestures towards the Indian supporters while fielding on the boundary. He held up his hands to indicate the numbers six and zero, a reference to Pakistan’s claim of downing six Indian jets during the May conflict.

The fast bowler also made gestures indicating an aircraft nosediving into the ground.

Following the match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against Rauf and Pakistani batter Sahibzada Farhan, who marked his half-century with a mock gun celebration.

Pakistan, too, lodged a complaint against India’s captain Yadav for using his post-match press comments to mention the Indian missile attacks in Pakistan.

September 28 – India refuse to receive trophy from Pakistani official

The controversial tournament peaked in the final when India, who beat Pakistan by five wickets, refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy because it was presented by Mohsin Naqvi, who is the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president as well as the chairman of the PCB.

Naqvi is also Pakistan’s federal interior minister.

“We have decided not to take the Asia Cup trophy from the ACC chairman, who happens to be one of the main [political] leaders of Pakistan,” Devajit Saikia, the chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said.

The final award presentation was delayed by more than an hour due to India’s refusal and Naqvi’s insistence on presenting the trophy. The Indian team celebrated by pretending to hold a trophy.

India’s captain Yadav added it was the team’s decision to refuse the trophy and “no one told us to do it”.

October 5 – Handshake row hits Women’s Cricket World Cup

When India and Pakistan faced off at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 in Sri Lanka, the Indian women’s team followed the precedent set by the men’s side by not offering to shake hands with the opposition.

November 4 – ICC sanctions Indian and Pakistani players for on-field behaviour

Five weeks after the conclusion of the Asia Cup, the ICC said Rauf, Farhan and Yadav had been found guilty of breaching its code of conduct and bringing the game into disrepute.

Yadav and Rauf were fined 30 percent of their match fees from the September 14 match and received two demerit points each, while Farhan walked away with a warning and one demerit point.

Rauf was found guilty of the same offence in the final and handed the same punishment, which led to a two-match ban on him.

Meanwhile, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who displayed a plane-crashing celebration of his own in the final, was also found guilty and handed one demerit point.

January 25 – Pakistan casts doubt on T20 World Cup participation

Following Bangladesh’s ouster from the T20 World Cup, Pakistan said it would reconsider its own presence at the tournament.

“The prime minister is not in Pakistan right now. When he returns, I’ll be able to give you our final decision,” PCB chief Naqvi said.

February 1 – Pakistan announces boycott of India match

In an unprecedented decision at a World Cup, Pakistan’s government said its team would not take the field against India on February 15.

A few days later, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed the move was an act of solidarity with Bangladesh.

February 9 – Pakistan reverses boycott

More than a week later, Pakistan reversed its decision and said its cricket team had been ordered to take the field in the match on Sunday.

Pakistan’s government said it had “reviewed formal requests extended by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, as well as the supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and other member nations”, which sought “a viable solution to recent challenges”, referring to its decision to boycott the game.

Nicole Curtis, whose home-rehab work in Detroit and Minneapolis has been the backbone of “Rehab Addict” on HGTV, is thanking people for their support and apologizing after a video surfaced in which she used a racial slur.

“I could say more, but I shall say less,” she wrote Wednesday in a caption on an Instagram video showing her going back and forth on an airport’s moving sidewalk. “Thank you for 15 years of amazing, amazing support! Your love took me from a struggling mommy working odd jobs in Craigslist to a real estate mogul whose voice (more than face) gets recognized all over the world.

“God Bless … Set the DVR -stream it -just make sure these old houses are saved.”

In the video, you can see her riding in one direction as the text over the video states, “POV: you waiting all this time for more Rehab Addict. Then she’s going the other way with text saying, “Me: I promise” followed by another direction switch and text that reads, “Me: forgive me.”

In her Instagram Stories, she shared a text exchange with TMZ where she said, in part, “Regarding HGTV, I’m grateful for the 15-year journey we’ve shared. It’s been a meaningful chapter, but my focus isn’t on my career. My focus at this moment is rightfully on my relationships, and my community — the people who truly know my character and where my heart is. I want to be clear: the word in question is wrong and not part of my vocabulary and never has been, and I apologize to everyone.”

She followed that up with a series of screen grabs showing messages from strangers calling her profane names, insulting her and labeling her a racist. One person said he wanted her deported and “disposed of” and added, amid his all-caps profanity, “may you never have a day of peace again.” Curtis told TMZ she was focused on being a mom.

