Month: January 2026

US President Donald Trump says he’s ordered an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile strike group to the Middle East as tensions soar with Iran.

Israeli forces are searching a Gaza cemetery for the remains of Ran Gvili, the last captive in the Palestinian territory.

Hamas says it has handed over the location of the remains of the last captive in Gaza, Israeli soldier Ran Gvili, as the second stage of the ceasefire begins in the war-ravaged enclave.

In a statement on Sunday, a spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said the group handed over the location of Gvili’s remains with “absolute transparency”, and that it “fulfilled all our obligations in accordance with the ceasefire agreement”.

“We are fully committed to closing this file permanently and have no interest in procrastination. This stance is rooted in our concern for the interests of our people. Working under complex and nearly impossible conditions, we have successfully recovered and handed over the remains of the enemy’s prisoners with the full knowledge of the mediators,” Abu Obeida said.

“We call upon these mediators to uphold their responsibilities and compel the [Israeli] occupation to implement what has been agreed upon.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said a largescale operation was under way at a cemetery in northern Gaza to find the remains. “This effort will continue for as long as necessary,” his office added.

The Israeli military also said that search operations were under way to retrieve Gvili’s body from the so-called “yellow line” area in Gaza, which splits the area between the location of Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters.

Gvili, a noncommissioned officer in the Israeli police’s elite Yassam unit, was killed in action on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas-led attack in Israel, and his body was taken to Gaza.

But as part of United States President Donald Trump’s peace proposal for Gaza, Hamas was required to return all the captives, living and dead, from the besieged enclave to Israel.

Amid widespread devastation and an Israeli refusal to allow for heavy machinery, the discovery of the last captive has been delayed.

Despite not finding the captive, US special envoy Steve Witkoff announced last week that the ceasefire was now moving to its second stage, which is likely to see the opening of the Rafah border crossing, the reconstruction of the Strip, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Witkoff on Sunday said he and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had met Netanyahu in Israel on the previous day, mainly to discuss Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israeli attacks have continued across Gaza, with at least three Palestinians killed in two separate incidents, and an Israeli drone wounding four others in Gaza City, the enclave’s Ministry of Health said on Sunday.

Medics said Israeli forces killed at least two people east of the Tuffah neighbourhood in northern Gaza and a 41-year-old man in Khan Younis in the south.

Earlier, medical workers ​said an Israeli drone exploded on the rooftop of a multi-floor building in Gaza City, wounding four ‍civilians in the street nearby.

Former President Obama and Michelle Obama called on Americans to recognize the dangers of the increasingly violent Immigration and Customs Enforcement crack-downs in the wake of the deadly shooting of an ICU nurse in Minneapolis.

“The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy,” the Obamas wrote in a lengthy statement posted on social media. “It should also be a wake up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.”

Pretti, a 37-year-old Department of Veterans Affairs nurse, was seen using his cell phone to record ICE members deploying Saturday morning in a snowy Minneapolis neighborhood. Witness videos show ICE agents shoving a woman and Pretti coming to her assistance. He was then pushed and doused with a chemical spray, then tackled to the ground. He was shot 10 times.

On Sunday, demonstrations occurred across the country to protest the tactics of ICE agents and comments by President Trump and others in his administration. Several administration officials seemed to blame Pretti for his death because he was carrying a weapon during a protest.

Minneapolis police said Pretti had a license to carry a concealed weapon; gun rights groups have decried some administration rhetoric and called for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding Pretti’s death.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara on Sunday almost begged for calm for his city that has witnessed hundreds of ICE agents moving in. O’Hara told CBS News “this is not sustainable,” and that his officers were stretched thin trying to contain “all of this chaos.”

“This has to stop,” the Obamas wrote.

“Federal law enforcement and immigration agents have a tough job,” the Obamas wrote. “But Americans expect them to carry out their duties in a lawful, accountable way, and to work with, rather than against, state and local officials to ensure public safety. “

“That’s not what we’re seeing in Minnesota. In fact, we’re seeing the opposite,” the former first couple wrote.

On Sunday, protests grew as people watched cell phone video captured by bystanders of Pretti’s shooting.

Pretti’s parents, Susan and Michael Pretti, in a statement reported by the Assoc. Press, described their son as “a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.”

His shooting comes less than three weeks after an ICE agent shot an unarmed mother, Renee Nicole Good, in another Minneapolis neighborhood. The agency said she was attempting to harm an ICE agent although video of the incident appears to show her turning the wheel of her SUV away from the agent when he shot her in the face.

“For weeks now, people across the country have been rightly outraged by the spectacle of masked ICE recruits and other federal agents acting with impunity and engaging in tactics that seem designed to intimidate, harass, provoke and endanger the residents of a major American city,” the Obamas wrote, describing such methods as “unprecedented tactics.”

“The President and current administration officials seem eager to escalate the situation, while offering public explanations for the shootings of Mr. Pretti and Renee Good that aren’t informed by any serious investigation – and that appear to be directly contradicted by video evidence,” the Obamas wrote.

“This has to stop,” the Obamas wrote.

They called on Trump administration officials to “reconsider their approach” and work constructively with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other state and local authorities “to avert more chaos and achieve legitimate law enforcement goals.”

“In the meantime, every American should support and draw inspiration from the wave of peaceful protests in Minneapolis and other parts of the country,” the Obamas wrote. “They are a timely reminder that ultimately it’s up to each of us as citizens to speak out against injustice, protect our basic freedoms, and hold our government accountable.”

Utah police arrested a man accused of assaulting a Florida congressman this weekend at a Sundance Film Festival after the man allegedly hurled racist comments to several patrons of a Creative Artists Agency party.

Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Florida) posted on X that he was “okay” after being slugged by the man, identified by police as 28-year-old Christian Young.

“I was assaulted by a man at Sundance Festival who told me that Trump was going to deport me before he punched me in the face,” Frost wrote Saturday in an X post. “He was heard screaming racist remarks as he drunkenly ran off. The individual was arrested.”

Frost, 29, has the distinction of being the first member of Gen Z elected to U.S. Congress. Born in Orlando, Frost is in his second term representing a Central Florida district. He is Afro-Latino.

On his website, Frost noted his “diverse heritage with roots in Puerto Rican, Lebanese, and Haitian ancestry.” He was adopted at birth “by a Kansas-born musician-producer and … a special education teacher who immigrated to the US from Cuba as a child in the 1960s.”

A person who was at the party told The Times that the suspect crashed the party and said “offensive things” to several partygoers, including in the men’s restroom, before allegedly assaulting the congressman.

Security personnel removed the suspect from the venue, the source said. Police quickly arrived.

Park City Police Lt. Danielle Snelson said that officers responded to a report of an assault just after midnight at the High West Saloon on Park Avenue — the location of the Friday night party hosted by CAA.

“Upon arrival, officers conducted an investigation and determined that Christian Young unlawfully entered a private party after previously being turned away for not having an invitation,” Snelson wrote in an email. “Once inside the saloon, Young assaulted Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost and a female who was attending the private event.”

