Month: January 2026

DAVID and Victoria Beckham fear estranged son Brooklyn could be left high and dry after he signed an iron-clad pre-nup.

There were also concerns over his change of Instagram profile photo — to one showing a tattoo of his wife Nicola Peltz’s eyes on the back of his neck.

His parents — stunned by their eldest child’s explosive statement on Monday — believe it is yet another sign he is viewing everything through the 31-year-old US actress.

The Sun can reveal Brooklyn, 26, signed a rigid pre-nuptial agreement ahead of their 2022 wedding, and will not gain any of her family wealth if they split.

The move is significant as Nicola’s businessman and investor father Nelson, 83, is worth an estimated £1.2billion.

The agreement means Brooklyn would only leave with half of what they have made as a brand.

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Brooklyn & Harry are wimps – they deserve what they get, expert says

‘NICOLA OR US’

Beckhams believe they’ll only speak to Brooklyn again if he splits from wife

Those close to the aspiring chef insist it is irrelevant as they are stronger than ever as a couple, despite the furore around them.

But his parents have grown more concerned that he could be left stranded after drifting from many of his nearest and dearest.

A source close to David and Victoria said: “The fear is that he has been completely absorbed into the Peltzes and has become alienated from everyone else.

“If they ever did break up, Brooklyn would be completely ostracised and without much cash to show for it.

“It’s as if he’s being held captive or something, because heartbreakingly, that’s what it feels like for them. His future is completely in the hands of the Peltzes.”

We can reveal that after Brooklyn sent his family a “desist” legal letter asking them not to contact them directly, they were so concerned about his in-laws’ influence they replied with a letter addressed solely to him.

The insider explained: “David and Victoria felt it was the only way to get a message across to him without the Peltz family’s influence.

“It was like, ‘Give us a signal you’re OK, because we are concerned for you’. Everything they have done for Brooklyn has come from a place of love and worry.”

Brooklyn has also now updated his Instagram page with a new image featuring a tattoo of Nicola peering out from the back of his neck, which his family feels is another cause for concern.

On paper, Nicola and Victoria should get on like a house on fire

A source

Her eyes are above a letter she wrote to him before they got married, saying: “My forever boy…Just know we can get through it all together if you breathe slow and trust. I love you beyond. Love always, your future wifey.”

A pal said: “It’s so over the top and extreme to show his dedication in that way, it’s almost alarming. Why does he feel the need to do that within a loving relationship?”

The Sun understands that Victoria has been hit hard by Brooklyn’s six-page statement, posted on Instagram, in which he accused his parents of “controlling” him.

He also claimed they tried to interfere with his marriage and said his mum danced “inappropriately on me” at their wedding in Florida, after she “hijacked” their first dance.

Brooklyn said: “I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life.”

One pal said: “Victoria has been on the phone to friends in floods of tears. She is totally devastated.”

Brooklyn’s wedding DJ Fat Tony also yesterday waded into the storm, posting a clip of Amanda in BBC comedy Motherland dancing wildly.

The caption read: “POV Victoria Beckham during Brooklyn’s first dance.”

He added: “Actual video footage it’s true I was there!”

The divide between the Peltzes and the Beckhams, including fashion designer Victoria and Nicola, was evident long before the wedding.

A source explained: “On paper, Nicola and Victoria should get on like a house on fire.

“They are both really ambitious, they love fashion, and family is the most important thing to them both. But for some reason, they just never hit it off. They never really gelled and the Beckhams never felt like they bonded with Nicola’s parents Nelson and Claudia.

“It was evident at the wedding. It was very much us and them in the room. As one of the most famous families in the UK, it was weird for the Beckhams to play second fiddle to the billionaire Peltzes.”

Due to lockdowns, the two clans only met for the first time after Brooklyn and Nicola got engaged in 2020.

Her parents were reportedly offended when Victoria and David sent their security team to “sweep” their £76million Florida home ahead of their first visit, which was standard for the Beckhams.

The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards. I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life

Brooklyn

There were then differences over the wedding, with Nicola’s mum insisting they have just one wedding, with her as the planner.

Meanwhile, the Beckhams had hoped there would be events in both the US and the UK.

At the wedding itself, tensions were raised further when singer Marc Anthony gave a speech referencing how lucky the couple would be to have a marriage like David and Victoria’s.

However he did not mention the Peltzes, who have been hitched for 40 years.

Another key issue is believed to stem from Brooklyn feeling like he was being “controlled” by his parents during his “wild child” years.

In Monday’s six-part salvo, he hit back at the suggestion that Nicola has been influencing him.

He wrote: “The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards. I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life.”

However, the Beckhams believe they were only ever looking out for him.