Video of the slip was captured two years ago, according to Radar Online, which posted it Wednesday.

“Why? It’s my last one,” she says in the brief clip, whining a bit as she stands on a ladder and struggles to clip some wires. Then she uses the N-word.

She immediately stops what she’s doing, turns around and says, “What the f— is that that I just said? Nick, you gotta, you gotta — can you kill that?” A worker is seen helping her at ground level. Someone can be heard laughing off camera.

“No, I’ve got 35 minutes [of footage shot], I can’t …,” her cameraman says from farther away, off-camera.

“Oh, f— my life,” Curtis says, distressed over what she just said.

HGTV said in a statement that the network had been “recently made aware of an offensive racial comment made during the filming of Rehab Addict. Not only is language like this hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees — it does not align with the values of HGTV.”

The network said it had removed the show “from all HGTV platforms.” The show was produced for eight full seasons from 2010 to 2018 and was in the midst of an apparently short ninth season spread over two years when it was pulled. The franchise — which also included “Rehab Addict Rescue” (2021) and “Rehab Addict Lake House Rescue” (2022) — was no longer available to stream on the HBO Max or Discovery+ platforms on Thursday.

Curtis had posted a promo for the new episodes of “Rehab Addict,” which hasn’t showed new material since last summer.

“Straight from Detroit —the new episodes drop Wednesday …was told now or never -so you get them now,” the Instagram post says. Two episodes were set to air, but did not,” she wrote in the promo caption.”And can you do me a huge show of support by sharing this. Sending it to friends, tag a friend, a stranger.”

Curtis talked with The Times about her 2016 book “Better Than New: Lessons I’ve Learned From Saving Old Houses,” where she wrote, “The best way to get through hell is to keep on moving.”

“Years ago, I was having a bad time and I was sitting there in my pajamas crying, and a friend was there and said, ‘C’mon, get up, we’re going for a walk,’” she said at the time. “Now I’ve got mascara running down my face, and I’m a mess, but she said, ‘You have to keep moving, now, let’s go!’ And that was really helpful. If I wasn’t so physically active, I probably wouldn’t get out of bed some days. You have to get fired back up — just get up and move.”

It could be time for Curtis to get up and moving again.

MILAN — Chloe Kim came up short in her attempt to become the first person to win three consecutive Olympic snowboarding gold medals on Thursday, finishing second in the halfpipe to South Korea’s Gaon Choi at Livigno Snow Park.

Choi stormed back from a nasty crash on her first run in which she clipped the lip of the halfpipe and came tumbling almost head first onto the icy surface. She looked shaky on her second run then the 17-year-old who leads the World Cup standings threw down a near flawless 90.25-point run while fresh snow fell to jump ahead of Kim, who had 88 points on her first run.

Dropping in last as the top qualifier, Kim had a chance to grab the gold medal back. She flashed two thumbs up to her coaching team before dropping in. But she fell on a cab double cork 1080, which she had stomped in her first two runs.

At the bottom of the halfpipe, Choi threw her arms in the air. Her coach ran to hug her. Kim, after sliding to the bottom of the pipe, ran through the crowd to congratulate Choi. The new Olympic champion was celebrating with Kim’s family.

The snowboard stars have history. Kim helped Choi train at Mammoth Mountain Snowboarding Club. Choi counts Kim among one of her snowboarding idols after Kim launched herself to superstardom at the 2018 Olympics.

Kim, then 17, became the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal in PyeongChang. She followed it up with a historic gold in Beijing, where she became the first woman to win two Olympic gold medals in halfpipe.

The 25-year-old Kim suffered a torn labrum in her right shoulder in early January while training in Switzerland. It was the second time she had injured her shoulder in less than four weeks after she was forced to withdraw from a World Cup competition in December.

The injury meant the Olympics were Kim’s first competition of the season.

Feb. 12 (UPI) — The Trump administration announced an end to greenhouse gas emission standards for all vehicles made in model year 2012 or later Thursday.

The administration revoked the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding and all other emission standards related to greenhouse gases. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a press release that the move will save taxpayers $1.3 trillion.

“The Endangerment Finding has been the source of 16 years of consumer choice restrictions and trillions of dollars of hidden costs for Americans,” Lee Zeldin, EPA administrator, said in a statement.