Frost’s companion was not identified.

After the incident, the congressman was seen speaking with Park City police officers outside the restaurant. In his X post, Frost wrote: “Thank you to the venue security and Park City PD for assistance on this incident.”

The suspect was arrested and booked into Utah’s Summit County Jail on charges of aggravated burglary and two counts of simple assault.

Axios reported that County Judge Richard Mrazik ordered Young to be held without bail because of “convincing evidence” that he may flee the area and “would constitute a substantial danger” to the community.

“I am horrified by the attack on Congressman Maxwell Frost. Grateful that he is okay, but appalled that this terrifying assault took place,” Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X. “The perpetrator must be aggressively prosecuted. Hate and political violence has no place in our country.”

The altercation occurred several hours before the deadly shooting of an ICU nurse in Minneapolis by a federal agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Saturday shooting has sparked widespread outrage. It was the third shooting in Minneapolis by ICE officers in the last three weeks, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told CBS News.

On Sunday, a small group of about a dozen anti-ICE protesters walked up Park City’s Main Street, urging festival attendees to join them.

Staff writer Samantha Masunaga contributed to this report.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says his side were “not at their best today” but it is “totally unrealistic” to win every single game after his side lost 3-2 to Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.

MATCH REPORT: Arsenal 2-3 Manchester United

Available to UK users only.

Last month, the United States published a National Security Strategy that marked a clear departure from its post-Cold War policies.

This week, a Pentagon Defense Strategy followed, echoing what was revealed by the White House.

Rooted in President Donald Trump’s “America First” approach, it prioritises homeland security and influence in the Western Hemisphere.

The new strategy came as no surprise. Trump and his officials have been engaged in often-heated debates with close allies about what role the US is expected to play in their defence.

So, what’s the fallout for America’s allies around the world?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests: 

Adam Clements – US foreign policy analyst and former Pentagon official

Marina Miron – Researcher with Defence Studies Department at King’s College London

Youngshik Bong – Visiting professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Yonsei University and adviser to South Korea’s Ministry of National Defence

PARK CITY, Utah — Sundance is where I get lost. My first trip to Park City, Utah, I didn’t know anything or anyone, and scored a bunk bed in a room of four women by cold-emailing an acquaintance of an acquaintance and blurting, “I don’t really mind who I sleep next to as long as they don’t mind that my boyfriend says I snore.”

That was 16 years ago and I have visceral memories of circling the town on a two a.m. shuttle hoping to recognize my stop. There was also the afternoon I took a shortcut through some trees and got stuck in snow up to my shins. (That’s also when I learned that cheap boots dissolve under duress.) But just as vividly, I remember getting lost in that year’s movies: breakthrough films by the Safdie brothers, Luca Guadanigno and Taika Waititi, plus Jennifer Lawrence’s star-making performance in “Winter’s Bone.”

It took time to master Park City, to learn the theater locations and make friends, one of whom broke his arm and laptop skidding on a patch of ice while another gave me the fuzzy red mittens I’ve been wearing here for a decade. And I’ve spent the last two Sundances readying to let this town go when the festival decamps for Boulder, Colo., in 2027. (At my second screening this year, I even lost the right mitten.) The Egyptian Theatre on Main Street isn’t showing any new movies this year as the festival is already shutting down limb by limb, but it’s where a colleague dragged a dozen of us critics to “Hereditary’s” fourth not-so-full screening insisting we had to see it, and he as much as anyone put Ari Aster on the map. (He’s also now my editor — hi, Josh Rothkopf!)

God, I’m going to miss this place. By God, let’s go with indie provocateur Gregg Araki’s conception of him: Robert Redford, a titan who hatched an independent film festival from his head like he was Zeus and passed away this September.

“How did he ever come up with that concept?” Araki asked onstage at what he tallied was his 11th Sundance premiere. “Thank you, Robert Redford. You are a god to me, you are immortal.” The 20-something fan seated next to me felt the same way about Araki, hooting so much for his favorite filmmaker that he apologized.

Cooper Hoffman and Olivia Wilde in the movie “I Want Your Sex.”

(Lacey Terrell / Sundance Institute)

Araki is here with the brash and splashy erotic comedy “I Want Your Sex,” which stars Olivia Wilde as a bondage-loving, anti-woke modern artist named Erika whose latest effort to shock is a giant vagina made of chewing gum. “Art needs attention,” she insists. So does Erika, ordering her much younger new assistant, Elliot (Cooper Hoffman), into bed and into a public bathroom stall and into a set of frilly pink lingerie.

Erika’s work isn’t very good. But Wilde is fantastic. Her haughty line deliveries and imperious bone structure cut through the screen like a knife. (And you should see the get-ups that costumers Arianne Phillips and Monica Chamberlain strap her into.) A murder mystery worms into the script that’s too screwy to be taken seriously. But as Erika’s mealy lover, Hoffman gets bossed around and humiliated and mostly digs his kinky misadventure. Me, too.

To be fair, art does need attention. Everyone at Sundance comes here to not just lose themselves giggling as Hoffman gets a spanking, but to find the next Araki, Aster or Safdie — and, if you’re a distributor, snatch them up at a good price. It takes money to launch an indie movie to the masses and one of today’s most daunting hurdles is that no one seems to have enough of it to market a niche sensation to an overwhelmed and distracted audience.

“It’s time for a change,” my rideshare driver said as we crept through traffic, explaining why she was running for state senate. She couldn’t fathom why Utah hadn’t put up more of a fight to keep Sundance in town as it seemed to her that it had been a fiscal boon. I replied that I’d heard rumors that Park City calculated there was more money in catering to the posh ski crowd than, say, film critics.

My Sundance has never been glamorous. I rarely have time to go to a party and when I do, it’s standing around on a wet carpet in my socks hoping to eat a scoop of chili. The one exception was the year I was on a short film jury that included the actor Keegan-Michael Key, who I ran into on Friday morning doing interviews for Casper Kelly’s colorful and quirky midnight movie “Buddy,” which is like a very special spree-killer episode of “Barney.” Key plays a giant orange unicorn who hosts a children’s TV show and forces the kids to hug him or die. It’s a tad thin compared to Kelly’s other stunningly bizarro projects (“Too Many Cooks,” “Adult Swim Yule Log”) that always add another destabilizing twist. But you sense subterranean levels of weirdness that hint that he’s already got ideas for a sequel.

Sundance is where starving artists level up. Just nine years ago, the documentary prankster John Wilson was here crashing on a couch and shooting a snarky short called “Escape From Park City” about his discomfort with its star-gazing and schmoozing. That trip tipped over a domino that, in a roundabout way, led to his brilliant HBO TV series, “How to With John Wilson,” and now he’s back to premiere his first full-length feature, “The History of Concrete.” (He said no one from the festival had yet to mention that short to his face.)

