Month: February 2026

SACRAMENTO — The head of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority took a voluntary leave Tuesday after news reports circulated about his recent arrest on suspicion of domestic battery against a spouse.

Ian Choudri was arrested Feb. 4 at his Folsom home in the 500 block of Borges Court.

The rail authority said in a statement Tuesday that Choudri agreed to take a temporary leave to allow its board of directors and the California State Transportation Agency to review and assess the situation.

Choudri’s attorney said Monday that the Sacramento County district attorney’s office declined to file charges in the case. Police were called to Choudri’s home by a third party, Choudri’s attorney told The Times.

“This matter is over and no further action will be taken,” said Allen Sawyer, who is representing Choudri.

The district attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Choudri is among the highest-paid state employees in California, having earned $563,000 last year, according to payroll records obtained by The Times from the state controller’s office.

The High-Speed Rail Authority did not answer a question about whether Choudri would receive pay during his absence.

The board of directors is scheduled to meet next on March 4.

The day before his arrest, Choudri had appeared with Gov. Gavin Newsom in Kern County to announce the completion of a 150-acre facility that would serve as a hub for construction of the high-speed rail project in the San Joaquin Valley.

California’s grand vision for a bullet train, originally to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles, has become a flash point in national politics.

President Trump and Republicans have seized on the billions of dollars in cost overruns and slow progress to cast the project as a Democratic boondoggle and waste of taxpayer money.

Newsom, eager to show some advancement before he leaves office, has refocused construction on building a segment from Merced to Bakersfield. His office said earlier this month that 119 miles were under construction and 58 structures, including bridges, overpasses and viaducts, have been completed.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board of Directors approved Choudri as chief executive in August 2024. Newsom praised the decision and commended his more than 30 years of experience in the transportation sector.

Choudri replaced former CEO Brian Kelly, who retired. Choudri joined the agency from HNTB Corp., an infrastructure design firm where he previously held the position of senior vice president.

Choudri did not respond to requests for comment. Newsom’s office directed questions to the High-Speed Rail Authority.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he is “happy” to interact with fans but there are times when he has felt “exposed” and “not very comfortable”.

A video recorded after the Gunners’ FA Cup win over Wigan on Sunday showed a man repeatedly asking for Arteta’s autograph as he and his wife waited in traffic outside Emirates Stadium.

Arteta refused to open his window and several more people crowded round the vehicle. They then stepped back while the man followed the vehicle as it crept forward, saying he wanted Arteta to sign an Arsenal jersey for his son.

“I always try to be very respectful,” said Arteta. “I love to sign and photograph as much as we can. I think it’s part of our role.

“But there are certain things in terms of security that we have to respect. Especially when certain people are doing it, they are not doing it for the right reasons.”

Arteta and his wife were also videoed while sat in traffic following a Champions League game in October,, external with his wife described as being “frustrated” and “annoyed” as someone took a selfie next to the vehicle.

“The last time my wife was there, what was in the media was totally wrong and unfair,” Arteta added.

“I prefer to talk about the incredible other people that come around genuinely, because they want to have that interaction, and I think everybody who knows me, [knows] how happy I am to do that.

“But there are moments and context when that is not the case. And then we need somebody there to protect us as well because, if not, we will get exposed, you cannot move from your car and you don’t feel very comfortable there.”

It is understood that as part of Arsenal‘s security guidance, the manager, players and coaches are advised not to roll their vehicle windows down when driving.

Feb. 17 (UPI) — Human rights experts from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner expressed concern about the possible link between Guatemala’s attorney general, Consuelo Porras, and alleged illegal adoptions of disappeared Indigenous children.

According to investigators, led by Special Rapporteur Margaret Satterthwaite, the adoptions would have occurred between 1968 and 1996 during Guatemala’s armed conflict — a period marked by human rights violations that particularly affected Indigenous communities.

The allegations refer particularly to 1982, when Porras headed the Elisa Martínez Temporary Home and allegedly acted as the “legal guardian” of minors who were later placed in irregular international adoptions.

“We are particularly concerned that a prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigation has not been carried out into the alleged involvement of certain state authorities in these processes and that the mothers affected by these illegal adoptions have apparently received neither recognition nor adequate reparations,” the U.N. experts said in a statement.

The Elisa Martínez Home operated as a center under the Directorate of Child and Family Welfare with the authority to oversee national and international adoptions.

Once children entered the home, the director or person in charge became their legal guardian, allowing them to process adoption proceedings in Guatemala and abroad under the adoption regulations in force at the time, Prensa Libre reported.

The controversy arose as Porras sought to become a magistrate of the Constitutional Court, the country’s highest court, once her term at the Public Ministry ends in May.