Zeldin was joined by President Donald Trump for the announcement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

The Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding set the legal basis for regulating pollution tied to climate change as part of the Clean Air Act, the primary federal air quality law enacted in 1963.

Climate advocates and lawmakers sounded the alarm about the decision, gathering outside of the EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.

“This is corruption, plain and simple,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said at the gathering. “This is an agency that has been so infiltrated by the corrupt fossil fuel industry that it has turned an agency of government into the weapon of fossil fuel polluters.”

Critics of the Trump administration’s rollback on greenhouse gas emission regulation say it may lead to trillions in costs for climate damages and healthcare.

Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said Wednesday that her organization will take legal action.

Thursday’s move follows Trump signing an executive order on Wednesday directing the Pentagon to purchase coal-fired electricity in an effort to boost domestic coal production.

The NHS has issued crucial advice for anyone planning to travel abroad this year

The NHS has issued an important reminder for anyone planning international travel, emphasising that heeding this advice could prove life-saving. And it may be best to carry out a quick check at least eight weeks before your holiday.

On its website, the health service states: “If you’re planning to travel outside the UK, you may need to be vaccinated against some of the serious diseases found in other parts of the world.”

The NHS guidance continues: “Vaccinations are available to protect you against infections such as yellow fever, typhoid and hepatitis A. In the UK, the NHS routine immunisation (vaccination) schedule protects you against a number of diseases, but does not cover all of the infectious diseases found overseas.”

It takes just a few seconds to check whether you need a booster from your GP or whether your travel destination requires specific vaccinations.

Six to eight weeks

You should consult your GP or a private travel clinic between six and eight weeks before departure. Certain vaccines require time to become effective, while others necessitate several doses administered across multiple weeks.

Additional protection may be needed if you’re backpacking, camping, exploring rural locations, or going on an extended journey. People with pre-existing health conditions may also be more vulnerable to travel-related illnesses.

Which travel vaccines do I need?

It’s advisable to consult the Travel Health Pro website to determine which immunisations are necessary for your journey. Certain nations mandate an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) for entry or departure. You should also keep a record of your vaccinations with you whilst travelling.

Where to get a vaccine?

Check with your GP practice to ensure your standard UK immunisations are up to date. They can also provide guidance on matters such as malaria prevention.

Alternatively, you can attend private travel clinics or pharmacies for specialist injections. Not all travel vaccinations are provided free of charge on the NHS.

If payment is required, request a written quotation for the complete course and any certificate charges.

Free jabs

The following travel vaccines are available free on the NHS from your GP surgery:

• polio (given as a combined diphtheria/tetanus/polio jab)
• typhoid
• hepatitis A
• cholera

The NHS says: “These vaccines are free because they protect against diseases thought to represent the greatest risk to public health if they were brought into the country.”

Jabs you need to pay for

You’ll have to pay for travel vaccinations against:

• hepatitis B
• Japanese encephalitis
• meningitis
• rabies
• tick-borne encephalitis
• tuberculosis (TB)
• yellow fever

The NHS further explain: “Yellow fever vaccines are only available from designated centres. The cost of travel vaccines that are not available on the NHS will vary, depending on the vaccine and number of doses you need.”

Where are you travelling?

The NHS have addressed some holidaymakers, adding: “If you’re only travelling to countries in northern and central Europe, North America or Australia, you’re unlikely to need any vaccinations. But it’s essential to check that you’re up to date with the routine vaccinations available on the NHS.

Pregnancy and other worries

If you’re pregnant, it’s advisable to consult your GP before getting vaccinated. While most vaccines are safe, professional advice is always recommended depending on where you are going.

In addition, if you have a condition such as HIV or you are undergoing chemotherapy, or have had a transplant, certain vaccines may not be appropriate for you.

Other things you need to know

There are other things to consider when planning your travel vaccinations, including:

• your age and health – you may be more vulnerable to infection than others; some vaccines cannot be given to people with certain medical conditions
• working as an aid worker – you may come into contact with more diseases in a refugee camp or helping after a natural disaster
• working in a medical setting – a doctor, nurse or another healthcare worker may require additional vaccinations
• contact with animals – you may be more at risk of getting diseases spread by animals, such as rabies

Pal Lonseth, chief of the specialised Okokrim economic crimes unit, says Jagland suspected of ‘aggravated corruption’.