Essentially a long episode of his show, “The History of Concrete” follows Wilson’s zig-zagging curiosity about what’s right under our feet, from an analysis of chewing gum patterns on the sidewalk to a pilgrimage to the shortest street in America. Despite concrete’s omnipresence, he finds that it hasn’t been around very long, and yet, to our peril it’s already crumbling around us.

Along the way, Wilson takes Zoom meetings, unsuccessfully pitching this meta-doc to financiers, and, out of sardonic desperation, studying how to write a successful Hallmark movie. The overall idea is that our civic and artistic infrastructure is falling apart. Genius like his is the weeds wiggling through the cracks.

Charli XCX in the movie “The Moment.”

(Sundance Institute)

So many of this year’s films are confronting the relationship between cash and creativity, like video director Aidan Zamiri’s strobe-y and deliberately suffocating “The Moment,” which I’ll be reviewing in full when it comes out next week. The party-hearty British pop star Charli XCX plays an unflattering version of herself struggling to fend off a phalanx of producers, managers and record executives. Structurally, it’s a mockumentary. Tonally, it’s a horror movie about the death of an artist’s soul. Alexander Skarsgård is especially funny as a New Age-spouting concert documentary director who sucks up to the corporate overlords while breaking Charli’s spirit a bit more in every scene. He’s like Jigsaw with a manbun: a villain who preaches self-empowerment while shattering her to pieces.

In real life, Charli sounds certain that her Brat summer is over. She’s moved onto Park City winter, acting in two other films at the fest, including Araki’s “I Want Your Sex.” But now that season is shifting, too. “This movie is about the end of an era — and this is the end of an era,” she said, gesturing toward the Eccles audience.

“The Moment” harmonizes well with Joanna Natasegara’s “The Disciple,” which digs into the fraught backstory of the Wu-Tang Clan’s controversial 7th album, “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.” Only one copy exists, which was auctioned off in 2015 to the soon-to-be disgraced hedge fund founder and pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli, who said he paid $2 million for it so he could impress his other rich friends. RZA and Wu-affiliate Cilvaringz wanted to up the value of art by treating a rap album like the Mona Lisa. Instead, the internet accused them of selling out to the devil.

Natasegara’s archival footage is head-spinning. I’d watch a whole documentary just on the night of the album’s listening party seen in the film, at which the RZA’s mentor, a real-live Shaolin monk, wowed the attendees by hoisting his leg straight over his head. “What a flex,” one of the revelers jokes. The documentary skips over mentioning that in October 2016, Shkreli tweeted that he’d leak the album if Donald Trump was elected president (he didn’t), but does get into how just months later, Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in prison for securities fraud. The Wu-Tang record was seized by the government, which sold it to an NFT group for double the money.

The album’s new owners hosted a listening party for us the day after the Sundance premiere. With our cellphones locked up in security pouches, we gathered around two expensive and strange-looking speakers that resembled ATMs to hear around 20 minutes of music. The album started with quiet wind and then turned into a tornado of thunder and sirens, swordplay and gunfire over big horns and a funky soul backbeat. I especially dug the title track which felt like the soundtrack to a hero strutting into battle before frantically spiraling into a storm of violins. Somewhere in there, Cher sang vocals (we were told), although I didn’t recognize her distinctive yowl.

Most of us stood very still, as though afraid that if if we bobbed too much, we’d shake the music from our heads. But the folks in the back of the room had heard the record before and continued talking loudly, treating the party like a party. Sacrilegious, yes. But also an act of reclamation for art that just wants to be enjoyed.

People kept partying but I needed to hunt for the lost and found station, which had thoughtfully posted a picture of my mitten online. Ironically, I couldn’t find the office — no one, not even the information desk, knew where it was — but they very kindly walked my mitten over to me. Thank heavens, it was too soon to say goodbye. I’m not ready to end my own Park City winter era just yet.

PARK CITY, Utah — A man was arrested Friday night at a party during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, for allegedly assaulting a Florida congressman.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost wrote on X Saturday that he was punched in the face by a man who told Frost that President Trump was going to deport him. Frost was born in Orlando, Fla.

The altercation occurred at a private party hosted by talent agency CAA at the High West Distillery, a popular venue for festival-adjacent events.

“He was heard screaming racist remarks as he drunkenly ran off,” wrote Frost, who is Black. “The individual was arrested and I am okay.”

Frost, the first Gen Z member of Congress, thanked the venue security and the Park City Police Department for their help.

Christian Joel Young, 28, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary, assaulting an elected official and assault and transported to Summit County Jail, according to court records.

Young is also accused of grabbing a woman by the shoulder. He appeared to have crashed the party by jumping a fence and had a Sundance Film Festival pass that was not issued in his name, according to the police affidavit.

Sundance Film Festival representatives released a statement saying that they “strongly condemn” the assault, noting that though it occurred at a non-affiliated event, such behavior is “against our values of upholding a welcoming and inspiring environment for all our attendees.”

“The safety and security of our festival attendees is always our chief concern, and our thoughts are with Congressman Frost and his continued well-being,” the statement read. “We encourage anyone with additional information on this matter to contact the Park City Police Department.”

County Judge Richard Mrazik ordered Young held without bail, on the grounds that he would constitute “a substantial danger to any other individual or to the community, or is likely to flee the jurisdiction of the court if released on bail.” Young has a prior misdemeanor conviction, according to court records.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) wrote on X that he was horrified by the attack and that “the perpetrator must be aggressively prosecuted.”

“Hate and political violence has no place in our country,” Jeffries continued.

Messages seeking comment were left for representatives for the Park City Police Department and CAA.

Bahr writes for the Associated Press.

A look at The Times’ top 25 boys’ basketball rankings for the Southland after Week 10.

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. SIERRA CANYON (20-1): Mission League regular-season champions; 1

2. REDONDO UNION (23-3): Has games left vs. Palos Verdes and Mira Costa; 2

3. ST. JOHN BOSCO (18-5): Faces Orange Lutheran, then Servite this week; 4

4. SANTA MARGARITA (22-3): At Mater Dei on Wednesday; 5

5. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (17-6): In position to finish second in Mission League; 9

6. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (21-4): It’s regroup time after consecutive losses; 3

7. LA MIRADA (20-6): On a 12-game winning streak; 6

8. DAMIEN (24-4): Trying to win Baseline League tournament; 7

9. CORONA DEL MAR (24-1): Can clinch Sunset League title this week; 8

10. CORONA CENTENNIAL (23-5): Big VIII League champs; 10

11. VILLAGE CHRISTIAN (19-5): Hosts Heritage Christian on Saturday night; 11

12. ETIWANDA (23-2): Rematch with Damien is looming; 14

13. CRESPI (16-10): Celts need good showing in Mission League tournament; 12

14. INGLEWOOD (22-5): On a 10-game winning streak; 22

15. CREAN LUTHERAN (19-7): Tied for first place in Crestview League; 13

16. SAN GABRIEL ACADEMY (15-7): Won title in Maryland; 15

17. JSERRA (15-11): Faces Servite, Mater Dei this week; 19

18. LOS ALAMITOS (15-9): Second place in Sunset League; 16

19. MATER DEI (16-10): Plays at St. John Bosco on Tuesday; 17

20. ST. FRANCIS (20-8): Faces Harvard-Westlake on Tuesday; 18

21. MIRA COSTA (22-4): Waiting for Redondo Union rematch on Feb. 3; 20

22. ELSINORE (24-0): Junior guard Kamryn Nathan is averaging 25.3 points; 21

23. ROLLING HILLS PREP (21-6): Coach Harvey Kitani earned victory No. 1,000; NR

24. BRENTWOOD (21-3): Rematch with Crossroads on Monday; 24

25. LOYOLA (14-13): Cubs have wins over Notre Dame, St. Francis; 25

Manchester United dealt a blow to Arsenal’s title charge in English football’s Premier League as Matheus Cunha’s late stunner clinched a 3-2 win over the leaders.