According to analysts, the attorney general was seeking refuge in the high court to obtain the protection granted by immunity, and submitted her candidacy to the Superior University Council of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, digital outlet LaHora.gt reported.

However, after the report was made public, the university excluded her from the list of candidates for the court, determining that she did not meet the requirements of suitability and integrity.

The Public Ministry reacted strongly to the U.N. report. In an official statement, it described the allegations as “spurious, malicious and biased,” arguing they are based on unverified information intended to interfere in the country’s sovereign processes.

In a post on X, Porras rejected the accusations against her as “false and politically instrumentalized.” She said they lack evidentiary support and “are completely malicious, and far from protecting human rights, they violate and distort them.”

Porras’ defense maintains that her role at the Elisa Martínez Temporary Home was administrative and that she had no legal authority over the final destination of the minors. The attorney general also announced she is weighing legal action against the U.N. experts, arguing that her presumption of innocence has been violated.

While the experts insist on the need for independent and thorough investigations, Porras maintains that she is facing “international political persecution” aimed at weakening her position at the head of the Public Ministry.

Consuelo Porras was appointed in 2018 and ratified in 2022 as attorney general and head of Guatemala’s Public Ministry. Although her mandate is focused on criminal prosecution, her tenure has been internationally questioned and sanctioned by more than 40 countries, including the United States and the European Union, over allegations of corruption and undermining democracy.

Porras has been accused of using the justice system as a political weapon to protect corruption networks and pursue independent prosecutors, judges and journalists, triggering repeated citizen protests that demand her resignation.

After the election of President Bernardo Arévalo in 2023, the Public Ministry under Porras initiated a series of legal actions to attempt to annul the election results and cancel the ruling party, Semilla.

Since Arévalo took office, the relationship between him and Porras has been marked by constant confrontation.

Arévalo has sought legal mechanisms and legislative reforms to remove her, while Porras has refused to attend Cabinet summonses and has kept multiple investigations open against the president’s inner circle, generating institutional paralysis and a deep political crisis in the country.

New York has confirmed that the federal government released another $77m for new tunnels and bridges connecting the state to its neighbour New Jersey, amid a feud with United States President Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appeared at a construction site alongside union leaders to push for the release of the remaining funds, which were frozen in October amid a record-breaking government shutdown.

“It cannot continue like this,” Hochul, a Democrat, told workers at the site.

“The workers need to know that that job is going to be there: the one they signed up for, the one they trained for, the one they’re so proud of. It has to be there year after year, until this project is done.”

At stake is the fate of the Northeast Corridor project, a central part of the Gateway Program, an interstate initiative to expand and renovate the aging tunnels that the link metropolitan hubs between New York and New Jersey.

The federal government had pledged billions in support for the project, considered to be vital for transportation and safety reasons.

But on October 1, one day into a historically long government shutdown, the Trump administration announced it would suspend $18bn in funding for the project that had already been granted.

The move was designed to pressure Democrats — and Democrat-aligned jurisdictions — to comply with Republican demands to end the shutdown.

But Trump hinted at the time that some of the programming cuts could be permanent. The shutdown ended after 43 days in November, and still, the funding for the New York City tunnel project remained frozen.

Democrats decried the freeze an act of political revenge. “It should concern every American that the Trump Administration is willing to harm working families and our nation’s economy to punish Democrats,” Representative Jerry Nadler of New York said in response to the funding suspension.

But Trump has continued to withhold the funds. On February 3, the states of New York and New Jersey announced they were suing the Trump administration to release the funds.

“After four months of covering costs with limited operating funds, the states warn that construction will be forced to completely shut down as soon as February 6 unless federal funding resumes,” attorneys general Letitia James of New York and Jennifer Davenport of New Jersey said in a statement at the time.

Three days later, as the states hit that February 6 deadline, a US district judge ordered the funds to be released, citing the potential for irreparable harm to the project.

The ruling required more than $200m in reimbursement funds to be paid out to the states.

Over the last week, the federal government responded by releasing $30m, in addition to the $77m announced on Tuesday. But officials said it was still not enough.

At Tuesday’s news conference, union leader Gary LaBarbera emphasised that new construction was a necessity.

“Let me tell you: The existing tunnels, the trans-Hudson tunnels, are over a hundred years old. Their structural integrity has failed,” he said.

He added that the issue of maintaining safe transportation should be nonpartisan

“This isn’t a Republican tunnel or a Democratic tunnel, right? This should not be a political tug of war,” he said.

Governor Hochul, meanwhile, used part of her speech to address the president. “ Let’s stop the chaos. Let’s stop the insanity. Let them work, Mr President,” she said, in a gesture to the workers around her.

But this week, on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump doubled down on his opposition to the project.