A source explained: “The idea that they have ‘controlled’ him for years is just not how they see things at all. It’s heartbreaking.

“There was a time, about 10 years ago, when Brooklyn was a teenager and they were just concerned for him. He was doing typical teenage things like staying out late and lashing out, but they always tried to be there for him.

“They put up with a lot, but he is their son and they always had his best interests at heart.”

It was like Brand Beckham was more important than anything else

A source

However he got tired of the perception they were a big happy family.

The source added: “With every event, every post on social media and every family photo opp, it was all about making people think about the Beckhams in a certain way.

“It was like Brand Beckham was more important than anything else.

“It didn’t matter what was really going on behind closed doors, it was business as usual on the outside. He doesn’t want to live like that. It’s fake and exhausting.”

Brooklyn has multiple tattoos dedicated to his wife.

They include his entire wedding vows on his arm, a portrait of his wife and the letter ‘N’ on his ring finger.

Also below Nicola’s eyes are the coordinates where he was born, at London’s Portland Hospital in 1999.

He previously had “mama’s boy” inked on his chest, but covered it up with a design representing Nicola’s wedding bouquet.

NUUK, Greenland — President Trump retreated Wednesday from his most serious threats toward Denmark, easing transatlantic tensions and lifting Wall Street after rejecting the prospect he would use military force to annex Greenland, a Danish territory and the world’s largest island.

Instead, the United States struck a “framework” agreement in talks with NATO’s secretary general regarding the future of Greenland, “and in fact, the whole Arctic region,” Trump wrote on social media. He did not immediately provide details on the contents of the plan.

The whiplash of developments followed weeks of escalating threats from the president to control Greenland by any means necessary — including by force, if left with no other choice.

Now, “the military’s not on the table,” Trump told reporters at the economic forum in Switzerland, acknowledging sighs of relief throughout the room.

“I don’t think it will be necessary,” he said. “I really don’t. I think people are going to use better judgment.”

It was a turn of events that came as welcome news in Nuuk, where signs hang in storefronts and kitchen windows rejecting American imperialism.

“It’s difficult to say what are negotiating tactics, and what the foundation is for him saying all of this,” said Finn Meinel, an attorney born and raised in the Greenlandic capital. “It could be that joint pressure from the EU and NATO countries has made an impact, as well as the economic numbers in the states. Maybe that has had an influence.”

President Trump speaks during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday.

(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

In his speech at Davos, Trump took note of the market turmoil his threats against Greenland had caused entering the conference. Announcing the agreement framework on social media Wednesday, he said he would pause punitive tariffs planned against longstanding European allies that had refused to support his demands.

Prominent world leaders — including from Canada, France and the United Kingdom, among Washington’s closest allies — had warned earlier this week that Trump’s militant threats against a fellow NATO member were ushering in a new era of global order accommodating a less reliable United States.

For years, Trump has called for U.S. ownership over Greenland due to its strategic position in the Arctic Circle, where ice melting due to climate change is making way for a new era of competition with Russia and China. An Arctic conflict, the president says, will require a robust U.S. presence there.

While the president rejects climate change and its perils as a hoax, he has embraced the opportunities that may come with the melting of Greenland’s ice sheet, the world’s largest after Antarctica, including the opening of new shipping lanes and defense positions.

The United States already enjoys broad freedom to deploy any defense assets it sees fit across the island, raising questions in Europe over Trump’s fixation on outright sovereignty over the land.

“We want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won’t give it. We’ve never asked for anything else,” Trump said, addressing members of the NATO alliance.

“I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” Trump said. But Europe still has a choice. “You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative,” he continued, “or you can say no, and we will remember.”

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The day before Trump’s speech, allies warned about a “rupture” in a global order in which the United States could be relied upon as a force of good. Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, in a speech Tuesday characterized Trump’s push to acquire Greenland as an example of why “the old order is not coming back.”

Trump apparently took note of Carney’s remarks, and told the crowd on Wednesday that Canada “should be grateful.”

“But they are not,” Trump said. “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

The president struck a similar tone with his demands for Greenland, repeatedly characterizing the United States as a “great power” compared with Denmark in its ability to protect the Arctic territory. At one point, he cited the American military’s role in World War II to justify his demands, telling the eastern Swiss audience that, “without us, you’d all be speaking German, or a little Japanese perhaps.”

It was a slight carried forward by the president’s treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, who derided Copenhagen for its decision to divest from U.S. treasuries. “Denmark’s investment in U.S. treasury bonds like Denmark itself is irrelevant,” the secretary said.

In several instances, Trump framed the transatlantic alliance as one that benefits other countries more than the United States.

