India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has elected Nitin Nabin, a 45-year-old legislator from Bihar, as its youngest-ever party president. Nabin succeeds J.P. Nadda, 65, in a move seen as a generational shift aimed at engaging India’s massive youth electorate, which makes up more than 40% of voters. The election comes months ahead of crucial state polls, including in West Bengal, where the BJP has never won.
Generational shift and strategy: Nabin, a five-time lawmaker, was elected unopposed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders proposed him. Modi, 75, publicly hailed Nabin as the party’s leader while reinforcing his own position as a guiding force. Nabin emphasized youth participation in politics, positioning himself as a bridge between the party’s older leadership and India’s young voters.
Political context: The move comes after BJP faced a setback in the 2024 general election, losing its parliamentary majority for the first time in a decade. Since then, the party has regained momentum by winning several state and civic elections. With the BJP and its allies now governing 19 of India’s 28 states, Nabin’s appointment signals a strategy to maintain and expand influence ahead of upcoming electoral challenges.
Analysis: Electing a younger president reflects the BJP’s recognition of shifting demographics and the political weight of India’s youth. Nabin’s rise may energize younger voters and activists, giving the party fresh appeal while maintaining Modi’s overarching influence. Strategically, it also provides a narrative of renewal, crucial for consolidating power in states like West Bengal where the BJP has historically struggled. The challenge for Nabin will be balancing generational messaging with the party’s established governance and ideological framework, ensuring the youth outreach translates into electoral gains.
Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger, who soon will begin winding down his two-decade tenure leading the company, collected $45.8 million in compensation last year — an 11% bump from the prior year.
Disney released its corporate executive compensation packages Thursday, as the board prepares for its high-wire act of picking a new leader to replace Iger, whose contract ends in December.
“Management succession planning remains a top priority for the board, reflecting its importance to business continuity and long-term shareholder value,” Disney Chairman James Gorman wrote in a letter to shareholders. He noted the board’s succession committee has been evaluating the various candidates and that the full board would soon determine who will become the next CEO.
Four internal candidates have been vying for the job, including the parks boss, Josh D’Amaro, top television and streaming executive Dana Walden, movie studio head Alan Bergman and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.
Unlike six years ago when the board made its last CEO switch, Disney’s board tightened up the succession process by establishing a dedicated committee headed by Gorman, the former head of investment bank Morgan Stanley.
The group also includes General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Lululemon Athletica CEO Calvin McDonald and Jeremy Darroch, the former head of Sky broadcasting in Britain. “Each internal candidate is going through a rigorous preparation process, including mentorship from Mr. Iger, external coaching and engagement with all directors,” Disney said in its proxy.
Disney said it will hold a virtual shareholder meeting March 18. Investors will be asked to vote on several shareholder-inspired measures, including proposals on the company’s climate commitments and disability accommodations in its theme parks.
The conservative National Center for Public Policy Research has introduced a proposal that would require Disney to issue a report detailing its return on investment for its climate commitments. The think tank argues that shareholders need more information to judge whether the company’s public promises to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions is in their best financial interest.
Disney has encouraged shareholders to vote no on this proposal, saying its approach to environmental sustainability is “grounded in science” and already disclosed publicly. The company said a new report, such as the one urged by the proposal, would fall outside financial disclosure requirements.
Shareholders will also weigh in on a proposal that would push Disney to conduct a third-party assessment of its accessibility and disability inclusion practices.
The proposal, which was submitted by shareholder Erik G. Paul, comes as Disney has received criticism over disability access policies at its theme parks.
Disney urged shareholders to vote no on this measure, saying the company is “committed to the design and implementation of innovative and effective services that accommodate persons with disabilities and already reviews its practices on an ongoing basis.”
The company also said it already provides “detailed” information online and in-person in the parks about its disability access policies, which can include no waiting in standby lines for visitors who require that option, as well as a “broad range” of accommodations.
A new board member — Apple’s former chief operating officer Jeff Williams — is expected to join the board at the March meeting.
Iger’s base salary was $1 million. He received $21 million in stock awards, $14 million in options and a $7.25 million executive bonus.
Disney also paid more than $568,000 for Iger’s personal air travel expenses, as well as $1.8 million in security costs. The company said its CEO is required to use a corporate aircraft for personal travel due to security reasons.
The Burbank media and entertainment company said Iger was rewarded for Disney’s strong theatrical performance in the last year, including billion-dollar blockbusters “Moana 2,” which was released in 2024 but reached that milestone last year due to strong carryover at the box office, as well as the live-action adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch.”
The company also cited Iger’s role in successfully closing Disney’s acquisition of Hulu through contentious arbitration proceedings with Comcast, which Disney said bolstered the streaming platform’s presence globally.
Iger also supervised the launch of the direct-to-consumer ESPN Unlimited app and theme park milestones, including Disneyland’s 70th anniversary and the opening of new attractions like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride, which Disney said “aim to better position our parks for the future.”
Succession has become a front-burner issue for the company.
The board said it has provided contract extensions to four of Iger’s top lieutenants “in order to retain our key senior leadership to promote a successful CEO succession process.” Those executives are Chief Financial Officer Hugh F. Johnston, Chief Legal Officer Horacio Gutierrez, Chief People Officer Sonia L. Coleman and Chief Communications Officer Kristina K. Schake.
Johnston received a package valued at $20.2 million; Gutierrez was paid $16.3 million; Coleman received $7.4 million and Schake was awarded $6.2 million in compensation.
After Hatate’s dismissal in the 34th minute, it was a backs-to-the-wall Celtic performance, with Trusty’s back-post tap-in a rare venture into Bologna territory.
Attack after attack was repelled by the Celtic backline as Trusty and Liam Scales stood up to the Bologna onslaught.
The hosts dominated possession, pinned Celtic in their own half and had 63 touches in the Celtic box.
And yet, the stubborn defence was undone frustratingly easily as Dallinga’s header went through Schmeichel from close range and the Denmark veteran was then rooted to the spot as Rowe’s powerful shot flew over his head.
“There will be a feeling of ‘what could have been?’ – and I think Schmeichel could do better for both goals,” former Scotland forward James McFadden said.
“So it will be mixed emotions.”
O’Neill questioned whether Schmeichel was unsighted for Rowe’s leveller, but chose to focus on the efforts of his centre-backs in the valuable draw.
Trusty alone made 17 clearances and three interceptions, marshalling the depleted visitors to great effect.
“Trusty was magnificent, as he has been during my time here,” O’Neill said.
“I couldn’t give him higher praise, he was absolutely magnificent as were the team. Him and Scales have been great as a defensive two in the time I have been here and my expectation of them is quite high.
“Trusty epitomised the spirit of the team tonight. It was colossal and keeps us in the competition for at least one more week.”
Another former Celtic manager also praised the way they battled to a point.
“Brilliant character from the players,” Neil Lennon said. “You can see what it means to them.
“Auston Trusty and Liam Scales were immense. They had to defend so many crosses.
Frank “The Stag Man”, who runs a travel agency that specialises in the parties, has often been an advocate for Benidorm in Spain, but now he believes a new destination is making waves
04:45, 23 Jan 2026Updated 04:47, 23 Jan 2026
Frank has developed a successful travel business, and often works in Benidorm(Image: Jam Press/@frankthestagmanofficial)
A travel agent claims resorts in Ibiza are set to overtake Benidorm’s title as the “hen and stag do” capital for Brits.
Frank “The Stag Man” has praised the Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea for its nightlife and value for money as a holiday destination. Frank, who runs a travel agency that specialises in the parties, said for years Benidorm on mainland Spain has been the favourite for his clients but that the tide is tipping.
The travel professional, from Tottenham, north London, stressed “the King is coming” — as Ibiza, he believes, is back on the map. The 55-year-old man said: “Times change, as does the world, and for Ibiza it’s become lost over the years… Now, I can make it the number one holiday destination for stag and hen parties once again. And even give Benidorm a run for its money.
“It’s my job to stop Benidorm, as well as Ibiza, from becoming ghost towns. I’ll give the islands another year and then I’ll make my move. Watch this space — the King is coming.”
British holidaymakers represent the biggest market for the seaside town of Benidorm, with more than 832,000 of them flocking to the renowned Costa Blanca area in 2023 alone. Tourism exploded there following the decline of the fishing trade in the 1950s.
But tourists have cited crime, such as robberies and muggings, in reasons to deter them from repeat visits, looking for new options instead. One of these is Ibiza, which welcomed more than three million tourists from all countries in 2022, in part for its booming nightlife.
And Frank believes its popularity will continue — after a relative slump prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The travel expert continued: “You can still get cheap prices there too (like Benidorm). The resorts have stopped looking at what people want, focusing only on making money. [I get that] money makes the world go round — and people will pay for quality.