Lisandro Martinez’s own goal put Arsenal ahead at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, but Bryan Mbeumo equalised before half-time.

Patrick Dorgu’s brilliant blast gave United the lead after the interval, until Mikel Merino’s late leveller looked to have rescued a point for Arsenal.

In a dramatic finish, Brazilian forward Cunha bagged the winner with an eye-catching drive three minutes from full time.

It was Arsenal’s first defeat in 13 games in all competitions since losing at Aston Villa in December. The Gunners lost at home for the first time in 18 matches in all competitions since losing to Bournemouth in May.

The Gunners are now just four points above second-placed Manchester City and third-placed Aston Villa, who both closed the gap with wins against Wolves and Newcastle, respectively, this weekend.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has not lifted a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, and Arsenal, who have not won the title in 22 years, face a test of their nerve in the coming weeks after blowing significant leads at the top in previous title races.

United’s first win at the Emirates Stadium since December 2017 continued Michael Carrick’s impressive start to his interim reign.

Former Middlesbrough boss Carrick, hired to temporarily replace the sacked Ruben Amorim, started his tenure with a surprise 2-0 win against Manchester City last weekend.

He has already masterminded victories over the top two to lift United into fourth after Amorim’s turbulent spell in charge.

Arsenal’s relentless early pressure was rewarded in the 29th minute.

It was a shambolic goal for United to concede, starting with Dorgu’s failure to head clear from Piero Hincapie’s cross.

Bukayo Saka pounced and clipped his cross towards Martin Odegaard, and although the Arsenal captain miscued his shot, Martinez made a hash of clearing under pressure from Jurrien Timber, and the ball bounced in off the United defender’s heel.

Arsenal had not allowed a shot on target in their previous two league games.

Yet if Arsenal’s opener had come gift-wrapped by United, the Gunners returned the favour with an even more careless blunder in the 37th minute.

Martin Zubimendi’s woefully under-hit back pass was seized on by Mbeumo, who glided around Arsenal keeper David Raya to fire home.

Mbeumo’s ninth goal in all competitions since arriving from Brentford maintained the Cameroon forward’s gradual improvement in his first season with United.

Arsenal had completely lost their momentum, and Carrick’s men took full advantage five minutes after the interval.

Bruno Fernandes picked out Dorgu, and he took a touch before lashing into the top corner from 20 yards.

Arsenal appealed for a handball against Dorgu, but VAR allowed the goal to stand as a worried silence descended on the Emirates Stadium.

The 21-year-old’s second goal in successive games vindicated Carrick’s decision to move him from defence into a more attacking role.

To their credit, Arsenal refused to surrender, and they snatched an equaliser in the 84th minute.

Once again, it was an Arsenal set piece that did the damage as Lammens failed to catch Saka’s corner and Merino bundled home from close range.

However, there was a sting in the tail for Arsenal in the 87th minute as Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo teed up Cunha for a superb strike that flashed past Raya from 25 metres (27 yards).

Cunha said it was the type of game he had dreamed of playing at United.

“This is the type of match we watch on television. This is one of the best moments for me here,” he said on Premier League Productions.

“It means everything. This is the type of thing I wanted to do when I came here.”

Arsenal’s skipper Odegaard lamented some of the mistakes that knocked his team off its stride.

“It was never going to be easy. We know every game in this league is a big challenge,” he told Sky Sports.

“Now it is time to work harder than ever. We are still top of the league, so we have to keep going and bounce back straight away.”

Earlier on Sunday, Emi Buendia’s sweet strike set Aston Villa on their way to a hard-fought 2-0 Premier League win at Newcastle as they maintained their pursuit of the top two.

The Argentine’s sumptuous finish and a late header from Ollie Watkins secured victory at St James’s Park – a first on Tyneside since 2005.

Elsewhere, Estevao opened the scoring and added an assist as fourth-placed Chelsea secured a 3-1 victory over 10-man Crystal Palace and a first Premier League away win under Liam Rosenior.

Eighteen-year-old Estevao took advantage of an Eagles error to break the deadlock in the 34th minute. Then the young Brazilian teed up Joao Pedro after the restart.

Enzo Fernandez added a goal from the penalty spot just after the hour, with Palace going down to 10 men when Adam Wharton was shown a second yellow card.

Chris Richards nodded home an 88th-minute consolation for the Eagles, whose winless streak has now extended to 11 games across all competitions.

In West London, Goals from Igor Jesus and Taiwo Awoniyi eased Nottingham Forest’s relegation fears in a surprise 2-0 win at Brentford.

Since May 2024, an Israeli law has banned the news network, citing a threat to national security, an allegation Al Jazeera denies.

Israel has extended its ban on Al Jazeera Media Network’s operations and the closure of its offices in the country by another 90 days.

The order, signed by Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karahi and announced on Sunday, also prohibits broadcasting and internet companies, and YouTube from providing services to the network inside Israel.

In May 2024, at the height of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet had voted to shut Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel, weeks after the Israeli parliament passed a law allowing the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters considered to be a “threat to national security”.

In September that year, Israeli forces also stormed Al Jazeera’s offices in the occupied West Bank’s Ramallah city, confiscating equipment and documents and closing the network’s office.

In December last year, the Israeli parliament approved an extension of the 2024 law, also called the “Al Jazeera law”, for two more years.

Al Jazeera Arabic’s bureau chief for Jerusalem and Ramallah, Walif al-Omari, said the latest Israeli decision came nine days after Israel’s Ministry of Communications said Israeli security services and military continued to believe the network’s broadcasts were “detrimental to the security” of Israel.

In May 2024, Al Jazeera had accused Netanyahu of making “slanderous accusations” against the network and had said Israel’s suppression of a free press stood “in contravention of international and humanitarian law”.

“Al Jazeera reiterates that such slanderous accusations will not deter us from continuing our bold and professional coverage, and reserves the right to pursue every legal step,” the Qatar-based network had said in a statement.

Israeli PM Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant are wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Gaza.

Al Jazeera has been targeted by Israel for years. In 2017, Netanyahu threatened to shut down its Jerusalem office, and an Israeli missile destroyed the building housing its office in Gaza in 2021.