“We will be with NATO 100%, but I’m not sure they will be there for us,” Trump said. But NATO Secretary Gen. Mark Rutte responded to the concern in their meeting, noting that the alliance’s Article 5 commitment to joint defense has only been invoked once — by the United States, after the September 11th attacks. “Let me tell you: they will,” Rutte said.

But Trump expanded on his thinking over Greenland in his speech to the summit, describing his fixation on Greenland as “psychological,” and questioning why the United States would come to the island’s defense if its only investment was a licensing agreement.

“There’s no sign of Denmark there. And I say that with great respect for Denmark, whose people I love, whose leaders are very good,” Trump said. “It’s the United States alone that can protect this giant, massive land – this giant piece of ice – develop it, and improve it, and make it so that it’s good for Europe, and safe for Europe, and good for us.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom was among the people in the audience reacting to Trump’s remarks in real time. The president’s speech, he told CNN afterward, was “remarkably boring” and “remarkably insignificant.”

“He was never going invade Greenland. It was never real,” Newsom said. “That was always a fake.”

Wilner reported from Nuuk, Ceballos from Washington, D.C.

Angel Reese doesn’t miss.

The two-time WNBA All-Star has joined the cast of Netflix’s hit murder mystery “The Hunting Wives” for its second season, the streamer announced Tuesday. Reese will portray “Trainer Barbie,” which is described as a co-starring role.

It’s no secret that the Chicago Sky forward is a fan of the sexy, soapy, Texas-set drama. Reese declared the series a “CRAZYYY but good watch” on the social media platform X back in August (despite being unsatisfied with the first season’s cliffhanger finale). This caught the attention of “Hunting Wives” creator Rebecca Cutter, who made clear the admiration was mutual and thanked the basketball star for “watching [their] lil ol show.”

“[J]ust let me know if you need me for season 2,” Reese wrote in her response to Cutter with a winking emoji.

“On it my queen,” replied the showrunner with a saluting emoji. And it appears she really was.

The name of the role suggests that the character is tailor-made for Reese. The Baltimore native went by the nickname “Bayou Barbie” during her standout college career at Louisiana State University, which included an NCAA championship. After being drafted by the Chicago Sky in 2024, she also was called “Chi Barbie.”

“Trainer Barbie” marks Reese’s second casting announcement this month. Last week, it was revealed that Reese and fellow WNBA All-Star A’ja Wilson will voice characters in the upcoming animated sports comedy “Goat,” which touts NBA star Steph Curry among its producers. These projects follow Reese’s cameo in Oscar-winning Kathryn Bigelow’s 2025 political thriller “A House of Dynamite.” Fast becoming a fashion icon, Reese also walked the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and was a member of the 2025 Met Gala’s host committee.

In “The Hunting Wives,” Brittany Snow stars as Sophie O’Neil, an ex-Bostonian housewife who gets pulled into the world of Malin Akerman’s socialite ringleader Margo Banks. The second season, currently in production, will also see Kim Matula, Alex Fitzalan, John Stamos, Dale Dickey and Cam Gigandet join returning cast members Jaime Ray Newman, Dermot Mulroney, Evan Jonigkeit, George Ferrier, Karen Rodriguez, Hunter Emery and Branton Box.

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

US president says ‘framework of a future deal’ on Greenland and wider Arctic region reached with NATO chief Mark Rutte.

United States President Donald Trump says he is abandoning plans to impose steep tariffs on European countries opposed to his plans to take control of Greenland, after holding talks with NATO chief Mark Rutte.

Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday that the tariffs won’t be imposed because he and Rutte agreed to “the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region”.

“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” he said, without going into further details about what was agreed upon.

Trump has been threatening for weeks to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous island that belongs to Denmark, spurring widespread condemnation in Europe and around the world.

Trump announced on Saturday that he would impose 10 percent tariffs on Denmark, ‌Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, starting on February 1, over the countries’ opposition to his Greenland takeover push.

Trump has repeatedly accused Denmark of failing to do enough to secure Greenland’s territorial waters in the Arctic, and he has argued that the US needs to seize the island for its own national security.

But Greenlandic and Danish leaders have rejected the US president’s stance, which recently spurred mass protests under the banner, “Hands off Greenland”.

“Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media after Trump issued his economic threat on Saturday.

“Europeans will respond in a united and coordinated manner should they be confirmed. We will ensure that European sovereignty is upheld,” Macron said.

Trump’s aboutface on the tariffs came just hours after he told world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday that while the annexation of Greenland was necessary, his administration would not use force to do it.

“People thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” said Trump, adding that he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States”.

ONE Direction fans are convinced that Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles could have some secret tension.