“There’s an increase in robberies and muggings (in Benidorm). If it wasn’t suffering from this massive crime issue, then it’d be doing so much better.”
Frank intends to exploit the boom in Ibiza, but will continue operating his multiple bars, travel agents and restaurants in Benidorm at the same time. These are across the municipality, which is within the province of Alicante, and largely cater to the Brits who holiday there.
Ibiza is the third largest of the Balearic Islands in area, but the second-largest by population. It has historically been associated with the electronic dance music club scene, but tourism bosses there have in recent years made efforts to promote family-orientated holidays.
Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae leaves after an emergency news conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Thursday. Photo by Asia Today
Jan. 22 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Democratic Party split into competing camps Thursday after party leader Jeong Cheong-rae abruptly proposed a merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party, drawing praise from some lawmakers and backlash from others who said the move bypassed internal procedure.
Jeong announced the proposal at an emergency news conference at the National Assembly, saying the merger was needed to support President Lee Jae-myung’s administration and win the June 3 local elections.
Chief spokesperson Park Soo-hyun said the party had held prior discussions with the Rebuilding Korea Party and reached an understanding Wednesday afternoon on making the proposal public.
Critics inside the Democratic Party said there was no internal deliberation despite the scale of the decision.
Rep. Jang Cheol-min wrote on Facebook that even members of the party’s supreme council learned of the plan only about 20 minutes before the news conference, saying decisions that determine the party’s future should not be made through surprise announcements.
Rep. Kim Yong-min said the leader should not decide the issue alone. Supreme Council member Han Jun-ho and Rep. Mo Kyung-jong also stressed procedural legitimacy, saying the party should first confirm the will of its members.
Supporters framed the move as a step toward consolidating the progressive bloc. Rep. Park Ji-won said the party must take risks to secure victory, while Rep. Choi Min-hee said she welcomed the proposal as a way to build a stronger progressive force.
Cho Kuk, who leads the Rebuilding Korea Party, said Jeong’s proposal carried significant weight and that his party would gather views through its party affairs committee.
Presidential office spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong said the office was monitoring developments as an issue for the National Assembly, adding there had been no prior discussion.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The U.S. is continuing to build up its military presence in the Middle East ahead of a possible attack on Iran. The USS Abraham Lincoln and its Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is now in the Indian Ocean, a U.S. Navy official told The War Zone on Thursday. The CSG was in the South China Sea until U.S. President Donald Trump ordered it moved west. In addition, more cargo jets and aerial refueling tankers have arrived in the region. Trump on Thursday said a large naval presence is heading to the region.
“We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters Thursday afternoon. “We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”
“We have an armada,” Trump added after claiming he “stopped 837 hangings on Thursday…We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it. We’ll see.”
Trump on Iran:
We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen.
The influx of additional assets to the region will give Trump a greater range of potential action, and allow for the ability to defend against an Iranian attack, whether in response to U.S. military actions or not.
“If Iranian leadership perceives that regime collapse is imminent, the expectation within this assessment is that Iran would escalate aggressively across multiple vectors,” the Times of Israel recently suggested in an opinion piece. “This would include attacks on American assets throughout the region, coordinated pressure against allies such as Israel, and actions designed to disrupt global energy flows. In particular, the Strait of Hormuz represents one of Iran’s most consequential pressure points. Energy agencies estimate that roughly 20 million barrels per day—about one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption—transit the strait.”
All this depends on the state of Iran’s command and control at the time of such an operation, as well as many other factors. While the specter of major retaliations in the Strait of Hormuz have persisted for years, it did not come to fruition during the war with Israel in June. Still, operations that seek regime change could change this calculus.
As for U.S. force posture in the region, there remains a large number of unknowns, including the exact composition of U.S. forces that are already there and what role, if any, will be played by Israel and other U.S. allies if Trump moves forward with an attack. We do know that the U.S. already had a limited number of fighter aircraft at several bases throughout the Middle East, as well as three Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers and perhaps a submarine plying its waters, among other capabilities, prior to the protests.
The Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt is one of three of this class of ship in the Middle East region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Indra Beaufort) Petty Officer 1st Class Indra Beaufort
Many additional assets have poured in since then, but it remains unclear at the moment whether the current force can support in terms of a sustained conflict and what will be added in the coming days or even weeks leading up to an operation. At the same time, an operation could begin any time, so the current picture is quite murky. Even a limited decapitation operation aimed at the regime would require a huge number of contingencies.
The Lincoln CSG, which appears to be several days away from arriving in the Arabian Sea, would boost U.S. striking power in the region. Its embarked CVW-9 Carrier Air Wing consists of eight squadrons flying F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D Hawkeyes, CMV-22B Ospreys and MH-60R/S Sea Hawks. Its escorts,Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay and the Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21 bring a large number of missile tubes that could be used to strike Iran. These vessels could also be used in the defense of U.S. targets and those of its allies during a reprisal.
So far, there does not appear to have been a major influx of U.S. airpower. Low-resolution satellite imagery observed by The War Zone shows no large deployments to Diego Garcia, the Indian Ocean island where U.S. bombers have previously been staged amid rising tensions with Iran. However, online flight trackers are reporting that there have been flights of C-17 Globemaster III cargo jets to the region. These would be needed to move materiel and personnel. As we projected, the U.S. is sending additional Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems to the Middle East for increased protection from any Iranian attack, The Wall Street Journal reported.
As we previously mentioned, online flight trackers also noted that F-15E Strike Eagles, accompanied by KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling jets, headed east from RAF Lakenheath in England to the Middle East earlier this week.
The presence of Strike Eagles in the region, especially those coming from RAF Lakenheath, is in itself not new. These jets have maintained a steady presence at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan for nearly a decade, and their recent arrival in the Middle East was largely expected due to the current instability and saber-rattling. F-15Es played a key role in defending against multiple Iranian drone and cruise missile barrages on Israel and they are now more capable of that mission than ever. Beyond its offensive capabilities, if Iran were to launch a major attack on Israel and/or U.S. assets in the region, preemptive or in retaliation, the F-15Es would play a key part in defending against those attacks.
While these are significant additions to the standing force posture in the region, more fighter aircraft would be expected for a major operation against Iran. We have not seen evidence of those kinds of movements just yet, although some movements are not identified via open sources.
Beyond tactical combat aircraft in the region, the U.S. can fly bombers there from the continental United States, as was the case when B-2 Spirits attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer last June.
The U.K. is also sending tactical combat jets to the region.
“The Royal Air Force’s joint Typhoon squadron with Qatar, 12 Squadron, has deployed to the Gulf for defensive purposes, noting regional tensions as part of the UK-Qatar Defence Assurance Agreement, demonstrating the strong and enduring defence relationship between the U.K. and Qatar,” the U.K. Defense Ministry (MoD) announced on Thursday.
“12 Squadron has regularly deployed to Qatar to conduct joint training and share experiences which enhance national and regional security,” MoD added. “Recently, the RAF deployed on exercises such as EPIC SKIES and SOARING FALCON – further reinforcing the operational capability between our two nations.”
RAF Typhoon jets have deployed to Qatar in a defensive capacity.
The UK and Qatar have been close defence partners for decades. This deployment builds on that relationship, supporting regional stability and keeping us secure at home and strong abroad. pic.twitter.com/83FkaBPJng
Israel too remains at a high state of alert for an attack on or from its arch-enemy.
“It is my assessment that a strike will take place,” a high-ranking Israeli Defense Force (IDF) official told The War Zone. “The key variables – timing, method of execution, and the identity of participating forces, whether U.S. assets, the IDF, or additional coalition elements should they be involved, will be subject to strict and aggressive compartmentalization.”
“Likewise, the final decision to proceed with execution rests with a single individual alone,” the official added, referring to Trump.
As the U.S. and allies flow assets into the region and Israel stands at a heightened state of readiness, Iranian officials are ratcheting up their rhetoric.
On Thursday, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander General Mohammad Pakpour warned Israel and the United States “to avoid any miscalculations, by learning from historical experiences and what they learned in the 12-day imposed war, so that they do not face a more painful and regrettable fate.”
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and dear Iran have their finger on the trigger, more prepared than ever, ready to carry out the orders and measures of the supreme commander-in-chief — a leader dearer than their own lives,” he added, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The IRGC also released a video showing the location of U.S. bases in the region.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard media released a video warning the United States, showing the locations of U.S. military bases across the Middle East that are within range of Iranian missiles
Khamenei’s government is also claiming it has suppressed the nationwide unrest that began Dec. 28 over rising prices, devalued currency that saw the rial crater now to basically nothing, a devastating drought, and brutal government crackdowns.
“The sedition is over now,” said Mohammad Movahedi, Iran’s prosecutor general, according to the judiciary’s Mizan News agency. “And we must be grateful, as always, to the people who extinguished this sedition by being in the field in a timely manner.”