“I am opposed to the future boondoggle known as ‘Gateway,’ in New York/New Jersey, because it will cost many BILLIONS OF DOLLARS more than projected or anticipated,” Trump wrote.

“It is a disaster! Gateway will likewise be financially catastrophic for the region, unless hard work and proper planning is done, NOW, to avoid insurmountable future cost overruns.”

He also denounced reports that he would un-freeze the funding in exchange for renaming New York’s Penn Station after him, as well as Washington’s Dulles airport.

“IT IS JUST MORE FAKE NEWS,” Trump wrote, adding that such a proposal was “brought up by certain politicians and construction union heads”, not him.

Still, his White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to confirm the reports last week during a news briefing.

“Why not?” she told a reporter. “It was something the president floated in his conversation with [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer.”

On Tuesday, reports emerged that the Trump Organization had filed trademark claims for any airports bearing the president’s name.

Republicans in Florida’s legislature have already sought to rename the international airport in Palm Beach for Trump, citing his nearby golf courses and residence at Mar-a-Lago.

SYDNEY Sweeney has stripped down to cheeky underwear while pulling on a man’s boxers in sexy new photos for her lingerie line.

The actress recently launched her new lingerie brand, Syrn, and has been modeling the sultry undergarments in ad campaigns.

Her latest was posted on the brand’s official Instagram page on Tuesday, showing Sydney, 28, flashing her bare butt in revealing white underwear.

The Housemaid star covered the top half of her curvy figure with a loosely fitted long-sleeved shirt and had her long blonde hair styled in loose waves.

However, Sydney wasn’t the only one in the photo.

A mystery man also appeared in the pic, facing away from the camera, wearing nothing but boxers, and his pants were draped around his ankles.

Read More on Sydney Sweeney

HAPPY HOME?

Sydney Sweeney and ex file papers to renovate $6m mansion together after split

Sydney latched onto the side of the man’s boxers with one hand and held a barcode scanner with the other, which she aimed at a barcode sticker on his lower back.

Another solo snap of The White Lotus star showed her smiling with her hands in the air, looking disheveled with the buttons on her shirt misaligned.

The caption announced Syrn’s “Midnight Snack Collection,” which was released earlier that day.

“She is absolutely stunning,” one fan gushed in the comments.

“OMG SHE IS SO PRETTY,” said another.

“I can’t wait to buy everything!!” a third added.

Sydney’s lingerie line rivals A-list celebrities Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, and Kim Kardashian, who also have widely successful lingerie brands.

The Christy star might have taken her racy promotional ads a bit too far after photos recently circulated of her littering the iconic Hollywood sign with dozens of bras.

Late last month, TMZ reported that Sydney had permission to film the sign but didn’t get clearance to touch or climb it, which she did in the ad.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which owns the sign, is reportedly investigating how Sydney’s team accessed the sign.

Sydney hasn’t yet commented on the legal situation, but she’s continued to post steamy content of her donning pieces from her collection.

The Anyone But You star is known for pushing the boundaries onscreen, which is especially seen in the Euphoria Season 3 trailer, where Sydney’s character, Cassie Howard, becomes an OnlyFans-style content creator.

“People forget that I’m playing a character, they think, ‘Oh, she gets naked on screen, she’s a sex symbol,’” Sydney previously said in an interview.

“I have no problems with those scenes, and I won’t stop doing them, but I wish there was an easier way to have an open conversation about what we’re assuming about actors in the industry.”

Trent Alexander-Arnold said the alleged racist abuse of team-mate Vinicius Junior during Real Madrid’s Champions League match at Benfica was a “disgrace to football”, while opposition manager Jose Mourinho was criticised for his comments on the incident.

The match was halted for 10 minutes after Vinicius reported alleged racist abuse by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni to referee Francois Letexier, and he and his team-mates temporarily left the field.

The Brazil forward, who has been the victim of numerous incidents of racist abuse during his playing career, said “racists are, above all, cowards” in a post on Instagram.

Benfica manager Mourinho claimed Vinicius did not “celebrate in a respectful way” after his stunning goal in the 1-0 win shortly before the incident at the Estadio da Luz.

The former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss said: “There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium.

“A stadium where Vinicius plays something happens, always.”

Reacting to Mourinho’s comments, former Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf said on Amazon Prime: “I think he is still emotional. I think he made a big mistake today to justify racial abuse.

“He’s saying it’s OK, when Vinicius provokes you, to be racist – and I think that is very wrong.

“We should never, ever justify racial abuse. Vinicius has had enough of that unjustified behaviour from people. I know Mourinho by heart would agree with me but he expressed himself a bit unfortunately, I believe.”