The former bandmates both have new solo music coming out this Friday, and some are convinced that Louis isn’t too happy about the clash.

Taking to X, Louis – who previously had a close bond with Harry – has been promoting his upcoming album, How did I get Here?

And in one tweet, he wrote: “Going to need your help over the next few days to cut through the noise. Time to give this record the moment it deserves!”

Now, some are reading into his “cut through the noise” comment, suggesting that Harry is “the noise” in this instance.

In the replies to the tweet, one fan said: “Cut through the noise” why do I feel like this is harry shade?”

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Molly-Mae and daughter Bambi stay with her sister Zoe despite living 10 mins away

Others in the replies questioned what Louis meant by the phrase, with one fan even beginning a new Reddit thread to discuss whether he was talking about Harry, who is releasing his single Aperture.

They continued that Louis appears to have shown less support for Harry than he has for former bandmate Niall Horan.

They said: “Also worth mentioning Louis commented on Niall’s post announcing new music supporting him, but did not for Harry. What do we think?

“Is there some petty behind the scenes beef between the two, or just a coincidence?”

One account replied: “Hmm if does kind of seem like poor form to release your single on the same day as your former bandmate is scheduled to drop an album.”

Others blasted Harry, who is dating Zoe Kravitz, for releasing his single on the same day as Louis’ new music drop.

However, defending the Watermelon Sugar singer, many brought up the fact that it’s often record labels who decide the date music is released rather than the artist.

“The dates aren’t chosen by artists, they’re being chosen by record label execs, months in advance,” explained one.

The Federal Communications Commission is taking aim at broadcast networks’ late-night and daytime talk shows, including ABC’s “The View,” which often feature politicians as guests.

On Wednesday, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued a public notice saying broadcast TV stations would be obligated to provide equal time to an opposing political candidate if an appearance by a politician falls short of a “bona fide” news event.

For years, hosts of “The View,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” have freely parried with high-profile politicians without worrying about being subjected to the so-called “equal time” rule, which requires broadcasters to bring on a politician’s rival to provide balanced coverage and multiple viewpoints.

With the new guidance, FCC appears to take a dim view of whether late-night and daytime talk shows deserve an exemption from the “equal time” rules for stations that transmit programming over the public airwaves.

There’s a difference between a “bona fide” news interview and partisan politics, the FCC said.

“A program that is motivated by partisan purposes, for example, would not be entitled to an exemption under longstanding FCC precedent,” the Media Bureau said in its unsigned four-page document.

The bureau encouraged broadcasters to seek an opinion from the FCC to make sure their shows were in compliance — an advisory that will likely raise anxiety and potentially prompt some TV station groups to scrutinize shows that delve deeply into politics.

Since President Trump returned to the White House a year ago, the FCC has stepped up its involvement in overseeing content — a departure from past practice. The move comes five months after Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr suggested television stations pull Kimmel’s late-night show over controversial remarks the comedian made in the aftermath of the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Trump has made no secret of his disdain for Kimmel, Colbert, NBC comedian Seth Meyers and various hosts of “The View.”

In a statement, Daniel Suhr, president of the conservative Center for American Rights, said “This important action puts Hollywood hosts and network executives on notice — they can no longer shower Democrats with free airtime while shutting out Republicans.” The organization has lodged several complaints with the FCC about alleged media bias.

Recently, “The View” featured former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a Trump acolyte, who has become a fierce critic of the president.

The precedent was established in 2006, when the FCC determined that then NBC late-night host Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show” interview with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who announced his bid for California governor, was “bona fide” news event, and thus, not subject to the FCC rule.

The FCC’s guidance does not apply to cable news programs — only shows that run on broadcast television, which is subject to FCC enforcement actions.

Carr previously opened investigations into ABC-parent Walt Disney Co. and Comcast Corp., which owns NBCUniversal.

This is a developing story.

For any club to stump up £9m for your services, you must have done something right. And Cvancara – capped eight times – did plenty right at Sparta.

At his best in the Czech top flight, the 6ft 3in forward used his presence, pace and power to devastating effect, while he was also clinical.

Netting 24 times in 39 starts, a goals-per-minute ratio of around 131, triggered interest from Gladbach, who brought Cvancara to the Bundesliga in the summer of 2023.

The forward’s career stalled in Germany, though, scoring just eight goals in 54 appearances, most of which have come from the bench.

But his time at Gladbach will be remembered most for being at the centre of an extraordinary team dispute at the end of a challenging season last year.

It was claimed that Cvancara was a disruptive influence in the dressing room and that his team-mates had demanded he was excluded from the squad.

The striker responded by admitting he was not happy at the club and revealed he wanted to go out on loan, a statement later labelled “a mistake” by the club’s then sporting director.