Norwegian police say that they had conducted searches of properties owned by former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland as part of a corruption investigation into his connections with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The probe was initiated after documents released by the US Department of Justice in January indicated that Jagland and/or members of his family may have stayed at or vacationed at Epstein’s residences between 2011 and 2018, the AFP news agency reported.

Norwegian television footage showed investigators carrying several boxes from Jagland’s apartment in Oslo during the searches on Thursday.

Jagland, 74, served as Norway’s prime minister from 1996 to 1997 and during the period mentioned in the files, he was serving as chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and as secretary-general of the Council of Europe.

In the documents released by the US Justice Department, Epstein referred to him as “the Nobel big shot”, the AFP news agency reported.

Pal Lonseth, chief of the specialised Okokrim economic crimes unit, said that Jagland’s residence in Oslo had been searched and that he was now formally suspected of “aggravated corruption”.

His lawyer, Anders Brosveet, confirmed the searches and stated that they were standard procedure in these types of investigations.

“Jagland wishes to contribute to ensuring that the case is thoroughly clarified, and the next step is that he will appear for questioning by Okokrim – as he himself has stated he wants,” Brosveet said.

The raids were enabled by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers by waiving Jagland’s diplomatic immunity on Wednesday, following a request from Norwegian authorities. Police told the council in the request that they are investigating whether the benefits Jagland may have received could amount to “passive bribery”.

Okokrim cited repeated instances, between 2011 and 2018, when Jagland and/or members of his family made use of Epstein’s apartments in Paris and New York, as well as stays at his property in Palm Beach, Florida.

“For at least one of these private vacations, travel expenses for six adults appear to have been covered by Mr. Epstein,” Okokrim wrote.

After previously maintaining that his ties with Epstein were part of normal diplomatic activities, Jagland told the newspaper Aftenposten this month that he had shown “poor judgement”.

PRINCESS Andre seems to have broken her silence on how she’s feeling after her mother’s whirlwind marriage.

Katie Price and Lee Andrews wed in an intimate ceremony after only being engaged for two days.

The pair reportedly bought each other engagement rings after speaking for less than a week online, and before they had ever even met.

But Katie’s daughter Princess made a post to TikTok that appears to indicate that she’s having quite a rough time.

The vulnerable post showed a picture of Princess looking relatively downcast with an inspiring message penned over the top.

It read: “The greatest skill you can build is learning how to stay in a good mood even when there are a hundred reasons not to.”

FOOD FAIL

Princess Andre left RETCHING as she tries everything off the new McDonald’s menu

helping mum

Inside Princess Andre’s desperate bid to save mum Katie from ‘conman’ hubby

She accompanied this by sharing that she’s been writing in her journal, showing the words ‘Liebes Tagebuch’ inked onto a page dated February 1.

The words translate from German to English to read: “Dear Diary.”

Princess added: “When life hits you so hard you have to pull out this move…” to the diary snap.

The TikTok comes shortly after Katie announced that she’s considering moving to Dubai to be with Lee.

She’s been jetting back and forth to the country despite concern from her loved ones about her new husband being a swindler.

Despite Katie saying her latest trip would be a short one, there doesn’t look like any sign she will be heading back to the UK soon.

A source has told The Sun that Katie has been talking about moving there and is already thinking about places to live.

The onlooker said: “She was in a restaurant and I recognised her immediately – she was talking about a property she’s buying out here [Dubai] so they could move here for good, and her husband was laying it on thick – telling her exactly what she wanted to hear, how great he’d make it.

“She was lapping it up. He was selling her a dream but I got a bad vibe from him.”

The Sun understands Katie’s family, including her children, Princess and Junior Andre, had no idea she was getting married for a fourth time.

A source said: “Kate married Lee without telling anyone – the whole family are completely horrified.

“It is moving very fast and they are concerned about Kate’s frame of mind.

“No one knows who Lee really is and whether he is any good for her.

“It’s all total chaos at the moment and no one has a clue what is happening.”

Katie, 47, was previously married to Peter Andre, Alex Reid and Kieran Hayler.

PALM BEACH, Fla. — As Major League Baseball closes in on an agreement for its players to participate in the 2028 Olympics, Commissioner Rob Manfred said the controversy surrounding LA28 chief Casey Wasserman would not impact the league’s final decision.