Many Al Jazeera journalists – and in several cases, their families – were among more than 200 Palestinian journalists killed by Israel during its genocidal war on Gaza.

In May 2022, Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank. Israel initially denied but later admitted there was a “high possibility” that one of its soldiers had killed the journalist, known for her ground reporting from the occupied Palestinian territories.

To be or not to be, that is the question for a solo version of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

Eddie Izzard, the wry, gender-fluid British comedian who came to attention with a stream of observational drollery that picked away at common sense, takes on the whole teeming tragedy. This Shakespearean traveling show, now at the Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood through Saturday, is a daredevil feat of memory, theatrical bravado and cardio fitness.

As a spectacle, it’s as exhilarating as it is exhausting. The thrill of seeing a fearless, indefatigable performer single-handedly populate the stage with the myriad figures of this masterwork never lets up. But fatigue can’t help setting in once it becomes clear that this marathon drama will be delivered in the broadest of strokes.

The plot’s the thing for Izzard, who brought a solo version of Charles Dickens’ similarly sprawling “Great Expectations” to the stage. Izzard has won praise as a dramatic actor, excelling in plays by David Mamet and Peter Nichols, but here seems content to stick to story-time mode.

The striking aspect of this “Hamlet,” directed by Selina Cadell on a bare stage, is just how straightforward it is. There are few scenic accouterments other than some fabulously eerie lighting, suspenseful sound effects and heavy-handed underscoring. Izzard’s costume, evening wear built for battle, had me imagining Margaret Thatcher at Studio 54 in the early 1980s.

The adaptation by Mark Izzard (Izzard’s brother who also adapted “Great Expectations”) strives to cram in as much of the play as possible, even if it means that for long stretches Izzard must deliver Shakespeare’s lines at breakneck speed. A structurally remodeled “Hamlet” with a minimalist bent would have made more sense. But that would require an interpretive vision that the cuts, rearrangements and distracting instances of rewording fail to supply.

Greeting theatergoers at the start of the performance, Izzard advises that if anyone has come under the mistaken impression that this is a new comedy act, the time to escape is now. No one seemed to heed the charming warning.

Izzard, who has a background as a street performer, feels a kinship with Elizabethan players, who like stand-up comics, maintained a lively rapport with their audience. This “Hamlet” isn’t a dainty affair but a colorful attack meant to reanimate a cracking good tale.

But a plot, no matter how engrossing, can’t shoulder the burden alone. A well-known story needs a fresh point of view. The novelty here is a performer testing physical, mental and logistical limits. But as “Hamlet” revivals go, there’s not much insight to be gained from this Herculean undertaking.

The comedy bits work best. Izzard treats Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s old buddies sent to spy on him, as sock pockets (minus the socks). The banter between Hamlet and the gravedigger allows for the kind of witty wordplay that is Izzard’s stand-up stock-in-trade.

Claudius comes across as a sinister puffed-up phony. Polonius isn’t so much a pompous old fart as a preeminent courtier anxious not to lose his privileged status. Horatio, who can admittedly get lost in the woodwork, barely registers.

But Izzard has a way of making the movers and shakers at Elsinore seem as familiar as workplace colleagues. The ghost, on the other hand, who speaks in a creepy monotone, is like a relic of a long defunct amateur troupe.

Gender is no barrier for Izzard, who uses she/her pronouns and has added the name Suzy (though for this “Hamlet,” the billing is simply Eddie Izzard). Gertrude never quite comes into focus, but the pathos of Ophelia, maddened by grief, is enhanced by the simple yet forceful way Izzard helplessly pounds her chest.

Hamlet, alone on stage, is what most of us remember from our outings with the tragedy. Izzard is so verbally adept that perhaps I expected too much from the soliloquies. The “To be, or not to be” monologue came across as a rhetorical set piece that Hamlet has been polishing for ages. There’s a little too much hand jive in other speeches. The emotional meaning of Shakespeare doesn’t need to be manually conducted.

But it’s not easy to sustain an inner intensity when acting in isolation. Izzard must surge and replenish her performance on her own. The self-generating powers on display are awesome to witness. Even in a bulky knee brace, Izzard goes all out in the final act duel between Hamlet and Laertes.

By this point audiences might be tapping into their own reserves. Izzard deserves a medal for athletic effort, but what I’ll remember most are a few passing moments in which the dramatic poetry was illuminated with an everyday realism that made the more than 400 years separating our world from Shakespeare’s seem like no distance at all.

The Trump administration has blamed the death of an American citizen at the hands of immigration agents in Minnesota on the victim within hours of their killing for the second time this month, calling the late Alex Jeffrey Pretti an “assassin” and “domestic terrorist” without opening an independent investigation.

The crisis response from President Trump’s top Homeland Security officials followed a familiar playbook from an administration eager to project grit and resolve, particularly on immigration, in the face of inconvenient facts. Despite their efforts, damage from the incident continued to reverberate Sunday, creating political jeopardy for the president.

Videos that emerged of Pretti’s killing enraged the public. Government lines justifying the use of lethal force prompted blowback among staunch Republican supporters and conservative groups. Negotiations in Congress to thwart another shutdown were upended over Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding. And a Trump-appointed judge blocked the administration from attempting to destroy evidence in the case, lending weight to fears of a cover-up.

It is new terrain for Trump, whose handling of immigration had been a rare bright spot in polling of his job performance throughout his first year back in office. Now, for the first time, surveys show a plurality of Americans disapprove of the administration’s enforcement tactics, with one in three Republicans expressing concern they have grown too harsh.

Pretti, 37, an intensive care nurse at a hospital for veterans in Minneapolis, was shot 10 times at close range by two ICE agents. Multiple videos of the incident appear to show Pretti attempting to aid a fellow civilian who had been pushed by an ICE officer, before he himself was wrestled to the ground by agents.

He had been carrying a firearm that Minneapolis police said was lawfully purchased and registered. The videos that circulated on social media do not indicate that he had brandished, or was attempting to reach for, his weapon, despite Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accusing Pretti of attending the protest with the aim of committing violence.

Bill Essayli, the assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, warned that approaching law enforcement while armed created “a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.” But the administration’s decision to blame Pretti’s death on his decision to bear arms drew harsh rebuke from 2nd Amendment advocates across the Republican Party.

“Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens,” the National Rifle Assn. said in a statement.

Erick Erickson, a prominent conservative commentator, accused Noem and Greg Bovino, Trump’s head of the U.S. Border Patrol, of making matters “far worse by being unrestrained in how they proceed.”

“The President is a great marketer and PR guy,” Erickson wrote on X. “While those around him may not realize it, I’m pretty sure he understands another dead American with his team rushing to undermine second amendment arguments and define the dead guy with a lot of facts still unknown is a bad look.”

The general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s first term said he was “enraged and embarrassed” by the agency’s “lawlessness, fascism, and cruelty,” and called for the president’s impeachment and removal.