It was not the first time the forward felt the need to publicly defend his character. Two years ago, he said: “People say I am out of my mind and that I lack humility.

“And yet none of them actually know me personally. None of them have ever asked me what I’ve been through in my life and why I’m the way I am on the pitch and in life.”

Amid one of the wildest Scottish football seasons in recent memory, with his new club key contributors, the hope for Cvancara is he can reclaim calm and form at a fractured Celtic embroiled in the chaos of the Premiership.

“He’s not actually a target man,” said O’Neill. “He’s not the John Hartson type.

“He is quick and he’s agile and wants to prove himself. But if you think he’s the immediate answer to any problem we have, I’m not sure I want to throw that sort of responsibility on him.”

Cvancara’s first assignment in Scotland is likely to be a visit to leaders Hearts on Sunday, a game absolutely stacked with pressure for the defending champions.

Countries say board aims to support reconstruction in the Gaza Strip and advance a ‘just and lasting peace’.

Eight countries across the Middle East and Asia have announced plans to join United States President Donald Trump’s so-called “board of peace” in the Gaza Strip, stressing the need to secure a “permanent ceasefire” in the bombarded Palestinian enclave.

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar said they would be joining the Trump-led board in a joint statement on Wednesday.

“The Ministers reiterate their countries’ support for the peace efforts led by President Trump,” the statement said.

It added that the board’s mission is aimed at “consolidating a permanent ceasefire, supporting the reconstruction of Gaza, and advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law, thereby paving the way for security and stability for all countries and peoples of the region”.

The announcement comes just days after the White House unveiled the makeup of the “board of peace”, which is part of Trump’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza.

The board, which includes senior Trump advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, will oversee a Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with managing day-to-day affairs in the Strip.

Palestinians in Gaza, who continue to face deadly Israeli military attacks and restrictions on humanitarian aid, have questioned how the US-led mechanisms will function in practice.

Observers have also raised concerns about Trump’s inclusion of several staunch Israel supporters in the “board of peace”, as well as the participation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Wednesday, the office of Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza, said he would take part in the mechanism.

Gaza resident Abu Ramzi al-Sandawi rejected Netanyahu, denouncing the Israeli prime minister as “the leader of the war on Gaza”.

“He destroyed our whole world,” al-Sandawi told Al Jazeera in Gaza City. “It’s known that Netanyahu is the cause of this war.”

At least 466 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in October, according to the latest figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry in the territory.

The daughter of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Austin Beutner died earlier this month and authorities have not yet released the cause.

Emily Beutner, 22, died at a hospital on Jan. 6, according to information posted on the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s website.

“My family has experienced the unimaginable loss of our beloved daughter. We ask for privacy and your prayers at this time,” Beutner said Wednesday in a statement to The Times.

Emily Beutner was a student at Loyola Marymount University and was the youngest, and only daughter, of Beutner’s four children.

Beutner, a former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, is the best known of the challengers seeking to unseat Mayor Karen Bass in the June 2 election. In recent weeks, he has sharply criticized the incumbent’s handling of last year’s Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.

Beutner spokesperson Jeff Millman declined to say how the death would affect Beutner’s campaign.

Beutner’s last public event as a candidate was on Jan. 5, a day before his daughter died, when he held a news conference in Pacific Palisades. During that event, he called on the mayor to form a citizens commission to examine what went wrong before, during and after the disaster.

The Palisades fire destroyed the Pacific Palisades home of Beutner’s mother-in-law. The blaze also seriously damaged Beutner’s own home, forcing him to live elsewhere for the past year.

In recent days, Beutner’s campaign has continued to post on social media, weighing in on real estate developer Rick Caruso’s decision not to run for mayor or governor.

Beutner belongs to a larger field of candidates, many of them unknown, seeking to unseat Bass after a single four-year term. Among them are reality TV star Spencer Pratt, who lost his home in the Palisades fire, and Rae Huang, a community organizer and housing advocate.

Junior point guard Savannah Myles of Westchester is having an MVP-caliber season.

She’s averaging 26 points for the 15-3 Comets, the City Section Open Division title favorites.

She has a 4.0 grade-point average and keeps improving on the court.

Coach EJ Jackson said she has tremendous leadership skills, having been the team captain the last two seasons.

“She’s a three-level scorer who controls the pace of the game,” Jackson said.

The Comets play Western League rival Hamilton on Wednesday.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Jan. 21 (UPI) — NASA astronaut Suni Williams retired from the agency after 27 years of service, including one nine-month stint when she was stranded on the International Space Station.