However, getting verifiable information out of Iran remains incredibly challenging as the regime has cut off internet and phone service, and it is possible that at least some protests are ongoing.
While there is no indication of any imminent fighting, the regional players are increasingly preparing for conflict. This remains a volatile situation we will continue to monitor it closely.
Tommy Fury has shared a glimpse into his daughter Bambi’s third birthday celebrationsCredit: InstagramThe boxer welcomed the little one with partner Molly-Mae four years after they met on Love IslandCredit: InstagramBambi marked the occasion with a sweet party at her favourite soft play spotCredit: Instagram
With Bambi set to turn three tomorrow, 23 January, the youngster has already marked the occasion with quite the bash.
Celebrating with a group of her young pals, the little one was adorably dressed in a pink dress as her fellow toddlers were welcomed into a soft play party by a massive balloon arch.
A number of pastel balloons were positioned around a display which read: “Bambi is as sweet as can three”.
Bambi was given a two-tier birthday cake with pink frosting, an iced “B” and ice cream cone decorations, as her dad Tommy lifted the youngster up to blow out three candles on the top in a sweet video.
Now, the family have reconciled in a newly-renovated Cheshire home, following months of living apart while rebuilding the relationship.
Sharing numerous snaps from the day, proud dad Tommy proclaimed that his little girl was “party ready” in one which showed off her adorable outfitCredit: InstagramThe bash featured a personalised balloon arch entrance which read ‘Bambi is as sweet as can three’Credit: InstagramWhile young guests were treated to plush toy goodie boxes to take homeCredit: InstagramMolly-Mae and Bambi recently moved back in with Tommy after the family were separated following the couple’s 2024 split, with things now back on trackCredit: Instagram/Mollymae
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Kennedy Blair scored 21 points, and the No. 13 Michigan State women held off USC’s late surge for a 74-68 victory on Thursday night.
Michigan State opened the fourth quarter on a 13-5 run to stretch its lead to 66-54 with 5:15 remaining. Jazzy Davidson scored the last five points in a 10-0 run to help pull USC to 66-64 with 4:10 left before the Spartans sealed it from the free-throw line.
Kara Dunn scored 23 points and Davidson added 21 to lead USC (11-8 overall, 3-5 in the Big Ten). Kennedy Smith scored 15 points.
Blair shot eight of 15 from the field overall, made five of six free throws and had five steals. Grace VanSlooten scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Michigan State (18-2, 7-2), which rebounded from a 75-68 loss to then-No. 10 Iowa. Rashunda Jones scored 16 points and Ines Sotelo added 12 to go with seven rebounds for the Spartans.
Michigan State scored 25 points from 24 USC turnovers.
On Wednesday, United States President Donald Trump made clear to other world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, that he was unflinching in his demand to acquire Greenland, even as he said for the first time that he did not plan for the US to take the land by force.
Trump, who talked up his tariff-based negotiation strategy, cited Greenland’s strategic position between the US, Russia and China as the main reason he wants to acquire the territory.
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Retelling the US history with Greenland and Denmark, Trump said, during World War II, “we saved Greenland and successfully prevented our enemies from gaining a foothold in our hemisphere”.
This much is accurate: After Germany invaded Denmark, the US assumed responsibility for Greenland’s defence and established a military presence on the island that remains today, albeit in diminished scope.
But Trump overstepped when he said, after World War II, “we gave Greenland back to Denmark”.
“All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland, where we already had it as a trustee, but respectfully returned it back to Denmark not long ago,” he said.
Although the US defended Greenland during World War II, it never possessed the nation, and so could not have given it back. Experts have told PolitiFact that Greenland’s status as part of Denmark is not in question, and has not been for more than a century.
Denmark’s colonisation of Greenland dates to the 1720s. In 1933, an international court settled a territorial dispute between Denmark and Norway, ruling that as of July 1931, Denmark “possessed a valid title to the sovereignty over all Greenland”.
After the 1945 approval of the United Nations Charter – the organisation’s founding document and the foundation of much of international law – Denmark incorporated Greenland through a constitutional amendment and gave it representation in the Danish Parliament in 1953. Denmark told the UN that any colonial-type status had ended; the UN General Assembly accepted this change in November 1954. The US was among the nations that voted to accept Greenland’s new status.
Since then, Greenland has, incrementally but consistently, moved towards greater autonomy.
Greenlandic political activists successfully pushed for and achieved home rule in 1979, which established its parliament. Today, Greenland is a district within the sovereign state of Denmark, with two elected representatives in Denmark’s Parliament.
What about Iceland?
Four times in the Davos speech, Trump referred to Iceland instead of Greenland.
“Our stock market took the first dip yesterday because of Iceland,” Trump said. “So Iceland has already cost us a lot of money, but that dip is peanuts compared to what it’s gone up, and we have an unbelievable future.”
US markets reacted negatively to Trump’s Greenland comments the day before his Davos speech, falling about 2 percent in value.
But in recent weeks, Trump has said nothing about acquiring Iceland, an independent island nation with nearly 400,000 residents, located east of Greenland.
In an X post following Trump’s Davos address, the White House press secretary criticised a reporter for posting that Trump “appeared to mix up Greenland and Iceland” several times. Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s “written remarks referred to Greenland as a ‘piece of ice’ because that’s what it is”. Although Trump did call Greenland a “very big piece of ice”, he also separately mentioned “Iceland”.
Traditionally, Icelanders have maintained strong ties to the US, dating back to World War II, when Reykjavik invited US troops into the country. In 1949, Iceland became a founding member of NATO, and in 1951, the two countries signed a bilateral defence agreement that still stands.
Its location – between the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans, a strategic naval choke point in the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap – means that Iceland, despite its lack of a standing military, is geographically important for both North America and Europe.
In 2006, the US gave up its permanent troop presence at the Keflavík airbase – a 45-minute drive south of the capital, Reykjavik – but US troops still rotate through. Icelandic civilians now handle key NATO tasks such as submarine surveillance and operations at four radar sites on the nation’s periphery. Iceland also makes financial contributions to NATO trust funds and contributes a small number of technical and diplomatic personnel to NATO operations.
Trump’s pick for ambassador to Iceland, former Republican Congressman Billy Long, attracted criticism earlier this month when he was overheard saying Iceland should become a US state after Greenland, and that he would serve as governor.
Long apologised during an interview with Arctic Today.
“There was nothing serious about that. I was with some people, who I hadn’t met for three years, and they were kidding about Jeff Landry being governor of Greenland, and they started joking about me. And if anyone took offence to it, then I apologise,” Long told the publication. Trump has tapped Landry, Louisiana’s Republican governor, to be the US envoy to Greenland.
Silja Bara R Omarsdottir, an international affairs professor who now serves as rector, or president, of the University of Iceland, told the Tampa Bay Times in August that newfound attention to Iceland’s security, including concerns over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the rest of Europe, is “definitely very noticeable at the political level”.
Multiple analysts in Iceland told the daily, only half-jokingly, that the key to surviving the Trump era has been to remain out of sight, something Greenland, for whatever reason, was unlucky enough not to be able to do.
“You could say Icelandic policy towards the US has been to try to keep under the radar,” said Pia Elisabeth Hansson, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Iceland.
All That’s Left of You is a film missing from American screens until now. A moving production directed by Cherien Dabis, with Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo as executive producers, leaving the viewers in a state of trance long after the final credit has faded into darkness.
My first introduction to this movie came quietly, through a community post by someone who had watched it at San Diego’s Digital Gym Cinema. The message was simple: bring a box of tissues. Then came a text from a fellow writer in Florida, insistent and unmistakably shaken. “The theater was packed,” she told me. She didn’t say how much she cried, but she added something far more telling: her husband cried too, and he never cries.
“I’ve never seen anything this powerful,” she texted. “You have to write a review.” She even sent me the screening link in San Diego, as if daring me not to.
I hesitated. I have never written a film review before, and I knew watching this story in a theater, in public, would not be easy. I told her that KARAMA, an organization I’m associated with, would be screening the film during the San Diego Arab Film Festival in March. She wouldn’t let it go. “Write a review now,” she insisted. “People need to see this movie.”
There is always a first time, I thought. I relented and agreed to watch the film and write my first movie review. Thankfully, through KARAMA’s screening access, I watched it alone, in the stillness of my home office, where tears were free to drift, unpoliced.
All That’s Left of You is the cinema America has been missing, a film that turns away from spectacle and toward remembrance. The large screen becomes a space for lived experience, where memory lingers, mourns, and refuses to die.