“Our dealings are not with Casey,” Manfred said Thursday at the MLB owners’ meetings. “Our dealings are with the institution of the Olympics.”

On Wednesday, amid a stream of artists dumping Wasserman’s talent agency and a growing list of civic leaders calling on him to resign, the executive committee of the LA28 board issued a statement backing Wasserman.

In recently released emails, Wasserman was linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. The board retained a law firm to investigate, the statement said, and the review did not uncover any behavior beyond what was already known: a “single interaction with Epstein” on a plane flight for a humanitarian mission and raunchy emails with Maxwell, both two decades ago, before the “deplorable crimes” of both became public.

“Based on these facts, as well as the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past ten years, Mr. Wasserman should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful Games,” the committee statement said.

Epstein died by suicide after his indictment on sex trafficking charges in 2019. Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021.

Manfred declined to say whether he was concerned that an association with Wasserman could be detrimental for baseball.

“I’m going to pass on that one,” Manfred said. “People much closer to that situation are better to opine on that.”

Mark Attanasio, the Los Angeles-based owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, is a member of the LA28 executive committee. Attanasio said he would let the statement speak for itself.

While baseball is not new to the Olympics, the participation of major leaguers would be. In past Olympics, MLB declined to interrupt its season so its players could travel halfway around the world, and Team USA featured minor leaguers and college players.

MLB players already travel to Los Angeles every summer, and Wasserman has pitched Manfred and MLB owners in a variety of meetings on the benefit of using major leaguers at a time the league is focused on broadening its international appeal.

“What an incredible opportunity to elevate the sport in a city where you have one of the great cathedrals of the sport,” Wasserman told The Times last year. “There is no better chance to tell the global story of baseball than from the Olympics in Los Angeles.

“They understand that. We could have another Dream Team, or two, depending on the countries. That is a vehicle to tell the story of baseball around the world, and that is really powerful.”

MLB and LA28 officials have worked out a tentative timeline under which the All-Star Game would be played in its usual mid-July spot in 2028, most likely in San Francisco, followed by a six-day, six-team Olympic baseball tournament at Dodger Stadium.

“I think people have come to appreciate that the Olympics on U.S. soil is a unique marketing opportunity for the game,” Manfred said Thursday. “We’ve got a lot of players interested in doing it, and I feel pretty good about the idea we’ll get there.”

Are the Dodgers good for baseball?

Outfielder Kyle Tucker adjusts his Dodgers cap during his introductory news conference at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 21.

(Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers’ signing of outfielder Kyle Tucker – for $60 million per year – revived the debate over whether the big-spending, star-studded, back-to-back champions are good for baseball.

“I think great teams are always good for baseball,” Manfred said. “I think, with respect to this particular great team, it added to what we have been hearing from fans in a lot of markets for a long time about the competitiveness of the game. But great teams are always good for baseball.”

MLB officials have cited that fan concern repeatedly over the last year, prelude to an expected push for a salary cap. Manfred declined to discuss the owners’ labor strategy but said he expected negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement to begin after Opening Day and said he would not talk about MLB proposals until they are presented to the players’ union.

The current agreement expires Dec. 1, and a lockout is widely expected.

Where can you watch the Angels?

Angels star Mike Trout celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros on Sept. 28 in Anaheim.

(Wally Skalij / Associated Press)

The Angels already are in spring training, and yet their fans have no idea where to watch their games on television this season.

The Angels have agreed that MLB will provide a streaming option, and a team official confirmed they are still deciding whether to let MLB sell their telecasts to cable and satellite distributors or reinvent what remains of the FanDuel Sports channel already part-owned by the team, with the Kings joining the Angels.

The Angels’ situation is not unique. Three years ago, MLB did not provide broadcast services to any team. Today, amid the collapse of the cable and satellite universe, MLB provides broadcast services to 14 of its 30 teams — 15, if the Angels go that way.

In 2028, Manfred would like to sell national streaming packages, in the hope that more bidders would mean more revenue, a particularly acute need for the teams losing revenue as guaranteed rights fees are cut or eliminated altogether. The challenge: how to convince the Dodgers and other big-market teams to sacrifice their still-lucrative local rights so MLB can sell a 30-team package.

“Ideally, I’d love to get there,” Manfred said. “I don’t need to get all the way there to accomplish most of what I am thinking about.”