England international Alexander-Arnold condemned the abuse in his post-match interview.

“I think what has happened tonight is a disgrace to football and overshadowed the performance, as well as an amazing goal,” said Alexander-Arnold.

“Vini has been subject to this a few times throughout his career. To ruin a night like this for our team is a disgrace.

“There is no place for it in football or society. It is disgusting.”

The suspect, identified as Carter Camacho from Smyrna, Georgia, was wearing a tactical vest and gloves and had additional ammunition alongside a shotgun.

Police in Washington, DC, have arrested an 18-year-old man as he ran towards the Capitol Building, home to the US Congress, armed with a loaded shotgun and extra ammunition.

The suspect, identified as Carter Camacho from Smyrna in the state of Georgia, was wearing a tactical vest and gloves, and had additional ammunition along with the loaded shotgun, police said on Tuesday.

The suspect had run “several hundred yards” towards the Capitol Building, brandishing a combat-style shotgun, before he was intercepted by police, the US Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan said.

Officers challenged the suspect and ordered him to drop the gun. He complied with the order, lay on the ground and was arrested and taken into custody, police said.

No motive was given by police, who said the suspect’s actions were under investigation, including whether he intended to target Congress, which is not currently in session.

“Who knows what would have happened if we wouldn’t have officers standing here?” Sullivan told a news conference.

Police later found the suspect’s Mercedes SUV parked in front of the US Botanic Garden on nearby Maryland Avenue. A gas mask and a Kevlar helmet were discovered inside the car.

Sullivan told reporters the suspect was not known to the authorities. “The vehicle wasn’t registered to him, and he has multiple addresses,” he added.

US Capitol Police said in a statement that the suspect faces charges of unlawful activities, as well as carrying a rifle without a licence, possession of an unregistered firearm and unregistered ammunition.

Tuesday’s arrest took place one week before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to give his State of the Union address to Congress.

The incident will not alter security preparations for the event, police said.

“We take the State of the Union very, very seriously,” said Sullivan, the police chief.

Experts say newly recently released documents show the need for an independent investigation into Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring.

A group of United Nations experts have suggested that abuses carried out by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could meet the definition of crimes against humanity.

On Tuesday, the independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) released a statement in response to the millions of files released by the United States government related to criminal investigations into Epstein.

They explained that the records tell a story of dehumanisation, racism and corruption.

“So grave is the scale, nature, systematic character, and transnational reach of these atrocities against women and girls, that a number of them may reasonably meet the legal threshold of crimes against humanity,” the experts wrote.

The UNHRC panel called for an investigation into allegations around Epstein and his associates, who include prominent figures in global politics, business, science and culture.

They added that the revelations from the files suggest a “global criminal enterprise”.

“All the allegations contained in the ‘Epstein Files’ are egregious in nature and require independent, thorough, and impartial investigation, as well as inquiries to determine how such crimes could have taken place for so long,” the experts said.

The latest condemnation follows the January 30 release of 3.5 million pages of files from the US government’s records on Epstein.

The files were required to be released as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation signed into law in November.

The act gave the US government 30 days to publish all of its Epstein-related documents in a searchable format, obscuring information only to protect victims’ privacy.

But the 30-day deadline came and went, with only a partial release of the files. Even the January 30 publication has been criticised as incomplete, with reports indicating that there could be more than 6 million files in the government’s possession.

The newly released documents have revealed new details about Epstein’s relationships with influential figures, but few have faced accountability.

Critics have argued that Epstein himself faced scant legal consequences for the sex crimes he perpetuated. He reached a plea deal in Florida in 2008, wherein he pleaded guilty to soliciting a child for prostitution and sex trafficking, but he only served 13 months in custody.

He was in jail in 2019, facing federal charges, when he died by suicide in his cell.

Epstein’s ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been sentenced to more than 20 years for her role in the sex trafficking scheme.

In Tuesday’s statement, the experts on the UN panel slammed the heavy redactions in the Epstein files that appear to shield the identities of powerful figures.

“The reluctance to fully disclose information or broaden investigations, has left many survivors feeling retraumatized and subjected to what they describe as ‘institutional gaslighting’,” the UN experts said.

Their criticism echoes similar accusations in the US. Lawmakers there have argued that the administration of President Donald Trump, a former friend of Epstein, has defied the November law by redacting documents beyond the guidelines set out by Congress.

The experts also noted that there appeared to be “botched redactions that exposed sensitive victim information”. They added that more must be done to ensure justice for the survivors.

“Any suggestion that it is time to move on from the ‘Epstein files’ is unacceptable. It represents a failure of responsibility towards victims,” they said.