What a movie? But it wasn’t a movie. It was the art of using a large screen to bear witness to a life lived. What made it unbearable, and unforgettable, was how intimately it reached into my own life. I was born and raised in a Palestinian refugee camp. I was no longer watching a film. I was remembering. I saw my mother’s tears. I saw my father’s weathered face, scanning the rain-soaked ground, trying to pitch a tent to shelter his wife, his seven-month-old baby, and his aging parents.
I saw displacement, not as an abstract political word, but as I lived it. My parents ethnically cleansed from home, from country, so someone who was oppressed in Europe could find safety and refuge in their home, claiming that a god had given them a deed of confiscation some 3000 years ago.
It became even more poignant as the saga unfolded scene by scene, my eyes flooded with tears. I had to hit the pause button several times, breathe deeply, and steady myself. The grief on the screen was not distant or symbolic. It was intimate, lived, and overwhelmingly familiar. I was taken back to the camp, to its alleys and schools, from flirting with classmates to resistance and political awareness. The camp was a repository of contradictions: a life of destitution, yet rich in love and community. Each scene felt like a reopening of wounds I had spent a lifetime trying to bury, memories layered with loss, fear, and an unrelenting sense of injustice.
What made it cut even deeper was the realisation that I had written extensively on untold stories of Palestinian displacement. I had co-authored two books with the fellow writer who texted me from Florida, a Jewish American author, where we chronicled a multi-generational family saga from Jafa, uprooted from their orange grove and reduced to existence in a tent. As I watched the film, the lines between fiction, memory, and history collapsed. The faces on the screen merged with the characters we had created, and the families we lived with in the pages of our two novels.
The tears were not only for what was lost, but for what keeps being lost again and again. Palestinians didn’t just mourn the homes, trees, and childhoods erased, but also the quiet human truths that survive despite everything. The ache of parents trying to shield their children from despair, the dignity of people stripped of almost everything except their will. At that moment, the film stopped being something I was watching. It became something I was reliving.
“Your humanity is also resistance.” The line from the movie is more than poetic, but rather a lived truth and a personal indictment. I have spent a lifetime watching how our humanity as Palestinians must first be erased before our suffering can be justified. Demonisation is a prerequisite. Only by denying our humanity can they rationalise starving our children, and when the erasure of a nation can be defended as policy rather than crime.
That line affirms what I have known instinctively and painfully, to remain human, to insist on grief, memory, and dignity, is itself an act of resistance against a system that survives on our dehumanisation. Strip our humanity away, then anything becomes permissible. Recognise it, even for a moment, and the entire moral and legal structure used to justify Israeli inhumanity begins to collapse.
All That’s Left of You is not a movie that comforts. It is a testament to humanity’s stubborn endurance under a malevolent Zionist occupation. It reminds us that what remains of a people is not only found in history books, but in the unspoken bonds between parents and children, in the traditions that outlast catastrophe, and in the Palestinian refusal to forget.
Watching this film will leave you with more questions than answers. What stays with you, however, is not confusion, but a sharpened awareness, an understanding passed into the world beyond the screen. All That’s Left of You is essential cinema, not as escapist entertainment, but as a work of rare scope and moral clarity, one that restores humanity to its rightful place and demands the viewer to carry it forward.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.
Scott van-der-Sluis has been branded “rude and selfish” by his ex-girlfriend Abi Moores as she spoke about what he was like on the set of Love Island with her in 2023
Scott van-der-Sluis has been branded “rude and selfish” by his ex-girlfriend Abi Moores(Image: ITV/Shutterstock)
Scott van-der-Sluis has been branded “rude and selfish” by his ex-girlfriend Abi Moores. The footballer, 25, was a contestant on the tenth series of Love Island 2023 and is now back on screens looking for love once more in the All Stars spin-off of the hit ITV2 dating show.
Following the dramatic scenes, Abi, who dated Scott on-screen but called it quits moments before they left the villa in 2023, has accused her former flame of only being on the programme for fame and issued a warning to Leanne in the process.
She said: “I think some certain things of people’s personality, you can consider them to be nasty but there’s good and bad parts but overall I think he’s quite selfish. Yeah I’d probably say he’s done multiple TV shows, I think it’s another job for him.
“I wouldn’t trust that he’s in there for intentions to find a girlfriend. I think it’s more to gain a few more followers and maybe sign a deal with Boohoo Man. If I were Leanne, I’d tell her to run away!”
Abi then claimed that Scott was “rude” to fellow Islanders and those behind the scenes as well. Speaking to The Sun, she added: “He was quite rude. He was quite rude to me and to the people that we were living with – all of the producers and stuff. But I think that he is genuinely him and who he was. He would just take his food up to his room and wouldn’t sit and eat with us.”
However, the TV star did admit that Scott is only “doing his job” as a reality star and praised him for “bringing entertainment” to television. But, overall, she did admit that she “worries” whenever someone does not display their true intentions in the villa, and does not make it clear that they are only hoping for a career “boost” rather than looking for genuine love, noting just how much it can “hurt” when the truth does come out.
These days, Abi is now engaged to Married At First Sight star Nathan Campbell. They dated for a matter of months before he popped the question.
“Nathan did not hold back when it came to putting on a lavish display for Abi,” an insider said of the special moment between the pair.
Not only did he want to make her birthday ‘extra special’, he also wanted to show he feels about her by getting her the huge ring. “Abi couldn’t be happier and immediately said yes – she feels like she’s finally found a keeper in Nathan,” they added.
Prior to the news that they are to wed, Abii revealed their mutual friend Reuben Collins set them up on a date when he invited her to Sellebrity Soccer.
“I turn up and Reuben said he was going in the changing rooms and he’d be right back and then he sent Nathan out, and he said ‘Reuben, told me to come and speak to you because you fancy me,” she revealed.
While Youssef Chermiti earned rave reviews for his Old Firm heroics at the start of the month, he and Bojan Miovski passed up chances on Thursday and questions still linger over their ability to hold down the number nine shirt.
“Rangers aren’t the finished article, there’s still work to be done but they’re going in the right direction,” McFadden said. “There has been big progression, but they need to strengthen at the top end.
“They’re winning games. Are they at their free-flowing best? No, but it doesn’t matter. Somehow, they’ve managed to get themselves into a title race.”
At least there have been some reinforcements. Toko Chukwuani has come in as a defensive midfielder, and Rohl has also brought in left-back Tuur Rommens – a problem position given Jayden Meghoma was the only natural in the position – and winger Andreas Skov Olsen.
The latter is considered a big coup, on loan from Wolfsburg, and adds much-needed quality to the wings. Djiedi Gassama’s form has tailed off, and although Mikey Moore has come onto a game, Oliver Antman is still out injured.
Ineligible for the win over Ludogorets, the trio are expected to feature in some capacity against Dundee. That game could be vital in the grand scheme of the season, due to Hearts and Celtic meeting at Tynecastle the same day.
“I thought this season was a write-off,” admitted pundit Steven Thompson at Ibrox. “There were changes at board level, the recruitment wasn’t anywhere near good enough but Danny Rohl has flipped the script.
“You’ve got to give him so much credit for that. At times the football was good tonight, at times it was just OK. But it’s a clean sheet in Europe, and it just keeps this feel-good factor going.”
If the other two title contenders knock points off each other, Rangers could be within three points. Heady heights from the early days of Martin.
“Danny Rohl has done an absolutely fantastic job with this group of players,” said ex-Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday. “There is that lingering question – can they go that extra yard? A lot of people didn’t this group of players could step up.
“I think they need help, and the biggest help they could be given is a number nine at the top end of the pitch.”
Sunnier days may well lie ahead for Southport (Image: Getty)
Sunny days seem to be ahead for a UK seaside town that has long suffered bad reviews and cruel digs.
Southport in Merseyside was, like many other coastal spots, a prime seaside resort during Victorian times. Southport Beach marks the northernmost point of Sefton’s stunning 22-mile stretch of coast and features one of the nation’s most distinctive natural habitats. It serves as a sanctuary for thousands of migratory wading birds travelling from their northern breeding territories and has gained recognition for staging the Southport Air Show.
However, as with many other parts of the coast, it has fallen on hard times in recent years. Its demise is evident in the state of the Scarisbrick Hotel, a once-grand feature of the town that is now a shadow of its former glory.
Former teacher, Sean Byrne, 62, said: “This place used to be a gold mine. It was a fantastic place to come for weddings, for meals out. It was the jewel in the crown of this town.” A lifelong resident, Mr Byrne told the Liverpool Echo: “There has been a big deterioration in the upkeep of the town. Look at the parks and the cemeteries – absolutely awful.”
For two years in a row Southport was ranked as one of the worst seaside towns in the UK by Which? Magazine.
Southport’s pier was one of the town’s major attractions along with shops on Lord Street, but both appear to be fading. The Grade II-listed pier is the second longest in the country, but it has been closed since December 2022 due to serious health and safety issues.