Williams has been “a trailblazer in human spaceflight, shaping the future of exploration through her leadership aboard the space station and paving the way for commercial missions to low Earth orbit,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in a statement.

“Her work advancing science and technology has laid the foundation for Artemis missions to the Moon and advancing toward Mars, and her extraordinary achievements will continue to inspire generations to dream big and push the boundaries of what’s possible,” Isaacman said.

Williams has spent 608 days in space, the second-most of any NASA astronaut. She ranks sixth on the list of longest single spaceflight by an American, tied with NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, both logging 286 days during NASA’s Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew-9 missions.

Williams also completed nine spacewalks, totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes, ranking as the most spacewalk time by a woman and fourth-most on the all-time cumulative spacewalk duration list. She was also the first person to run a marathon in space.

The Needham, Mass., native has a bachelor’s degree in physical science from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s degree in engineering management from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. She is a retired U.S. Navy captain and an accomplished helicopter and fixed-wing pilot. She’s logged more than 4,000 flight hours in 40 different aircraft.

“Anyone who knows me knows that space is my absolute favorite place to be,” Williams said in a statement. “It’s been an incredible honor to have served in the Astronaut Office and have had the opportunity to fly in space three times. I had an amazing 27-year career at NASA, and that is mainly because of all the wonderful love and support I’ve received from my colleagues.”

Williams launched for the first time aboard space shuttle Discovery in December 2006 and returned aboard space shuttle Atlantis. She served as a flight engineer for Expeditions 14/15 and completed a then-record-breaking four spacewalks during the mission.

“From her indelible contributions and achievements to the space station, to her groundbreaking test flight role during the Boeing Starliner mission, her exceptional dedication to the mission will inspire the future generations of explorers,” Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, said in a statement.

Williams served as a NASA Extreme Environments Mission Operations crew member, spending nine days living and working in an underwater habitat. After her first flight, she served as deputy chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office. She was the director of operations in Star City, Russia, after her second mission to the space station. She recently helped establish a helicopter training platform to prepare astronauts for moon landings.

Wilmore, who was stranded on the ISS along with Williams, retired in August.

When Tunisian TV host Hassen becomes a full-time caregiver for his mother Saliha, dying of lung cancer, their home and hospital visits become the backdrop for an intimate family love story. This observational documentary follows them through birthday celebrations, 4am medication, difficult medical consultations and quiet, emotional moments together. Their bond gradually goes beyond conventional parent–child roles, as Hassen works tirelessly to preserve joy, dignity and a sense of normal life for Saliha. As the cancer spreads and her chances fade, they face impossible choices: treatment versus comfort, hope versus honesty, a son’s devotion versus his mother’s exhaustion. After Saliha’s death, we see Hassen back in the studio, hosting live television while still guided by her memory, redefining his mother as “a notion of love” that continues to shape him. Raw but unsentimental, the film captures caregiving as both an act of endurance and a profound declaration of love itself.

YouTube Chief Executive Officer Neal Mohan said combating the rise of low-quality “AI slop” on the platform will be a top priority in 2026, emphasizing the need to embrace artificial intelligence while better safeguarding the video app and its users.

As it becomes harder for users to distinguish real videos from AI-generated ones, “we’re focused on ensuring AI serves the people who make YouTube great — the creators, partners and billions of viewers looking for a deeper connection to the world around them,” Mohan wrote in a blog post highlighting the company’s plans for the year. Good-quality AI content will get YouTube’s support. “AI will be a boon to the creatives who are ready to lean in” and “will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement,” he added.

Like other major tech and social media companies racing to integrate generative AI into their offerings, YouTube parent Alphabet Inc. is grappling with how to harness its power without putting off YouTube’s valuable advertisers, creators and ordinary users. In September, the company announced a slew of generative AI tools for video creators, as it remains in intense competition with rivals including ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok and Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram.

On average, more than 1 million YouTube channels used its AI creation tools daily in December, according to Mohan. Some of the tools are powered by Google DeepMind’s latest video-generation model, Veo 3 Fast.

Mohan said the platform will continue prioritizing its content creators, offering them “the most stable path to earn,” and pursuing its place as “the new TV.”

In addition, Mohan pledged greater transparency and protections from users employing AI to mislead and spam others, including by labeling content made using YouTube’s AI products and removing “any harmful synthetic media” that violate its rules. Mohan also touted new detection tools aimed at helping creators manage the use of their likeness in AI-generated material, including deepfakes, on the site.

AI-generated videos are changing the user experience not only on YouTube, but also on YouTube Kids, its youth-focused site. The growing volume of AI children’s content on both platforms, and the way some of it is designed to keep kids hooked, has raised concerns from parents and child development experts. Mohan said that “building the best place” for children and teens, and “empowering parents to protect their kids in the digital world, not from the digital world,” are also top YouTube priorities this year.