Silent Witness viewers spotted a “huge flaw” just minutes into Tuesday’s episode

Viewers of Silent Witness believed they’d identified a “huge flaw” just moments into Tuesday’s (February 17) pulled episode.

The 29th series of the enduring BBC crime drama premiered earlier this month, with Emilia Fox and David Caves returning as Dr Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson, joined by Maggie Steed and Fran Mills as Harriet Maven and Kit Brooks.

The programme has now relocated to Birmingham, delivering five compelling new investigations across ten instalments. Silent Witness has recently experienced multiple schedule changes, after this evening’s episode was withdrawn from broadcast last week in light of a horrific incident that occurred in Birmingham.

A BBC representative informed TV Guide at the time: “Due to the attack in Birmingham over the weekend, this week’s episodes of Silent Witness will not transmit as planned and instead they have been replaced with two episodes from later on in the series,” reports the Express.

Just a week after the adjustments, the programme made its comeback to BBC One this evening, airing the opening chapter of The Enemy Within.

During the episode, the forensic specialists were tasked with examining a fatal knife attack in Birmingham. Initially, the incident seemed to bear the hallmarks of racial motivation, but as enquiries progressed, the team gradually discovered evidence suggesting a probable perpetrator.

As the team persisted in pursuing clues, racial tensions rapidly intensified throughout the city. At the same time, Jack discovered that his new gym mates weren’t who he thought they were, whilst Kit started having second thoughts about her relationship with DC Jonno Magath (Gerard Kearns).

The episode boasted a star-studded cast list, with guest appearances including Chris Reilly (Slow Horses), Selin Hizli (Am I Being Unreasonable?), and Phaldut Sharma (EastEnders).

However, just moments into the episode, BBC viewers spotted a “huge flaw”. Many fans believe that the episode was originally intended to be the series opener, after Nikki was shown cheerfully walking through the new Bowman Centre, whilst Harriet kept getting lost on her way to work.

“Does anyone actually know which order the episodes are actually supposed to run in because I assumed this one was just swapped out for Creekwood last week but seems to make more sense as the first episode of the series before Alice Hill?” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Another added: “So we can all agree this was originally meant to be episode one, right?” whilst a third said: “I’m sorry but where did all these people working there suddenly come from.”

A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: “I’m so confused by the order of these eps. This looks like the first ep not last week’s. Huge airing flaw or what?”

Silent Witness is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website

Tiger Woods turned 50 in December.

He’s four months removed from disk replacement surgery in his lower back — the same back that has endured six other operations, including spinal fusion in 2017.

Woods won’t be taking part in this week’s Genesis Invitational, a tournament he has hosted since 2020, as he continues to recover from that procedure. The 15-time major championship winner told reporters at Riviera Country Club on Tuesday that he has been able to start taking full golf shots during his training.

Still, the 2026 Masters tournament is less than two months away. So considering everything mentioned above, it would seem pretty unlikely that Woods would be ready to compete in the first major championship of the year.

Right?

Well, a reporter asked Woods quite simply, “Is the Masters off the table for you?”

Woods gave an even simpler answer.

“No,” he said without hesitation or further elaboration. He did give a slight smile after a brief pause, for what that’s worth.

It should come as no surprise that Woods would be doing everything he can to be able to play April 9-12 at Augusta National. He has won the event five times, most recently in 2019.

Woods famously played in the 2022 Masters just 14 months after a catastrophic rollover car accident — and actually made the cut before finishing at 13-over par. He last played the Masters in 2024, making the cut for a record 24th time but finished with a 16-over 304, his highest 72-hole score.

Woods missed all of the 2025 season as he recovered from a back surgery the previous year and surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon in March. He spoke Tuesday on the multiple challenges he faces in attempting to return to the PGA Tour and also brought up the possibility of playing on the PGA Champions circuit.

“The disc replacement has been one thing. It’s been a challenge to have had a fused back and now a disc replacement. So it’s challenging,” said Woods, who added that his back is still sore following the most recent procedure.

“And I entered a new decade. So that number is starting to sink in and has [me] thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart. That’s something that, as I’ve said, I won’t do out here on this tour, because I don’t believe in it. But you know, on the Champions tour, that’s certainly an opportunity.”

Feb. 17 (UPI) — The Venezuelan government on Tuesday released Evanan Romero, a Venezuelan-American oil consultant detained four days earlier at the Maracaibo airport, without a judicial warrant or formal charges publicly announced.

Romero, 86, a Venezuelan with U.S. citizenship, was detained by authorities under Delcy Rodríguez’s government while attempting to travel from Maracaibo to Caracas, where he had scheduled a series of meetings with companies in the oil sector.