However, the pier, and many other parts of the town, are in line for a serious makeover that locals hope will radically change the feel of the place.
Major restoration works on Southport Pier are due to begin in early 2026, with the transformation of the second-longest pier in the UK – which comprises 68 bays and is 1,108 metres in length – expected to take 14 months.
In September last year, the Government allocated up to £20 million from the Growth Mission fund for Southport Pier repairs to be carried out, subject to a full business case. When back up and running, Southport Pier is estimated to generate £15 million a year for the Southport economy.
Southport Town Hall Gardens: £10 m transformation into a family-friendly flexible events and community space.
Liverpool City Region Development Partnership lists some of the biggest redevelopment projects that locals and visitors will see taking shape this year. Some have been inspired by the £37.5 million Southport Town Deal regeneration support from the Government.
Bebe’s Hive: New creative and safe space for children to explore grief in Cambridge Arcade.
Marine Lake Events Centre & Light Fantastic: £73 m cutting-edge attraction progressing with enabling works underway.
Cove Resort: Plans move forward for a £75 m leisure resort with outdoor lagoon, spa, and hotel on the Esplanade site.
Ainsdale Coastal Gateway: Nature-led regeneration vision to boost the coastal destination and protect dunes.
The Garrick: Redevelopment of the Art Deco building into the UK’s first theatre-spa-hotel.
Sefton Padel: New padel and refurbished tennis courts with park amenities opening at Victoria Park.
Footy Nation: UK’s first football skills park under construction at Ocean Plaza Leisure Park.
Southport Visitor building: Former newspaper office being turned into 26 flats with new ground-floor retail.
Leo’s Bar building: Art Deco landmark being refitted with pub, retail units, and new residential dwellings.
Southporters can also look forward to a year of cultural events which, according to Sefton Council, continue the town’s entertainment pedigree. “For over two centuries, it’s been a place of performance, spectacle and eccentric entertainment with visitors from Napoleon III to Judy Garland revelling in Venetian Gondolas taking over the water, Elephants parading on Lord Street, Camel Races on the beach and famous street entertainers diving from the pier,” the council’s website reads.
Giant Chandeliers, world class circus performers and never ending rainbows will all be on show in Southport next year as part of a hugely ambitious programme of new cultural events.
As one of the UK’s most historic seaside destinations, Southport has long drawn generations of visitors with its elegant boulevards, Victorian architecture and flamboyant history.
2026’s calendar of events
Lightport – February
A breathtaking immersive light and sound installation from leading international artists Lucid Creates that will turn the town into a walk-through rainbow of colour and creativity.
Cristal Palace – April
World-renowned French street theatre company Transe Express brings its spectacular show Cristal Palace to Lord Street with a 15-metre-wide flying chandelier, transforming the street into an open-air ballroom with live music, aerial performance, and dance, a dazzling fusion of art and theatre set to be one of the year’s defining moments.
Big Top Festival – May
Big Top Festival will take over the town with the best of modern circus, including shows from world-renowned companies, including Circa and Gandini Juggling, coming to one of the art form’s spiritual homes. Across open-air stages, audiences can expect breathtaking acts, live music and hands-on workshops for all ages.
Southport Originals – summer
Throughout the summer, Southport’s much-loved calendar favourites return in style, the Southport Flower Show, Food and Drink Festival, Southport Air Show and British Musical Fireworks Championships, celebrating the town’s proud traditions while drawing visitors from across the UK.
Books Alive! – October
Books Alive! Is a reimagined literature festival designed for families and young readers. Running through half-term, the event will fill the town with storytelling installations, live performances and author-led workshops, turning Southport into a living storybook. You can find full details on the programme here.
Councillor Marion Atkinson, leader of Sefton Council, said: “Southport has a rich and celebrated history of fantastic entertainment for all the family across generations. We are proud to be working with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Culture Liverpool to give Southport its well deserved spotlight with a year of amazing activities and free events.“2026 and beyond is an exciting time for the town with the regeneration of the Town Hall Gardens, the creation of the Marine Lake Events Centre and more all coming in quick succession. I hope everyone takes this festive time to rest up because next year will be one that just doesn’t stop! We can’t wait to welcome visitors for this packed series of incredible events in this wonderful town.”
The $5bn lawsuit alleges JPMorgan abruptly closed multiple accounts in 2021 cutting off Trump & his firms from access to funds.
Published On 22 Jan 202622 Jan 2026
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United States President Donald Trump has sued banking giant JPMorgan Chase and its CEO Jamie Dimon for $5bn, accusing JPMorgan of debanking him and his businesses for political reasons after he left office in January 2021.
The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in Miami-Dade County court in Florida. It alleges that JPMorgan abruptly closed multiple accounts in February 2021 with just 60 days’ notice and no explanation. By doing so, Trump claims JPMorgan cut the president and his businesses off from millions of dollars, disrupted their operations and forced Trump and the businesses to urgently open bank accounts elsewhere.
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“JPMC debanked [Trump and his businesses] because it believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” the lawsuit alleges.
In a statement, JPMorgan said that it “regrets” that Trump sued them but insisted they did not close the accounts for political reasons.
“We believe the suit has no merit,” a bank spokesperson said. “JPMC does not close accounts for political or religious reasons. We do close accounts because they create legal or regulatory risk for the company.”
The White House said it will refer the matter to the president’s outside counsel.
Banks have faced growing political pressure in recent years, particularly from conservatives who argue that lenders have improperly adopted “woke” political positions and, in some cases, discriminated against certain industries, such as firearms and fossil fuels.
That pressure has intensified during Trump’s second term, with the Republican president claiming in interviews that some banks refused to provide services to him and other conservatives. The banks have denied the allegation.
A US banking regulator said last month that the nine largest US banks in the past had placed restrictions on providing financial services to some controversial industries in a practice commonly described as “debanking”.
Last year, JPMorgan said it was cooperating with inquiries from government agencies and other entities regarding its policies and procedures in light of the Trump administration’s push to scrutinise banks over alleged debanking.
Reputational risk
US regulators have examined themselves to see if overly strict supervisory policies discouraged banks from providing services to certain sectors.
Trump-led officials have also moved to loosen oversight, with federal bank regulators last year saying they would stop policing banks based on so-called “reputational risk”.
Under that approach, supervisors could penalise institutions for activities that were not explicitly prohibited but could expose them to negative publicity or costly litigation.
Banks have increasingly complained that the reputational risk standard is vague and subjective, giving supervisors wide discretion to discourage firms from providing services to certain people or industries.
The industry has also argued that regulators need to update anti-money laundering rules, which can force banks to close suspicious accounts without giving customers an explanation.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The French Navy, aided by British intelligence, boarded the Comoros-flagged tanker Grinch today. The vessel had originated its voyage from Russia. The move comes amid a growing U.S. and allied effort to use military force for interdictions of the so-called ‘shadow fleet,’ a network of ships with links to Russia that transport its oil, in breach of sanctions and price caps. In response to that effort, Russia sent a warship to escort one of these vessels, following its warning against boardings.
“We will not tolerate any violation,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on X. “This morning, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag. The operation was conducted on the high seas in the Mediterranean, with the support of several of our allies. It was carried out in strict compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
We will not tolerate any violation.
This morning, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag.
Macron said the ship has been “diverted” and that a judicial investigation has been opened.
“We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions,” the French leader explained. “The activities of the ‘shadow fleet’ contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine.”
The French military posted additional photos of the operation on X. One shows a helicopter hovering near the Grinch.
📍Méditerranée | Intervention en haute mer de la @MarineNationale pour un contrôle de pavillon sur un pétrolier.
⚓ Déroutement sous escorte de la Marine nationale, sur demande du procureur de la République, afin de poursuivre les vérifications.
— Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) January 22, 2026
The French mission was conducted in conjunction with the U.K, which gathered and shared intelligence that enabled the ship to be intercepted, according to French military officials who spoke to The Associated Press. It was not the first such mission and won’t be the last, a French official told us.
“Last September, French naval forces boarded another oil tanker off the French Atlantic coast that Macron also linked to the shadow fleet,” the Independent noted. “That tanker traveled from the Russian oil terminal in Primorsk near Saint Petersburg. Known as ‘Pushpa‘ or ‘Boracay‘ — its name was changed several times — the ship was sailing under the flag of Benin.”
However, the Grinch boarding came as European nations are vowing to increase efforts to stop shadow fleet vessels, and amid growing tensions with Russia over interdiction efforts. On Monday, the Russian Project 20380 corvette Boikiy entered the English Channel, accompanying an oil tanker on its way back to the Baltic Sea, according to the Times. This military escort was the first “since Britain threatened to seize Moscow’s shadow fleet ships,” the Times added.
“We stand ready to work with allies on stronger enforcement around the shadow fleet,” she said.