“People have had enough,” Brian O’Hara, Minneapolis’ police chief, told CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” “The Minneapolis Police Department went the entire year, last year, recovering about 900 guns from the street, arresting hundreds and hundreds of violent offenders, and we didn’t shoot anyone. And now this is the second American citizen that’s been killed, it’s the third shooting within three weeks.”

Earlier this month, Renee Nicole Good, also 37 and a mother of three, was shot to death by an ICE agent while driving her car, shortly after dropping her son off at school. Just as in Pretti’s case, Noem and other senior administration officials justified the incident within hours of her death by impugning the victim’s motives without producing substantive evidence.

The aggressive response comes as the administration has faced accusations of misrepresenting other facts to the public.

After the president confused Greenland with the separate island nation of Iceland four times in a speech last week in Switzerland, Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, flatly denied he had made the mix-up.

And on the same trip, Trump dismissed the role of NATO’s allies in the war in Afghanistan, where partner nations lost more than 1,000 soldiers over the course of the war, falsely claiming they “stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.” The remark has infuriated some of Washington’s closest allies.

Only when Noem was questioned by a conservative reporter on Fox News about the circumstances of Pretti’s death did she suggest error may have been at fault.

“This happened in seconds,” Noem said, asked whether Pretti had been shot and killed after being disarmed of a weapon he hadn’t brandished in the first place. “They clearly feared for their lives and took action to defend themselves.”

Sunrisers Eastern Cape clinched their third SA20 title with a six-wicket victory over Pretoria Capitals despite Dewald Brevis’ stunning century for the runners-up.

After being put into bat, the Capitals posted 158-7, thanks to South Africa batter Brevis smashing 101 off 56 balls, including seven sixes.

However, only Bryce Parsons (30 off 30) and Sherfane Rutherford (17 off 11) also made at least double figures for Pretoria, with South Africa left-arm fast bowler Marco Jansen taking 3-10.

The lack of support for the 22-year-old Brevis proved costly, as unbeaten half-centuries from Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs took Sunrisers past their target of 159 with four balls to spare at Newlands.

Sunrisers have now won three of the four SA20 tournaments, and were beaten in last year’s final by MI Cape Town.

They did not look likely to pull off victory in falling to 48-4 in the ninth over, with opener Jonny Bairstow dismissed for a golden duck in the first over by Lungi Ngidi.

However, South Africa internationals Breetzke and Stubbs put on a brilliant unbroken stand of 114 off 65 balls for the fifth wicket.

Sunrisers needed 42 from the last three overs and hit 21 off the 18th, bowled by Gideon Peters, and 12 off the penultimate, bowled by Ngidi.

With nine needed off the final over, Stubbs sealed victory in emphatic style by striking two consecutive sixes off Parsons.

Breetzke ended unbeaten on 68 off 49 and Stubbs 62 not out off 41.

Jan. 25 (UPI) — An estimated 10,000 flights have been canceled and more than 600,000 people are without power as a wicked weekend winter storm rolls across the country.

Winter Storm Fern, has spread ice and heavy snow across 34 states in the last two days, having already buried areas from Arizona, Texas and other parts of the Midwest and Deep South laid into the Northeast overnight Saturday.

Forecasts on Sunday morning predicted that more snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected across a wide swath of the Eastern half of the United States, warning of extensive tree damage and widespread power outages that could potentially last for days, The Weather Channel reported.

In a three-day short-range forecast discussion, the National Weather Service said it expects heavy snow to fall in areas from the Ohio Valley to the entire Northeast and potentially “catastrophic” ice accumulation from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.

Forecasters also said there is a “slight risk” of severe thunderstorms over the Central Gulf Coast on Sunday.

Roughly 200 million people have been affected by the winter weather, which has sent wind chills into the negative 20s and sustained temperatures as much as 40 degrees below their average, NBC News reported.

Aside from the East Coast getting blanketed with snow, icing in States from Texas to Tennessee have been hardest hit by blackouts.

The Washington Post reported that officials are concerned about an area from northeast Georgia north to the Carolinas and Virginia that could be at risk for blackouts amid expected ice and snow storms over the next 24 hours.

Around 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Flight Aware reported that more than 2,200 flights had been delayed and more than 10,600 flights cancelled within, into or out of the United States.

Through Monday morning, the National Weather Service has predicted up to 18 inches of snow over New England and at least half-an-inch of freezing rain in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio/Tennessee Valleys.

Areas from the Southern Plains to the Northeast will also contend with “bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills” that are expected to cause havoc on travel and infrastructure for a “prolonged” period,” the agency predicted.

Lake effect snow will also be seen moving southeast from Central Canada, while showers and severe thunderstorms could potentially menace the Central Gulf Coast, forecasters said.

A travel vlogger, Ruth Aisling, stayed at Fair Isle Bird Observatory between Orkney and Shetland, and revealed what it was really like inside the accommodation that only opened last year

A Scottish travel vlogger has stayed in Britain’s most isolated accommodation – and reckons it’s nothing like what you’d expect.

Ruth Aisling has been discovering her homeland on YouTube following a 12-year stint abroad. She’s just visited Fair Isle, the UK’s most remote inhabited island, nestled between Orkney and Shetland.

Though it stretches just three miles, roughly 50 people call it home, and it’s renowned as one of Europe’s premier spots for watching migratory birds journeying from Scandinavia and Iceland towards the UK and Africa.

But since last year, visitors can now spend the night at The Fair Isle Bird Observatory, and Ruth insists there’s far more to it than feathered friends.

Broadcasting from the breathtaking island, which she reckons might be her Scottish favourite, she explained: “Getting here isn’t always straightforward as the weather decides everything.

“But once you arrive it feels very different from what you might imagine. From cosy rooms and delicious food to a real sense of community, it plays a much bigger role than just somewhere to sleep.”

The lodgings welcome guests from May through October, with single rooms this year priced at £169 per night, covering all meals.

And on the subject of grub, Ruth gushed: “The food here has been absolutely incredible. I have some dietary requirements and they’ve catered for that absolutely no problem.”

She revealed that Fair Isle had no other eateries, and during her visit she tucked into the likes of homemade soups served with bread, macaroni cheese, lasagne and meals featuring fish landed by a local fisherman.

In her YouTube video, which you can watch in full here, she offered a comprehensive tour of the observatory, even popping into the bar – the island’s only watering hole – which naturally proves popular with residents.

She mentioned there was an extensive drinks menu featuring a vast array of Orkney beers.

The island can be reached by ferry or plane, and travelling by air, as Aisling did, restricts you to just 15kg of luggage.

She explained that rooms feature an ensuite bathroom and shower stocked with shampoo and body wash.

Yet the real highlight of staying at the observatory, she revealed to her 224,000 subscribers, was the stunning panorama from her window.

She enthused: “The star of the show is the view. Let me show you the view out of my window. Look at that. That is incredible. Every morning, been waking up and looking at this.

“Even though it’s called the Fair Isle Bird Observatory, you don’t need to be a bird watcher to stay here.”