Bang writes for Bloomberg.

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the California governor was denied entry into a venue at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday under pressure from the Trump administration.

Newsom had been asked to speak at an event at USA House, an American pavilion at the annual gathering of world leaders. Newsom’s office said they were told that a “venue-level decision” was made to “not include an elected U.S. official” in tonight’s programming. The fireside chat was scheduled for Wednesday evening in Davos, which is nine hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, with media outlet Fortune.

Newsom spokesman Izzy Gardon said after Newsom was uninvited to the event by USA House, they offered to allow him to have a “VIP nightcap” to have a drink off the record instead.

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment.

The World Economic Forum’s stated mission is engaging in “forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Former England captain Jamie George is to retire at the end of 2027 after agreeing a one-year contract extension with Saracens.

George is to complete the 2026-27 season for the Prem club before retiring later that year to move into a new career in the “business world”, a club statement said.

The 35-year-old has been capped 105 times by England and captained his country during 2024 before acting as vice-captain to Maro Itoje.

The hooker has also been selected for the British and Irish Lions on three tours and made more than 300 appearances for Saracens, having spent his whole career at the London club.

“I have always been very open and honest and I wanted to continue to do that with regards to my retirement,” George said.

“I’m sure it seems early to be announcing this with another season to go, but I want to make sure I soak up every moment of my final season – I am more motivated than ever to finish my career at Saracens in a successful way.”

Israeli comedian and former combat soldier Guy Hochman was detained and questioned in Toronto after the Hind Rajab Foundation accused him of war crimes and incitement in Gaza, based on his own social media posts.

In 1948, as the foundations of the Israeli state were being laid upon the ruins of hundreds of Palestinian villages, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to the American Friends of the Fighters for the Freedom of Israel (AFFFI), condemning the growing Zionist militancy within the settler Jewish community. “When a real and final catastrophe should befall us in Palestine the first responsible for it would be the British and the second responsible for it the terrorist organisations built up from our own ranks. I am not willing to see anybody associated with those misled and criminal people.”

Einstein — perhaps the most celebrated Jewish intellectual of the 20th century — refused to conflate his Jewish identity with the violence of Zionism. He turned down the offer to become Israel’s president, rejecting the notion that Jewish survival and self-determination should come at the cost of another people’s displacement and suffering. And yet, if Einstein were alive today, his words would likely be condemned under the current definitions of anti-Semitism adopted by many Western governments and institutions, including the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition, now endorsed by most Australian universities.

Under the IHRA definition, Einstein’s outspoken criticism of Israel — he called its founding actors “terrorists” and denounced their betrayal of Jewish ethics — would render him suspect. He would be accused not only of delegitimising Israel, but also of anti-Semitism. His moral clarity, once visionary, would today be vilified.

That is why we must untangle the threads of Zionism, colonialism and human rights.

Einstein’s resistance to Zionism was not about denying Jewish belonging or rights; it was about refusing to build those rights on ethno-nationalist violence. He understood what too many people fail to grasp today: that Zionism and Judaism are not synonymous.

Zionism is a political ideology rooted in European colonial logics, one that enforces Jewish supremacy in a land shared historically by Palestinian and other Levantine peoples. To criticise this ideology is not anti-Semitic; it is, rather, a necessary act of justice and a moral act of bearing witness. The religious symbolism that Israel uses is irrelevant in this respect. And yet, in today’s political climate, any critique of Israel — no matter how grounded it might be in international law, historical fact or humanitarian concern — is increasingly branded as anti-Semitism. This conflation shields from accountability a settler-colonial state, and it silences Palestinians and their allies from speaking out on the reality of their oppression. Billions in arms sales, stolen resources and apartheid infrastructure don’t just happen; they’re the reason that legitimate “criticism” gets rebranded as “hate”.

READ: Ex-Israel PM accuses Netanyahu of waging war on Israel

To understand Einstein’s critique, we must confront the truth about Zionism itself. While often framed as a movement for Jewish liberation, Zionism in practice has operated as a colonial project of erasure and domination. The Nakba was not a tragic consequence of war, it was a deliberate blueprint for dispossession and disappearance. Israeli historian Ilan Pappé has detailed how David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, approved “Plan Dalet” on 10 March, 1948. This included the mass expulsion and execution of Palestinians to create a Jewish-majority state. As Ben-Gurion himself declared chillingly: “Every attack has to end with occupation, destruction and expulsion.”

This is the basis of the Zionist state that we are told not to critique.