On Thursday, Manfred cited one way he could get close enough: have rival owners vote to expand the number of games — for the Dodgers or anyone else — that would be classified as national rather than local.

“We can take as many games as we want from any club in a national package,” Manfred said, “with a majority vote of the clubs.”

CCTV video captured the moment a huge sinkhole swallowed part of a busy road in Shanghai, China on Wednesday. Authorities said the cause was a leak at a subway construction site.

Votes are still being tallied, but unofficial results in the Bangladesh election suggest that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party is ‘clearly leading’. Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury provides an update from Dhaka.

It was a clothes brand beloved by football hooligans for decades before becoming distinctly uncool when Arsenal-supporting PM Keir Starmer picked up one of the £150 polo shirts.

But now fashion company Stone Island is undergoing another major rebrand — and has just pulled in Stephen Graham and Skepta to help make it happen.

I’m told Adolescence actor Stephen and the rapper filmed a top-secret new campaign in London last week in a bid to breathe fresh blood into the brand.

My fashion mole said: “Stephen’s stock is now sky high after Adolescence, and Stone Island want credibility.

“Stephen brings this in spades. It’s a serious deal and they think it’s going to be hugely popular.

“He is the man of the moment thanks to Adolescence, plus he’s a very cool, low-key individual, which is what Stone Island loves.

ROB THE MENTOR

Robbie Williams mentoring Brit rock star to stop him going off the rails

BACK ON STAGE

Huge girl group reuniting without 3 key members as they plot comeback tour

“Bringing Skepta in on the deal keeps it edgy. He is an incredible musician and brings real integrity to Stone Island.

“His fan base is massive and there is a huge, untapped audience Stone Island thinks they can reach with him in their clothes.

“The shoot was kept under lock and key but it’s very moody and very cool, with them walking the streets in Stone Island clobber, with the famous compass badge on show.

“It’s likely the advert will be released in the coming weeks, with billboards and a massive push on social media.”

In my teenage years, Stone Island was the uniform of my school’s hardest, and definitely most stupid, kids.

Posh boy

It’s recently had a resurgence, with posh boy DJ Cassius Taylor, whose grandad was the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth, coming on board in 2024 to give the Italian company a refresh.

He said at the time he wanted to bring the influence of the British arts scene to the brand, with Ed Sheeran and later American film director Spike Lee all seen wearing Stone Island clobber.

If anyone can make it cool one more, it’s Stephen and Skepta.

Now the company just needs to put a blanket ban on Sir Keir wearing its clothes ever again.

Keep your chin up, Olivia

On her first night out since revealing she is getting divorced, I thought Olivia Attwood might be nursing a broken heart.

But it almost looked like she’d hurt her neck, too, when the reality star turned up to a showbiz London bash in this crop top, which resembled a fuzzy brace.

The ex-Love Islander recently split from footballer Bradley Dack and didn’t seem in the spirit to let her hair down at Glamour and EE’s Bafta Rising Star party in Knightsbridge, leaving after just an hour.

And fresh from news of the Pussycat Dolls reunion, Ashley Roberts was feline flirty in this sheer dress.

Other celebrities at the bash included AJ Odudu and Radio 6 Music’s Beth Ditto, who was one of the last guests standing.

You can cast your vote now on who you want to see win the Rising Star gong at the EE Baftas, which will take place on February 22.

Hopefully there’s more familiar faces letting their hair down then.

Shop ahoy for Cruz

Cruz Beckham shopped until he dropped with his bandmates The Breakers – but he kept it thrifty.

One of my pals saw the youngest son of Posh and Becks at trendy clothing shop Retro Man in Notting Hill, West London, where he spent £250 on clobber for the group.

He was also joined by his girlfriend, songwriter Jackie Apostel.

“Cruz might be absolutely loaded but he kept to a budget when he was shopping for the band,” my mate told me last night.

“They bought a £10 scarf, a top for £20 and a vest which was supposed to be £15 but the shop owner knocked off a fiver. All of them got decked out for £250.

“Cruz’s girlfriend Jackie was there and helped them choose things. They were in a really good mood and Cruz was joking around, saying the band were the next ‘Fab Four’.”

Cruz and The Breakers are on Chris Evans’s Virgin Radio UK Breakfast show this morning to promote their single For Your Love, which is out today.

Other new releases include Blue by Mae Stephens, as well as Charli XCX’s Wuthering Heights soundtrack, featuring a track co-written with Stranger Things’ Joe Keery, also known as singer Djo.