While declining to offer specifics, Cooper did not rule out the prospect of British forces boarding vessels.
“It means looking at whatever is appropriate, depending on the circumstances that we face,” she told the publication.
She also “did not rule out using oil from seized vessels to fund the Ukrainian war effort — but cautioned that the prospect was of a different order to using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine,” according to Politico. “That idea hit a wall in discussions between EU countries in December.”
Cooper’s statements sparked a warning from Russia that these ships “will be escorted by security ships,” Russian Ambassador to the U.K. Andrey Kelin told the official Russian news outlet Izvestia earlier this week. “Areas closed to navigation may arise and attempts may be made to block critical straits and channels.”
“This is a deliberate escalation of instability, the consequences of which for international law and order and global trade will be extremely serious,” Kelin added. “What politicians in London are talking about is essentially a return to the era of the pirate Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard. What they forget is that Britain has long ceased to be the ‘ruler of the seas,’ and its actions will not go unpunished.”
While still mulling over its future plans for ship interdictions, the U.K. assisted a separate U.S. effort to seize sanctioned ships in the wake of a blockade of Venezuela ordered by President Donald Trump. On Jan. 7, British forces helped interdict the runaway tanker Marinera, which was previously known as the Bella 1, during a ship boarding in the North Sea.
“U.K. armed forces provided pre-planned operational support, including basing, to U.S. military assets interdicting the Bella 1 between the U.K. and Iceland following a U.S. request for assistance,” the MoD said in a statement at the time. “RFA Tideforce is providing support for U.S. forces pursuing and interdicting the Bella 1, while the RAF provided surveillance support from the air.”
On Tuesday, U.S. Southern Command announced the seventh such seizure.
“U.S. military forces, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended Motor Vessel Sagitta without incident,” SOUTHCOM said on X. “The apprehension of another tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”
Because much of the oil on these sanctioned ships goes to help fund Russia’s war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday chided Europeans for not doing more to prevent the shipments.
“Why can [U.S. President Donald Trump] stop tankers of the ‘shadow fleet’ and seize their oil, while Europe can’t,” Zelensky complained during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “Russian oil is transported right along the European coast. This oil funds the war against Ukraine. This oil helps destabilize Europe. Therefore, Russian oil must be stopped and confiscated, and sold to benefit Europe. Why not? If Putin has no money, Europe has no war. If Europe has money, then it can protect its people as well. Right now, these tankers are earning money for Putin, and that means Russia continues to push its sick agenda.”
After the Grinch was boarded, Zelensky thanked France via a post on X.
Thank you, France! Thank you, @EmmanuelMacron! This is exactly the kind of resolve needed to ensure that Russian oil no longer finances Russia’s war. Russian tankers operating near European shores must be stopped. Sanctions against the entire infrastructure of the shadow fleet… https://t.co/6t0DbJ9xS1
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 22, 2026
“This is exactly the kind of resolve needed to ensure that Russian oil no longer finances Russia’s war,” he stated. “Russian tankers operating near European shores must be stopped.”
With her nomination for the cinematography of “Sinners,” Autumn Durald Arkapaw becomes the first woman of color — and only the fourth woman ever — to be recognized in the category. The recipient of a record-setting 16 nominations, Ryan Coogler’s vampire film set in the 1930s was advanced in every category for which it was eligible. Arkapaw previously collaborated with Coogler on 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Arkapaw got on the phone on Thursday morning from her home in Altadena — thankfully spared from last year’s fires — that she shares with her husband, Adam Arkapaw, also a cinematographer.
“It’s nice to have an understanding of what each other does because it’s a hard job and making films isn’t easy,” said Durald Arkapaw of having two cinematographers under one roof. “But we also have a family, so usually when I’m working, he’s watching our son and vice versa. So it’s kind of a team effort. But there is an understanding. I wouldn’t say we talk about it all the time because it gets exhausting. You get enough of that when you’re at work.”
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, photographed in Los Angeles in November.
(Bexx Francois / For The Times)
What do these historic firsts mean to you?
Autumn Durald Arkapaw: I’m trying to take a moment to kind of let it sink in. I’m just so honored every time I get to stand next to Ryan and make a film with him, because what I think he does and says is very unique. And we’re always doing something for the first time and with a very unique group of people. Like having all heads of departments be women of color and these are women that inspire me every day. I think now to be a part of that because [production designer] Hannah [Beachler] and [costume designer] Ruth [E. Carter] have also been able to do some work that’s been recognized. Now being a part of that group, I feel very honored, especially for a film like this. That it’s for this film, means a lot to me.
What is it about this film in particular that makes it even more special?
Arkapaw: I think for myself and most of the team members, we have a lot of history and culture rooted in this story. My family’s from New Orleans. My father was born there, my great-grandmother was born in Mississippi. So when I read the story, it felt very close to home. And I think that allows you to be able to pour yourself into it. And there’s a lot of meaning in it and you want to make your ancestors proud. This film has so much love that was poured into it on set and I think it really connected with a lot of people. And I think that’s how you do really great films. You pour as much as you can of yourself into it.
The film was such a success when it came out earlier this year. What is it that you think audiences were responding to?
Arkapaw: I’m an operator so I love to have my eyepiece to the camera and Ryan sits right next to me. So a lot of the stuff that we photographed, I was there in the moment. It was very felt. And I always said, “If I don’t feel it, then I don’t feel the audience can.” So I’m very much someone who shoots from the heart and wants to make sure that emotion is being conveyed. Ryan is the same way. There was a lot of that going on on set, where there were moments where you felt like you actually weren’t making a movie. Things were unfolding in front of you in a very unique way. Like it felt like a real space at times. That matters. If you feel that way on set, it is, it does feel communicated all the way up until the audience sees it in this dark room. And then they don’t feel like they’re watching a movie anymore. And it’s nice when that translates. It doesn’t always happen. And with this film it did, on an insane level.
Michael B. Jordan as Smoke and Stack in the movie “Sinners.”
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
When did you and Ryan start talking about shooting in 65-millimeter Imax?
Arkapaw: He had envisioned it to be 16-millimeter. So originally, I made some lenses with Panavision that I shot “The Last Showgirl” with before this. And so I was kind of testing those in hopes that it would be something we would use. And then the studio called Ryan and said, “Have you guys thought about large format?” And he called me immediately after and he was like, “Let’s talk about it.” And we got a bunch of different formats together and when you’re talking about large format in a film context, it means 65-[millimeter]. So we tested all these different formats. And obviously we fell in love with the [Imax formats] 15-perf and the 5-perf. And putting them together for the first time was unique. That was fun to do because we tested it and then we kind of put an edit together and looked at it as a team and it all felt very right. So it’s nice to do something historic like that and have it work and have the audience enjoy that big shift of ratios.
Just from a workflow aspect, what was it like having to adjust to these new technologies?
Arkapaw: I always feel like with Ryan, he always gives me a big challenge. He likes to think big and outside the box. We did that on “Wakanda Forever.” We shot a bunch of our scenes underwater with actors, for real. And in this film, there were a lot of different sequences, moving the Imax camera around in the studio, treating it like it wasn’t necessarily a large-format film, but shooting like we would if it was a smaller camera and being true to how we like to move the camera. It’s a lot of logistics involved. You have to have an amazing team. My team personally is fantastic and they did a great job. Focus-pulling is not easy on a film like this.
So it was a challenge. But I think because everyone’s so inspired by Ryan, he’s a great leader on set and everyone really likes him, so they want to do a good job for him. I see that every time we do a film, I have the same crew that I use. It’s like a family. And they respect him. So when you give us a challenge, we really want to make sure that we do it well so that it’s a good experience for the moviegoers. Because he’s always reminding us on set about that: “Big movie, big movie.” We’re making a movie for the theaters.
When the movie was coming out, people really liked that the explainer video that Ryan made about all the different formats. How did you feel about that video and that, for something that felt so technical and nerdy, it got really popular.
Arkapaw: I remember the moment that he brought it up, we were at the Playa Vista Imax headquarters and we had just done a screening to look at the prints. And he was like, “I want to talk to you guys.” And so myself and Zinzi [Coogler], our producer, and our post-producer Tina Anderson, we went and talked for a second and Ryan said, “I want to shoot a video that explains all the formats so that people can understand what we did and what it means and all that stuff.” And his eyes lit up and I thought it was such a cool idea. Fast-forward to it coming out and everyone really embracing it because it was so thoughtful. It was really cool.
If you see it in Dolby, it’s special, but if you go see it this way, it’s even more special because the screen opens up. So I think putting that in the hands of audiences is very thoughtful. And that’s how Ryan is. He wants them to have this information because when he was a kid and going to theaters, we all felt that same way, where that one night you walked to the theater or you drove and you waited an hour to see it and it was a whole experience. And so I think that’s why it went viral because people wanted to be a part of that.