After an initial detention, Romero spent the first night at Interpol facilities at the airport. The next day, due to his advanced age and medical condition, authorities authorized his transfer to a private clinic in Maracaibo, where he remained under guard, local outlet Efecto Cocuyo reported.

The release occurred without official statements from the government. Local journalists and media outlets, such as Spain’s ABC, reported Romero’s detention.

“I’ve been here since Friday,” the expert said from a private clinic, while guards remained in an adjacent room.

Romero had planned to meet with the local management of Repsol and to participate in a videoconference with Reliance’s leadership in India to discuss a possible return to oil blocks in the Orinoco Belt.

He also had meetings scheduled with investors interested in the energy stabilization phase that would reportedly be coordinated from Washington after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation Jan. 3.

The consultant had arrived in Venezuela from Panama, with a stop in Colombia, intending to visit a relative before traveling to the capital.

In statements to ABC, Romero said his detention could be linked to a past administrative dispute related to a family investment, which he said was resolved in his favor by the Supreme Court of Justice.

No Venezuelan authority has publicly confirmed that or provided details about the case.

Romero is part of a committee of about 400 former state-owned oil company Petróleos de Venezuela technicians and executives dedicated to developing proposals for rebuilding the energy sector under a future government, Infobae reported.

He has maintained contacts with U.S. oil companies such as Exxon and ConocoPhillips, and his name has appeared in discussions about compensation for expropriated assets and the opening of new blocks, the publication added.

Romero is considered a veteran expert in Venezuela’s oil sector, with more than six decades of experience. He served on the board of PDVSA, since the 1960s, with responsibilities in operational oversight, capital projects and maritime operations.

He later served as president and chief executive officer of Grupo Asesor Petrolero Venezolano LLC, a firm specializing in reservoir performance studies, reserves evaluation, thermal recovery of heavy crude and basin master development plans.

He has also been affiliated with the Harvard Electricity Policy Group at Harvard University.

The detention occurred just days after the visit to Caracas by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright at a time when the White House has intensified pressure for the release of political prisoners and reiterated that reconstruction of the oil sector will depend on clear legal and political guarantees.

President Donald Trump has publicly argued that major U.S. companies should invest billions of dollars to repair deteriorated infrastructure and restore production.

Washington, DC – More than 40 years ago, United States civil rights leader Jesse Jackson called on the Democratic Party to open its doors and welcome “the desperate, the damned, the disinherited, the disrespected and the despised”.

This included Arab Americans and Palestinian rights supporters, who have suffered from decades of racism, demonisation and marginalisation.

Advocates in those communities say that Jackson, who died on Tuesday at the age of 84, helped elevate their voices over his decades-long career.

“I don’t think there’s a way to tell the Arab Americans’ political empowerment story without understanding the path that Reverend Jackson created for us,” said Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute (AAI).

In 1984, Jackson appointed Arab American activist James Zogby as one of his deputy campaign managers as he mounted a bid for the presidency. Zogby would later found the AAI.

Jackson’s campaign also actively courted Arab Americans and amplified calls for Palestinian self-determination in an era when unquestioning support for Israel was the default position in US politics.

Berry said Jackson always rejected pressure to disassociate from Arab Americans who view Palestine as a focal issue.

“He understood that the fight for justice was one that had to be done when it was both hard and easy. Our country has lost a giant,” she told Al Jazeera.

The party platform

Jackson launched a second campaign for president in 1988, winning 13 states, including Michigan and much of the South, in the Democratic primary.

He ultimately lost the nomination to then-Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Still, Jackson’s campaign catapulted Palestinian rights into the national discourse.

Zogby and other Jackson delegates at the Democratic National Convention rallied to include support for Palestinian statehood in the party’s platform that year.

While the push eventually fell short at the national level, 11 state parties adopted platforms expressing support for “the rights of the Palestinian people to safety, self-determination and an independent state”.

Jackson’s relative success in the primary also led to the appointment of an Arab-American activist, Texan Ruth Ann Skaff, to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the party’s executive board.

At the time, Skaff faced unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism for her pro-Palestinian stance, not to mention calls to be removed from the committee.

But in an interview with Al Jazeera, she said she was just a local organiser from Houston, Texas, not a high-level political operative.

She explained that Jackson’s embrace of the Arab-American community rang “true to his message of wanting to empower those who do not have power or who are excluded”.

She also recalled him being humorous and approachable.

“We were learning how to organise, how to spread the message and then take it to the next step of being active politically at the very local level. And he guided us and inspired us the entire way,” Skaff said.

Born in South Carolina in 1941, under the racial segregation of the Jim Crow laws, Jackson was dedicated to civil rights from a young age.

He was considered a talented public speaker, and as a pre-teen, he became a protege of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.

A central part of his national platform was to stress the need for a broad coalition of communities to come together and demand equal rights.