Hailey’s nightie on the town

Hailey Bieber gave husband Justin an early Valentine’s Day treat when she walked the red carpet in this sheer dress.

The beauty mogul wore the daring lacy outfit to the Sydney premiere of Wuthering Heights.

Given how racy I’ve heard the flick is, perhaps it will help spice things up at home.

She attended the event during a whirlwind promotional tour to launch her beauty brand Rhode in Oz.

Videos have shown thousands of fans lining the streets to catch a glimpse of her there, which shows how her star power has rocketed in the past few years.

It really is amazing what a bit of lip gloss can do.

Cyn sucks with Drac autocue

West End audiences are out for blood after accusing Cynthia Erivo of not learning her lines for a new production of Dracula.

The Wicked actress has given her first few performances of the show, but some punters were less than impressed by the fact she is using an autocue for lines.

To be fair, Cynthia is playing all 23 parts in the play, which means she had a hell of a lot to learn.

But some people have said she simply isn’t prepared for the part if she doesn’t know the script.

With tickets costing up to £225, I can see why they might be ticked off.

To make matters worse, the show is filled with complex filmed sections, which meant the autocue was clearly visible on massive screens.

Taking to TikTok, one peeved theatre-goer said: “It was an incredible design. It had all of this amazing tech and a stage management team that were working their butts off – it was incredible to see them at work.

“And amongst all of it you had a central performer who didn’t know her lines. She had autocues at the side of the stage that at times got caught on camera.”

“Absolutely appalling. I think at one point she was keeping an earpiece in. Was she being fed her lines by a voice off stage in the wings?”

Some have defended her, insisting the show is still only in the preview stage.

But with its official opening night on Tuesday, it sounds like Cynthia had better sink her teeth into that script.

Duff tour heads to lucky UK

Hilary Duff is heading out on the biggest tour of her career so far.

She will play arenas around the world after exceptional demand for a handful of intimate shows last month.

The former Disney child star launches The Lucky Me Tour in Florida on June 22, then brings it to the UK and Ireland in September with support from La Roux.

Hilary, whose first album in a decade, Luck . . .  Or Something, will be out a week today, will visit Dublin’s 3Arena on September 6, followed by Cardiff’s Utilita Arena, London’s O2 Arena, Manchester’s AO Arena and finally OVO Hydro in Glasgow.

A pre-sale begins on Tuesday, with tickets going on general sale next Friday.

Chain of Hope’s annual celebrity art auction is back, with Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, Mel B and Emma Bunton showing off creative skills alongside Fatboy Slim and Graham Norton.

The artwork is on display and available to buy at London’s Saatchi Gallery. The charity helps children from overseas who have heart disease.

Given Taylor Swift is a fan of Graham and cast him in her Opalite video, I wonder if she will snap up his work for the good cause.

Jason on track for Crimbo

It’s only February, but Jason Manford is already planning his next Christmas – complete with new tunes.

The comic reached the Top Ten with his album A Different Stage in 2017 and now wants to put out a festive album, just like Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue and Michael Buble.

Speaking to Bizarre as part of a campaign to lift the nation’s mood with savoury snacks Cheez-Its, of all things, he said: “Because I do the pantos, I keep thinking about Christmas albums. That would be nice.”

‘Silly’ Greg in 1,000-mile relief ride

Greg James is taking one for the Radio 1 team by braving this year’s Red Nose Day challenge.

Unfortunately for the Breakfast Show host, it’s one of the hardest.

Greg, who has already done two Comic Relief challenges and raised more than £2million during his time at the station, is cycling 1,000 miles on a tandem bike.

He will be setting off from Weymouth in Dorset on March 13, then riding through Wales and England before ending up in Edinburgh on Red Nose Day, seven days later.

As well as his fellow Radio 1 DJs, Greg is going to be joined by special guests along the way.

He completed five triathlons in five days in 2016. Two years later, Greg completed Pedal to the Peaks, in which he cycled and climbed Scafell Pike, Snowdon, and Ben Nevis.

At the time, Greg vowed he’d never take on another challenge.

But there must be something in the water as he’s busy getting his Lycra on and training.

He said: “Here I am again. I thought I’d never be so silly to say yes to Comic Relief again, but why not make it a hat-trick?”

We’re right behind you, Greg.