This view was echoed by Steve Holgate, the observatory’s manager. He chatted with Aisling about the accommodation which boasts 20 ensuite rooms for visitors.

He said: “It’s amazing. The community is amazing. The island itself is beautiful. You can just go on and on and on. There’s so much here to do. You think it’s going to be a small place and there’s not much to do. You’ve never got time. It’s just busy all the time here.

“It’s open to all guests, general tourists, wildlife enthusiasts, birders obviously, knitters, anybody who’s got an interest in Fair Isle. All the transport links are obviously subjected to weather, but we rarely get people stuck here for very long.”

You may have heard of Fair Isle Knitting, and during Ruth’s visit, she joined knitting workshops held in a room at the observatory.

More than 350 bird species have been spotted on Fair Isle, with birdlife including Puffins, Kittiwakes and Gannets.

The Good Shepherd IV ferry accommodates 12 passengers for the two-and-a-half hour journey to Fair Isle, whilst there’s also a daily flight from Tingwall airport taking under 30 minutes.

Responding to Ruth’s latest video, one fan commented: “I love the idea of getting away from all the noise of the city to somewhere quiet and relaxing like that. It would be so good.”

Another wrote: “What a beautiful place, I would love to see all those puffins in person.”

A third person remarked: “Thanks for the tour around your accommodation, I guess this place is the center of the world for everyone on the island.”

Iran’s internet shutdown since the outbreak of anti-government protests has caused daily economic losses exceeding $20 million per day, according to the country’s leading technology industry body, Anadolu reports.

Ali Hakim-Javadi, head of Iran’s Computer Engineers Organization, told the news website Entekhab on Sunday that the most heavily affected sectors since the shutdown on Jan. 8 are digital companies and IT service providers.

Businesses that rely on continuous access to the global internet have seen a sharp decline in transactions, he said, adding that some companies have been forced to halt operations entirely.

He stressed that the economic damages, estimated at approximately $20.6 million per day, only include “direct” losses, warning that broader indirect damages, including erosion of investor confidence, declining international rankings, capital flight and brain drain, are not included in the estimate.

Last Sunday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said that he had submitted recommendations to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council calling for the lifting of internet restrictions as soon as possible.

Protests erupted in Iran late last month over the sharp depreciation of the national currency and worsening economic conditions, beginning in Tehran before spreading to several other cities.

Pressure on Iran from the US and Israel has intensified since then, while Tehran accused Washington of using sanctions, political pressure and unrest to create a pretext for military intervention and regime change.

Sky News presenter Darren McCaffrey announced his final Politics Hub show live on air, confirming he is moving to Toronto, Canada, in a matter of weeks after 15 years at the broadcaster

Sky News presenter Darren McCaffrey confirmed his departure live on air as he revealed plans to relocate to Toronto, Canada. McCaffrey initially joined the broadcaster in 2009, left for GB News in 2018, before returning last year.

Speaking during Saturday morning’s broadcast, he said: “You’re watching the Politics Hub here on Sky News. Now this is my last time presenting the Politics Hub. I know, and what a busy time in politics it has been, from Donald Trump dominating the diplomatic agenda to internal government strife back here in Westminster.

“It certainly has not been quiet. To celebrate, or should I say commiserate, I’m leaving the poll hub production team has essentially put together one of my reports from my first time here at Sky News. And, let’s be honest, it’s frankly very, very embarrassing. Just have a watch.

“And indeed, that’s it for me on Sky News, my last broadcast. I’m moving to Canada, to Toronto, in a few weeks. Thank you for watching. Thanks to everyone here at Sky News. Good evening,” before the programme aired footage from his debut report 15 years ago.

Darren posted the clip on Instagram, writing: “WELL THAT REALLY IS THAT… My FIRST and LAST broadcast on @SkyNews 15 years apart – frankly more than a little embarrassing in so many ways…”

He subsequently shared a snap of himself enjoying leaving drinks at the pub with several Sky News colleagues.

He shared: “Going to miss these guys…” Supporters were quick to send their well-wishes, with one commenting: “Congratulations Darren! ! May the Canadian chapter be fabulous.”

Someone else chimed in: “Top effort. Well done and happy landings,” whilst a third person expressed: “Best of luck with what comes next.”

Darren announced his departure from Sky News earlier this year via social media, revealing: “Hello all, Happy New Year, hope it’s going well.

“So just a little bit of news, actually quite a big bit of news from me which is that I’m bouncing out of Britain if you like and I’m going to be moving to Canada.”

He elaborated: “To Toronto in Canada and actually pretty soon at the end of this month. And it’s really, really exciting and I’m really looking forward to it but it’s a little bit daunting as well. It’s not a city I know very well and I’m not entirely sure what I am going to do for work.”

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Whether it’s before, during or after basketball games, 6-foot-9 Christian Collins of St. John Bosco High constantly is smiling. It’s an endearing public image signifying how much fun he is having in his senior season.

The 18-year-old never has looked better. He’s become a dominant, consistent player, able to contribute at any position from anywhere on the court. He’s headed for All-American honors and will have his choice of any college in the nation.

He has led St. John Bosco to a 18-5 record despite one of the toughest schedules in the Southland. He’s averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds and is a top candidate for the McDonald’s All-American Game in Houston in March. Not bad for someone who played on the junior varsity team as a freshman at St. Bernard.

Collins recently discussed his progress as a player and the challenges of soon having to make a college decision.

You’ve been a lot more consistent this season.

I’ve been more consistent because I’m not restricted. My confidence is at an all-time high. I’m able to show now what I can do. It puts the pressure on me to get better, because if I don’t play well, it’s going to be hard. We still have a great team, but we all have to play well to win.

Last season you had good and bad games. Were you uncomfortable at times?

I wasn’t put in the right positions, even in the summer. Now I’m able to really do what I’ve always been able to do.

How do you use your 6-9 height to your advantage? That’s what you did to beat Santa Margarita on a last shot.

I just know anyone who’s my height or taller or 6-7 is a mismatch because I’m usually faster than most guys at my height. I definitely use that as an advantage because I know they’re slower than me. [Against Santa Margarita], they weren’t calling fouls, so I knew if I bumped him real hard, they weren’t going to call it.

Growing up, what kind of a player were you? Are you using different skills now?

I was a point guard when I was younger. I was the tallest point guard in the whole tournament. I was like 5-8. At that time, that’s really tall. I was coming off screens and dribbling. I’ve always had it. I was just never able to show it and no one ever knew because I was so tall. They put me in the post.

Christian Collins of St. John Bosco celebrates an overtime victory over Santa Margarita. Collins had the tying basket in regulation and game-clinching basket in overtime.

(Nick Koza)

A lot of kids who are tall when they are young don’t take advantage to learn other skills. Did you do that?

Yes. People feel if they are tall, they have to force themselves to be in the post, but you don’t have to. At St. Bernard, I felt I was in the post a lot. I didn’t let that discourage me. I was still training on my guard skills. I never strictly worked on post moves. But the reason I have a post game now is because St. Bernard taught me.