Jackson moved to Chicago in 1965, where he founded the civil rights and community empowerment movement that became known as the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

Even after his presidential run, Jackson remained close with the Arab community.

Hatem Abudayyeh, the executive director of the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) in Illinois, praised Jackson as “a tried-and-true Chicagoan, one of us, who opened the doors to Rainbow/PUSH for Palestinians and Arabs in Chicagoland”.

“Under his leadership, Black, Latino, Asian, Arab and so many other communities worked together for racial, economic, and social justice,” Abudayyeh told Al Jazeera in a statement.

“He never shied away from solid and principled solidarity with our Palestinian and Arab communities,” he added. “We mourn today with our friends in the Black community, and with all those who will carry on his fight.”

Support for Gaza protesters

Nabih Ayad, the founder of the Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL), said Jackson was one of the first leaders to shine light on the plight of Palestinians at the national stage.

He also worked on other issues related to the Arab community. In 2015, for instance, Jackson lobbied for the admission and resettlement of Syrian refugees, despite opposition from Republican governors.

The ACRL, based in the Michigan suburb of Dearborn, hosted Jackson on a panel to highlight the refugees’ plight. Ayad said Jackson’s message was that “justice is universal”.

“It was an honour to cross his path and be able to see a giant like Jesse Jackson really caring about the little people, the small guys, about injustice wherever it happens, no matter where it is around the world,” Ayad told Al Jazeera.

This drive to address injustice drove Jackson to speak up for Palestinians even when it may have cost him politically, according to Ayad.

Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition organised an emergency summit in 2024 to call for a ceasefire during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Later that year, he voiced support for pro-Palestine protests on college campuses, writing in the University of Chicago’s newspaper, The Chicago Maroon, that the student leaders “represent the best of our nation”.

Matthew Jaber Stiffler, the director of the Center for Arab Narratives, a research institution, said Jackson helped the Arab community feel “seen”. He, too, highlighted the political costs of championing Palestinian rights.

“Even just saying, ‘I support the rights for Palestinians to exist in the national political sphere,’ could get you branded as a radical, could get you pushed to the margins,” Stiffler told Al Jazeera.

“Mainstream candidates didn’t – and still don’t – really want that plank in their platform. And I think that’s why there was such love for Jesse Jackson and what he stood for, because he was not afraid.”

‘Work that has to be done’

In the decades since Jackson’s presidential campaigns, Palestine has become less of a taboo subject in US politics. Congress members, mayors and celebrities have become vocal in criticising Israeli abuses.

Still, the leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties have avoided publicly supporting Palestinian rights. During the 2024 presidential race, for instance, both major parties adopted staunchly pro-Israel platforms.

The campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris even refused to allow a Palestinian speaker at the party’s convention that year.

The flow of US money and weapons to Israel has also continued uninterrupted, despite the horrific atrocities in Gaza.

Furthermore, since taking office in January 2025, the administration of President Donald Trump has led a crackdown on Palestinian rights advocates, threatening foreign-born activists with deportation and other penalties.

Berry said that while the current conditions are challenging, Jackson taught the community to overcome barriers and build its power.

“I think that the lessons and the legacy of someone like Reverend Jackson teaches us that this is work that has to be done,” she told Al Jazeera.

For her part, Skaff said Jackson wanted Arab Americans to stand up and let their message be known.

“We’re stronger when we’re united and when we exercise our rights and responsibilities as American citizens: to stand up, to speak out, to run for office, to vote, vote, vote, vote,” she told Al Jazeera.

JAMES Van Der Beek and his wife Kimberly renewed their wedding vows on his deathbed, just days before he passed away.

The iconic Dawson’s Creek actor, 48, sadly died last week after a cancer battle, leaving his friends, family and fans devastated.

Along with his wife, Kimberly, James is survived by their six children Olivia, 14, Joshua, 12, Annabel, 10, Emilia, 8, Gwen, 6, and Jeremiah, 3.

Now his heartbroken wife has revealed how the couple renewed their vows shortly before he died.

Kimberly revealed they managed to quickly put together a small ceremony with the help of close friends and family.

Speaking to People, she said: “We decided two days beforehand, and our friends got us new rings, filled our bedroom with flowers and candles, and we renewed our vows from bed.”

More on James Van Der Beek

‘I MISS HIM’

Heartbreaking pic shows James Van Der Beek’s ‘last moment’ with actor pal

SAD GOODBYE

James Van Der Beek dead at 48 after Dawson’s Creek star’s public cancer battle

Kimberly described the ceremony as “simple and beautiful and moving”.

In a sweet moment, musician Poranguí, a close friend of the couple, played Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

James and Kimberly met in 2009 and immediately fell in love.