Do you have a preferred format?
Arkapaw: My preferred format is the origination format, because I’m framing the movie for Imax 1.43:1 and then also with the 2.76:1 Ultra Panavision format. So my best way of seeing the film would be the Imax 70mm full-frame print. And obviously, there are only about 40 theaters in the world that project that. I don’t think we had it in all 40, maybe we only had 11, I think, across the world. But I was very much telling everyone that if you can get a ticket, please go see it in the 70-[millimeter] projection of Imax, full-frame. It’s so beautiful.
SACRAMENTO — Pro-business conservatives and environmentalist liberals joined forces in the Assembly on Monday to engineer the surprise defeat of two forest protection measures that had the backing of Gov. Pete Wilson and a powerful coalition of timber companies and conservation organizations.
Swayed by arguments that the measures could lead to the destruction of ancient forests as well as the loss of hundreds of logging jobs, a bitterly divided Assembly voted against the bills that had been designed to stop overcutting in the state’s 7.1 million acres of privately owned timberlands.
A similar alliance in the Senate failed, however, to stop two other measures in the four-bill package, and they passed easily by separate 22-14 votes.
Buoyed by the Senate action, the bills’ Assembly authors said they would bring the defeated measures up again for another vote, possibly as early as today, but they acknowledged it would be difficult to win passage. Both bills need 41 votes to garner Assembly approval and they drew just 28 and 31 votes Monday.
The legislation, which was the result of a compromise reached after months of negotiations between environmental organizations and timber companies, would ban clear-cutting in ancient and old-growth forests, limit its use in other types of forests, provide protections for forest watersheds and wildlife and place restrictions on timber harvesting that are designed to prevent loggers from cutting more than they can grow.
Although the measures had support from environmental organizations like the National Audubon Society and the Planning and Conservation League, Assembly sponsors blamed a heavy lobbying attack from the Sierra Club for siphoning off key Democratic votes and leading to the unexpected defeat.
“I think the Democratic side bought the Sierra Club argument,” said Assemblyman Byron Sher (D-Palo Alto), a sponsor of the package.
Sher said pro-environment lawmakers were drawn to the Sierra Club argument that last-minute fine-tuning of the legislation had led to changes that would exempt 30,000 acres of old-growth forest owned by Pacific Lumber Co. from some of the new restrictions on harvesting.
While he insisted there was no such exemption in the bills, Sher said it may be necessary to make changes to satisfy Sierra Club objections in order for the measures to pass the Assembly.
But in the Senate, Republicans who had backed the bills after winning assurances from Wilson that there would be no changes insisted they would withdraw their support if the legislation was altered in anyway.
“If it takes an amendment to line up Democratic votes, that amendment will cause me and I’m sure many other Republicans to drop their support,” Sen. Tim Leslie (R-Auburn) said firmly.
Insisting the defeat had been motivated by partisan politics, Assemblyman Chris Chandler (R-Yuba City) predicted the measures would eventually pass without any changes with more support from Republicans.
“I think the issue will come together quite nicely (Tuesday),” he said, adding that he expected at least two more Republicans to vote yes.
Other lawmakers agreed, saying that many Democrats had not voted on the measures, preferring first to wait and see how much Republican support they would garner. Some grumbled privately that even though Wilson was backing the measure, only 10 Republicans had voted for the bills while 18 had voted against them.
On the Assembly floor, however, the debate avoided politics and focused on the issues of jobs and ancient forests.
Conservative Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) said the new restrictions would put 17,000 families on the North Coast out of work as timber companies were forced to cut back on harvesting and reduce saw mill production.
“Is it possible that even now, this Administration and this Legislature does not understand the enormous damage which they have done to our economy?” McClintock said. “That even now, while the governor postures about his concern for the economy, he is waging unrelenting war against the remaining job base of our state?”
On the Democratic side, Assemblyman Tom Hayden, (D-Santa Monica), objected to the measures on environmental grounds, arguing that while they banned clear-cutting in ancient forests they also allowed a schedule of harvesting that permitted those forests to be decimated in the next two decades.
“It’s a legalized schedule for their destruction,” Hayden said, “with the possibility held out that a few (trees) will be retained like animals in the zoo.”
Asked at a news conference about how he planned to sell his vision to young players, the recently hired Indiana coach didn’t even look up while delivering his now-famous response.
“It’s pretty simple. I win,” answered Cignetti, who then paused two seconds before delivering the final two words.
“Google me.”
A little over two years later, there’s no need to Google the 64-year-old coach who just finished leading the Hoosiers to an improbable 16-0 season and their first national championship in football.
But anyone who does happen to use the technology giant to look up Cignetti’s name will find something interesting at the very top of his search result page. It’s just three words:
Google left the Easter egg following Indiana’s 27-21 victory over Miami in Monday’s College Football Playoff championship game. A representative from the company told The Times the phrase would remain atop Cignetti’s page for the next few weeks.
Here are some other facts a search on Cignetti might produce. His first head coaching gig came in 2011 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where his father, Frank Cignetti, played and then coached for 20 seasons. In six seasons with the Crimson Hawks, the younger Cignetti went 53-17 and led IUP to three NCAA Division II playoff appearances.
He then coached at Elon in 2017 and 2018, going 14-9 and taking the Phoenix to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs both years. As the coach at James Madison from 2019 to 2023, Cignetti led the Dukes to an overall 52-9 record, three FCS playoff appearances — including the 2019 national championship game — and a 19-4 record in JMU’s first two seasons after moving up to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.
Last season at Indiana, Cignetti took over a team that had won a combined nine games over the previous three years and led it to a program-best 11-2 record and a CFP postseason appearance. That set the stage for the Hoosiers’ historic 2025 season and Cignetti’s second straight Associated Press coach of the year award.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Europe to show more courage and unity, warning at the World Economic Forum in Davos that NATO reliance on the US is fragile as Russia expands its missile threat and after tensions spiraled over Greenland.
These are the key developments from day 1,429 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Published On 23 Jan 202623 Jan 2026
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Here is where things stand on Friday, January 23:
Fighting
Two volunteers delivering bread were killed in a Russian drone attack on their car in the border community of Derhachi in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, the head of the regional military administration, Vyacheslav Zadorenko, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Russian forces launched a drone attack on a high-rise residential building in Ukraine’s Dnipro, injuring at least seven people, the city’s Mayor Borys Filatov said.
One person was killed, and four were wounded in Russian glide bomb attacks on Komyshuvakha, in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
A Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih city, in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, injured 12 people, including four children, head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Hanzha, said.
Russian forces shot down 31 Ukrainian drones overnight and into the early hours of Thursday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said, according to a report by Russia’s TASS state news agency.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the oil tanker was “coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag”. He added that the operation was “carried out in strict compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” and together with allies.
Energy crisis
Ukraine’s energy system on Thursday endured its most difficult day since a widespread blackout hit the network in November 2022, and the situation remains “extremely difficult”, the country’s Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
Conditions were most difficult in the capital Kyiv and the surrounding region and in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Shmyhal said, as nighttime temperatures fell to -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit).
Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 2,600 apartment buildings were still without heat two days after the latest overnight Russian attacks, while 600 buildings have had their heating restored.
Politics and diplomacy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian negotiators are on their way to the United Arab Emirates for talks with Russian and United States negotiating teams.
“Our team is now heading to the Emirates for meetings with both the American and Russian sides,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram after a day of talks at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. “We are waiting to see how it goes and will decide on the next steps.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin began a meeting with US envoys Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum late on Thursday to discuss a plan to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
US President Donald Trump again said that both Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy would like to make a deal to end the nearly four-year-old war, after meeting with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the WEF in Davos.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday he “obviously” had concerns about Putin being on Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” in an interview with Channel 4 News. “He is waging war on a European country. They’re raining down bombs on Ukraine,” Starmer said.
The relationship between the US and the European Union has “taken a big blow” in the past week, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in advance of an emergency meeting of the bloc’s leaders on Thursday.
“Disagreements that allies have between them, like Europe and America, are just benefitting our adversaries who are looking and enjoying the view,” Kallas told reporters.
Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova told reporters that two Russian soldiers whose bodies were returned as part of a prisoner exchange deal with Ukraine late last year had been alive, without injuries, at the time of their capture in May 2025. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the report.
Military aid
Norway’s Defence Minister Tore O Sandvik said that his country has “quickly delivered air defence missiles to Ukraine at a critical stage so that the NASAMS system can continue to protect Ukrainian citizens from deadly air strikes” in “cooperation with the United States and others”.
Roxy Wilson has spoken out after she was brutally ‘murdered’ on Thursday night’s edition of The Traitors and the revelation about her and mum Judy left the remaining cast gasping
00:45, 23 Jan 2026Updated 00:59, 23 Jan 2026
The final of The Traitors airs tonight on BBC One(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Studio Lambert/Cody Burridge/Matt Burlem)
Claudia Winkleman exposed mum and daughter duo Judy and Roxy Wilson on last nights episode of The Traitors.