Einstein saw this unfolding and recoiled. In another 1948 open letter to the New York Times, he and other Jewish intellectuals described Israel’s newly formed political parties — like Herut (the precursor to Likud) — as “closely akin in… organisation, methods, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties.”

Einstein’s words were not hyperbole, they were a warning. Having fled Nazi Germany, he had direct experience with the defining traits of Nazi fascism. “From Israel’s past actions,” he wrote, “we can judge what it may be expected to do in the future.”

Today, we are living in the very future that Einstein feared, a reality marked by massacres in Gaza, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the denial of basic essentials such as water, electricity and medical aid. This is not about “self-defence”; it is the logic of colonial domination whereby the land theft continues and the violence escalates.

Einstein warned about what many still refuse to see: a state established on principles of ethnic supremacy and expulsion could never transcend its foundation ethos. Israel’s creation in occupied Palestine is Zionism in practice; it cannot endure without employing repression until resistance is erased entirely. Hence, the Nakba wasn’t a one-off event in 1948; it evolved, funded by Washington, armed by Berlin and enabled by every government that trades Palestinian blood for political favours.

Zionism cannot be separated from the broader history of European settler-colonialism. As Patrick Wolfe explains, the ideology hijacked the rhetoric of Jewish liberation to mask its colonial reality of re-nativism, with the settlers recasting themselves as “indigenous” while painting resistance as terrorism.

READ: Illegal Israeli settlers attack Palestinian school in occupied West Bank

The father of political Zionism, Theodor Herzl, stated in his manifesto-novel Altneuland, “To build anew, I must demolish before I construct.” To him, Palestine was not seen as a shared homeland, but as a house to be razed to the ground and rebuilt by and for Jews alone. His ideology was made possible by British imperial interests to divide and dominate post-Ottoman territories. Through ethnic partition and military alliances embellished under the 1917 Balfour Declaration to the ironic Zionist-Nazi 1933 Haavara Agreement, the Zionist project aligned perfectly with the West’s goal, as per the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement.

Israel is thus criticised because of its political ideology rooted in ethnonationalism and settler colonialism. Equating anti-Zionism to anti-Semitism is a disservice not only to Palestinians, but also to Jews, especially those who, like Einstein, refuse to have their identity weaponised in the service of war crimes. Zionism today includes Christian Zionists, military allies and Western politicians who benefit from Israel’s imperial reach through arms deals, surveillance technology and geostrategic partnerships.

Zionism is a global power structure, not a monolithic ethnic identity.

Many Jews around the world — rabbis, scholars, students and Holocaust survivors and their descendants — continue Einstein’s legacy by saying “Not in our name”. They reject the co-option of Holocaust memory to justify genocide in Gaza. They refuse to be complicit in what the Torah forbids: the theft of land and the murder of innocents. They are not “self-hating Jews”. They are the inheritors of a prophetic tradition of justice. And they are being silenced.

Perhaps the most dangerous development today is, therefore, Israel’s insistence on linking its crimes to Jewish identity. It frames civilian massacres, apartheid policies and violations of international law as acts done in the name of all Jews and Judaism. By tying the Jewish people to the crimes of a state, Israel risks exposing Jews around the world to collective blame and retaliation.

Einstein warned against this. And if Einstein’s vision teaches us anything, it is this: Justice cannot be compromised for comfort and profit. Truth must outlast repression. And freedom must belong to all. In the end, no amount of Israel’s militarisation of terminology, propaganda or geopolitical alliances can suppress a people’s resistance forever or outlast global condemnation. The only question left is: how much more blood will be spilled before justice prevails?

The struggle for clarity today is not just academic, it is existential. Without the ability to distinguish anti-Semitism from anti-Zionism, we cannot build a future where Jews and Palestinians all live in dignity, safety and peace. Reclaiming the term “Semite” in its full meaning, encompassing both Jews and Arabs, is critical. Further isolation of Arabs from their Semitic identity has enabled the dehumanisation of Palestinians and the erasure of shared Jewish-Arab histories, especially the centuries of coexistence, the Jewish-Muslim golden ages in places like Baghdad, Granada/Andalusia, Istanbul, Damascus and Cairo.

Einstein stood up for the future for us to reclaim it.

The way forward must be rooted in truth, justice and accountability. That means unequivocally opposing anti-Semitism in all its forms, but refusing to allow the term to be manipulated as a shield for apartheid, ethnic cleansing and colonial domination. It means affirming that Jewish safety must never come at the price of Palestinian freedom, and that Palestinian resistance is not hatred; it is survival.

And if Einstein would be silenced today, who will speak tomorrow?

OPINION: Palestinian voices are throttled by the promotion of foreign agendas

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.