You’re still trying to decide on a college. Everything is still open?

There’s no hurry for me. I’m focused on the season right now. I’ll definitely have a decision. I don’t know when. It’s a blessing that I’m able to be in this position because a lot of kids don’t have this opportunity. There’s a lot of kids across the country who are really good but haven’t had the chance to be seen by coaches or it’s the grades. It is also stressful at times because we have so many options, it’s hard to make a decision. If I only had one school, I’m pretty much forced to go to that school. I have so many different schools, so it’s hard.

What do you look for when trying to pick a school?

I want to go one and done. It’s about being prepared for the [NBA]. People don’t understand that. They rush the process. If you’re not ready, it’s not good to go. It’s also about development and feeling like a family. I want to be comfortable where I’m at.

This team has had big wins and losses. What will it take to win it all?

It will definitely take us to be together. We can’t be apart, especially if we’re going to win this. It’s going to be rough and tough. I feel California has a lot of competition. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to take a lot.

In this episode of Talk to Al Jazeera, American philosopher and activist Cornel West delivers a searing critique of the United States, describing what he sees as moral collapse, democratic decay and spiritual bankruptcy. Drawing on the Black freedom struggle and his own run in the 2024 presidential election, West argues that both major parties serve entrenched power while inequality deepens at home and war crimes are enabled abroad. From Gaza to Harlem, he asks whether love, dignity and justice can still form the basis of meaningful political resistance.

Two weeks ago, incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced his withdrawal from the premiership race. Amid political negotiations following the November elections, this move effectively paved the way for former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to return to power.

This development is not just an act of political recycling; it reflects the failure of Iraqi state-building after the United States invasion of 2003. Under al-Maliki, Iraq may well go back to the disastrous policies that in 2014 led to the rise of ISIL (ISIS).

Sectarian politics

In reflecting on what al-Maliki’s return could possibly mean for Iraq, it is important to examine his track record. In 2006, when he was first nominated for the prime minister’s post, the administration of US President George W Bush supported him. Washington did so in the name of stability and trust, despite the early red flags. By November 2006, just six months after al-Maliki came to power, US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley was already raising concerns about his ability to rein in violence against the Sunni population.

The decision by the Bush administration to continue its support for the prime minister reflects its own record of misguided policies, driven by ignorance of the region and its history. By backing al-Maliki, Washington paved the way for the chaos and instability it sought to avert.

During his first two terms, al-Maliki established a governance template that deliberately dismantled the post-2003 settlement’s vision of inclusive politics. He pursued policies of deliberate exclusion of the Sunni population on the political and social levels under the guise of de-Baathification. While originally intended to remove Saddam Hussein’s loyalists, the process was weaponised by al-Maliki as a sectarian tool. In 2010, for example, the prime minister used a de-Baathification law to ban nine parties and more than 450 candidates — predominantly Sunnis — from the parliamentary elections.

The security apparatus under his leadership also carried out arrests of moderate Sunni politicians on trumped-up charges of “terrorism” and suppressed peaceful demonstrations.

The 2013 massacre in the town of al-Hawija, in Kirkuk province, is a case in point. In January of that year, scores of Sunnis gathered for a peaceful protest of the discriminatory policies of al-Maliki’s government that lasted weeks. Three months later, security forces attacked the protest sit-in, killing at least 44 protesters.

Under al-Maliki, Baghdad also witnessed the deliberate displacement of Sunnis from their homes and the consolidation of Shia-dominated areas. This was a form of demographic engineering with the full support and complicity of the state.

As a result of these policies, sectarian politics escalated to the point where ethnic and religious identity became the main dividers of society, undermining national unity and plunging the country into civil conflict.

The constant assault on Sunni communities generated widespread discontent, which was easily exploited by extremist organisations – first al-Qaeda and then ISIL (ISIS).

Corruption and mismanagement

The industrial-scale haemorrhaging of national wealth during the al-Maliki era was nothing short of staggering. The Iraqi parliament’s own transparency commission estimated in 2018 that by then, $320bn had been lost to corruption since the US invasion; al-Maliki was in power for eight of those 15 years.

The money was used to fund the extravagant lifestyles of those close to al-Maliki, the purchase of expensive real estate, and deposits in shell companies and secret bank accounts. All of this is not a matter of administrative dysfunction but of large-scale thievery.

Iraq’s Federal Commission of Integrity carried out extensive documentation of such malpractices, but to this day, no one has been held accountable. Under al-Maliki, the independence of the judiciary was destroyed, rendering any process of accountability impossible.

Mismanagement also extended to the security and military forces. For years, the army was paying salaries to “ghost soldiers”; by 2014, the bill for this corruption scheme had grown to $380m a year. The prime minister himself was found to be running his own prison and commanding a special force of 3,000 soldiers loyal to him.

Years of corruption and dysfunction within the Iraqi army amid nearly $100bn in US funding led to the disaster of 2014, when military units dispersed in the face of advancing ISIL (ISIS) forces.

Al-Maliki’s return

Al-Maliki did not spend the past 11 years in political isolation. Instead, he was at the centre of the political machinery, plotting and lining up all the necessary components for his ultimate return under the watch of successive US administrations.

A third term for him would likely deepen sectarian divisions and entrench corruption. Iraqi governance will continue to be undermined by his tendencies to create shadow power structures in which loyalists are empowered at the expense of institutions.

Al-Maliki’s return would also be significant regionally. After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and the serious weakening of Hezbollah, Iraq has become Iran’s most critical regional security and financial asset.

Iran’s position in the region has not been this vulnerable in decades, but al-Maliki’s return would effectively preclude Iraq from embarking on a more independent path from Tehran in its domestic and foreign affairs.

His third term would also likely obstruct normalisation with Damascus. Al-Maliki has vocally opposed engaging Syria’s new leadership. Last year, he voiced his opposition to interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attending the Arab League Summit in Baghdad and described him as “wanted by Iraqi courts on terrorism charges”.

In parallel, a new al-Maliki government would also pose a challenge to US interests. The appointment of Mark Savaya as a special envoy to Iraq by the administration of US President Donald Trump, the first such appointment in 20 years, demonstrated its intent on pushing through policies aimed at curbing Iranian influence.

Washington wants the pro-Iranian Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) dismantled and fully integrated into the Iraqi army. Al-Maliki is unlikely to undertake such a move because he is the “godfather” of these parallel armed structures. Dismantling them would mean destroying his own creation and severing his ties with Iran.

The issue at stake, however, is not just what policies al-Maliki will pursue. It is also the fact that Iraq is not able to escape a political cycle that has brought it nothing but catastrophe. It shows that the Iraqi political elite has learned nothing from the 2014 crisis.

Sectarian mobilisation and kleptocratic politics are still valid political options. Iraqi youth have repeatedly taken to the streets to protest this deeply flawed and dysfunctional status quo. Without significant changes to the incentive structure, accountability system, and sectarian distribution of power, Iraq is doomed to repeat the same grave mistakes of the past.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.