The Traitors has become one of the must-watched show of the winter, with people up and down the country obsessed with the drama and betrayal taking place in the BBC’s remote Scottish castle. With 22 new players attempting to lie, backstab and scheme their way to a £100,000 jackpot the series has been full of drama.
The fourth series has been airing since 1 January and featured several new twists, including the introduction of a Secret Traitor. This year, fans have been rooting for the show’s villains, with only Rachel and Stephen left on team Traitor. Such fans may be in luck, as experts have predicted that Rachel will walk away with the entire cash prize this year.
Thursday’s penultimate episode (22 January) saw the two players throw suspicion on to one another at various points, all the while reassuring each other that the gameplay is all part of their joint ruse. Elsewhere, Roxy was murdered and the revelation about her and mum Judy left the remaining cast gasping.
Now, speaking for the first time, Roxy has opened up on how the pair kept the secret quiet whilst on the show. She said: “It was so special doing it with my Mum and so when she left – that was a bit sad.
“But I was happy I had managed to get one over on the Traitors as they hadn’t established and figured out that relationship. I never considered telling them about Mum, especially because after she went she was confirmed a Faithful, so they would have definitely thought the other one has got to be a Traitor. Even if I was a Traitor, I wouldn’t have told the other Traitors.”
Judy left the show in episode two. But Roxy nearly gave the game away in the very first episode after calling her “Mum” in the row boat mission. She said: “I did fear it would happen because that was the hardest thing – not being able to call her Mum.”
Viewers were surprised Roxy lasted so long, because she has struggled to pin down any theories. She agreed, saying: “I think I’ve got as far as I could.”
The Traitors is set to come to an end tonight. However, viewers will need to be aware of a change to the show this evening.
The Traitors continues tonight at 8.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
It is too early to say that things are settling at The Branch, the hostile takeover by Corporate left some ripples and management is scrambling to adapt. For the moment, we can say that the status remains “fluid.” We’re not at a place yet where the branch manager can fire the annoying janitor that’s been around for decades and seems to have more power than he should, but at least she’ll be able to change that old pot that makes cockroach tasting coffee for a proper Nespresso.
That’s where we are. Por ahora, Venezuela seems to be stuck in a corporate takeover by the US government. And like any corporate takeover it’s natural that the target’s management will be jittery, but at the same time trying to stick to their old ways, the “this is how we do things here” attitude that lasts until Corporate reminds them that “how we do things here” is what landed them in this position in the first place. Regardless, management has to calm the staff, who are hoping that things will remain somewhat the same, although deep down they know they’re not.
I’m not going to hold the analogy throughout the whole piece, but rather ramble in and out of it as it comes. The point is that the Venezuela strategy is currently detached from a democratic logic (por ahora), and it may be more oriented to results on a spreadsheet. I’m not saying this just because Donald Trump is a businessman and the first thing they’re tackling is the oil business while he talks about how profitable this whole thing will be, but also because they are approaching the situation just how you would approach the expansion of a business. And branch, dare we say, not subsidiary, since there’s little to no independence on how this business is being run.
Branch Manager and Minion
Delcy Rodríguez and her brother Jorge, have been keeping the house together for a while. Delcy has been the executive part of The Branch since before it was a branch and Jorge a key strategist and negotiator for the organization. We’ve said before that even when the regime has had the dictatorial tumbao since forever, and that democratic institutions where thrown out the window many years ago, they did have a certain degree of separation of powers caused by the death of Hugo Chávez (who did concentrate all powers). Bout of course, not separation of powers how it was taught in political institutions classes (executive, legislative and judicial), but more into chavista factions (executive, Diosdado, and the military). That separation of powers maintained a certain balance, if you saw it from a chavista logic. The executive, under Maduro and Cilia Flores, not only concentrated the powers of the presidency but a big chunk of the judiciary (in Cilia particularly). Delcy Rodríguez’s role in this structure was, actually, executing almost all of Maduro’s functions and many other roles delegated in her (in a way, Delcy was the Rubio to Maduro’s Trump).
The military in the post Chávez era has always been its own mega bureaucratic, too big and too divided to move behemoth, focused on wealth and politics, that has the legendary power to change things in the country at a snap of its fingers, but that won’t do it because it is too big and too divided.
For a long time, Diosdado stood his ground in the legislature because of his influence over the party. He was able to hold leverage over the “executive” by blocking certain legal initiatives, like one touted reform of the Hydrocarbons Law that had been requested for ages by Russia, China, Iran, and the United States. Then, after the 2024 presidential elections, when this structure started losing balance, Diosdado accumulated more power when he became Venezuela’s top cop—in command of a force that probably has more experience and is more combat ready than the military.
After Maduro’s extraction, this balance broke. Chavista politics and separation of powers out the window. The military sent to the barracks and the Rodríguez siblings forced to play nice with Diosdado (and viceversa) por ahora. The chain of command disolved into a single line between two speakerphones. Tyranny.
Welcome to the corporate world.
Team work.
While adjusting to this new reality hasn’t been easy, The Branch has been understanding some basic rules based on efficiency and celerity required by Corporate. In just a week, after Exxon CEO Darren Woods voiced concerns over the legality of PDVSA’s current contractual framework, the lack of resources to protect investment in Venezuela, and the complications to carry out regular business activities, the National Assembly presided by Jorge Rodríguez “discussed” for immediate approval in first discussion three pieces of legislation provided by the branch manager (Jorge’s sister, it’s a family business!): the hydrocarbons law, which doesn’t only legalize the aforesaid contractual framework but also adds alternatives to solve disputes beyond Venezuela’s courts; a Socioeconomic Rights Law; and an anti red tape law. This first law packet should be fully approved and entering into force within the week. Easy peasy.
Mr. Trump, please tell Mr. Woods that his request should be fulfilled shortly. Best, Delcy R.
Also, part of the funds from the first batch of oil sold via the US has already been injected into the financial system, partially stabilizing the foreign exchange market and liberating crude storage space. Delcy also started making some cabinet changes, nothing major yet, she’s still keeping the people she trusts close, and giving some space to Cabello, but she got rid of Alex Saab—it’s not hard to please the boss when you get to do something you really wanted to do in the first place.
Staffing has been at the core of this takeover. A Reuters headline yesterday read: Trump considers role in Venezuela for Machado. While we don’t see yet that Corporate will Machado to supervise Delcy, we’re at such a dry spot right now, that Trump decides whether the most popular politician in Venezuela can participate or not in… What? Can it even be called a transition? What is it? We argued in a different post that beyond the ruckus that Machado’s involvement may cause in Venezuela in this moment, Trump is just happy on how Delcy has been delivering. His weekly reviews all include gold stars. Versus what could mean having to deal with a leader “constrained and empowered by a democratic mandate” and an actual obligation to the Venezuelan people.
That’s why the easy part is starting with the business stuff. Getting to the core of the organization is the hard part. We’ve seen many comments on how the first thing that has to be done in order to actually entice investors to come into Venezuela is to work on its democratization and fixing its institutions (not entirely true). We can discuss about democratic principles all you want, but it’s just not going to happen that way, even when it would be the most desirable option. It’s just not the path we’re on. Corporate decided to “fix” the business first, because they want to see profit, they want to see that it’s worth it. And perhaps, by working their way from the outer shells of the business, eventually, maybe, getting to the core of the issue: the need for re institutionalization and getting democratically elected leaders to replace the branch management. While there’s a very slim chance of this happening, democracy would have to seep through a crack of the business shell into the core, it may be the only chance. Not that the takeover method was correct or ethical, but no one else would’ve been crazy enough to put in the investment. And again, it’s the reality that we’re in and that’s what we have to deal with.
Timing, not time, is one of the big challenges here. Corporate needs to keep oversight and control for just the right amount of time, taking into account that there’s a big chance to get pushback from the branch management when trying to impose a new system, if they take too long, let’s say… November, the chance may be lost and branch management will sit comfortably and sooner than later go back to their old ways. Just look at how they’ve been handling the “good faith” gesture of political prisoner release. Yes, they’ve been complying, but there’s been resistance, lies and treachery.
And then there’s the issue of Cabello himself. It’s hard to see a democratization process with him, his special forces, and his colectivos around. We don’t see it. Big oil doesn’t see it. The region doesn’t see it. And perhaps, at some point, Corporate won’t see it too.
Work environment.
Sadly, at present, bringing Venezuela back to democracy requires more than the will of Venezuelans. Of course that part is key, but right now we mostly depend on the good heart of men in a board room looking at excel sheets. Or just wait for the numbers on those excel sheets to spell “democracy.”