Following a whirlwind romance they got married the next year, while they were expecting their first child.

Sadly, 16 years after their wedding, James had passed away.

Fans were left in shock when it was revealed by Kimberly and the actor’s family, that he had died after battling cancer.

The heartbreaking statement read: “Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.

“There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time.

“Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.”

The actor had been battling stage three colorectal cancer since 2024.

James spent the final years of his life advocating for early screenings to help spread awareness.

The actor got his start in small television roles on Clarissa Explains It All in 1993, As The World Turns in 1995 and Aliens in the Family in 1996.

He then scored the breakout role of Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek from 1998 to 2003 alongside Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams.

After finding success with the teenage drama, he went on to star in Varsity Blues in 1999, Scary Movie in 2000 and The Rules of Attraction in 2002.

He then had appearances on TV shows Criminal Minds in 2007, Ugly Betty in 2007, One Tree Hill in 2008, and Law and Order in 2011 and 2012.

Other appearances include How I Met Your Mother, CSI and Modern Family.

One of his final roles was on two episodes of Overcompensating in 2025.

James has won two MTV Movie Awards, one Teen Choice Award and other honors.

MILAN — She’s the only U.S. skater still in medal contention. Alysa Liu is the last person to care.

The unbothered 20-year-old is the only American who finished in the top six of the women’s short program Tuesday and is holding the weight of an Olympic medal drought that’s as old as she is. But after placing third in the short program, she said she hadn’t even looked at the standings. She is angling more for an invitation to the post-competition gala than a medal.

“A medal?” Liu asked with a sarcastic scoff and giggle. “I don’t need a medal. I just need to be here, and I just need to be present. And I need people to see what I do next.”

Next will be the women’s free skate Thursday, where Liu will try to be the first U.S. woman to stand on an Olympic podium for singles figure skating since Sasha Cohen in 2006.

The United States entered the Milan-Cortina Games with three strong contenders to end the drought, but will need comeback performances from the other two “Blade Angels.”

Alysa Liu is the top hope for the U.S. in women’s singles figure skating after finishing third in the short program.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Isabeau Levito skated cleanly in her Olympic debut but finished the short program in eighth with 70.84 points, almost eight points back from leader Ami Nakai’s 78.71.

Amber Glenn appeared poised to join Liu in medal contention after she started her “Like a Prayer” program with a steady triple axel. Looking inspired from a good luck message from Madonna this week, Glenn executed a strong triple-triple combination with her second jumping pass. The crowd at Milano Ice Skating arena roared.

Then Glenn popped her last planned triple jump. She earned zero points on the element. Her face fell immediately.

Glenn went through the motions of her step sequence but she looked lifeless, and after her program, she clutched the necklaces on her burgundy lace dress and knelt at center ice. She broke down in tears when she hugged her coach.

“I had it,” Glenn said through sobs.

With 67.39 points in 13th place, the three-time national champion is well outside the medal race led by Nakai and three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto, who is in second with 77.23 points. Levito, skating in her mother’s hometown and paying homage to iconic Italian actress Sophia Loren with her short program, is less than six points out of podium position behind Liu’s 76.59 points.

Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, wearing bedazzled headphones in a booth at the top of the arena, were shown on the video screen after Glenn’s skate clapping for her performance. U.S. teammate Ilia Malinin cheered behind them.

Malinin could empathize as Glenn held back tears on the ice. The United States won the team figure skating competition with a dramatic one-point victory but hasn’t secured any of the individual gold medals that appeared likely. Malinin, whose free skate collapse was one of the most stunning moments of the Milan-Cortina Games, cited the intense Olympic pressure.

Isabeau Levito competes during the women’s short program Tuesday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

After a shaky performance in the team competition, Glenn tried to escape the spotlight by training with U.S. teammates at a facility in Bergamo, 50 minutes outside of Milan. She tried to commit to rest and recovery and shy away from social media. She said after training Monday that she felt physically strong and had refocused enough to make the competition feel like any other world championship.

Knowing how hard it was for Glenn to get one jump away from putting herself into medal contention made the sight of her mistake all the more painful for Liu.

“She works so freaking hard,” Liu said after seeing Glenn’s skate on TV screens in the interview area. “Genuinely, such a hard worker, and she’s overcome a lot, and I just want her to be happy.”

Liu received some of the loudest applause of the night. Before beginning her program, she skated by the boards and high-fived both of her coaches, who hugged and hopped for joy when Liu executed her tricky triple lutz-triple loop combination jump. After hitting her ending pose, Liu covered her face to hide the tears that often well up in her eyes after her program set to “Promise.”

The reigning world champion returned to her second Olympics seemingly oblivious to any sort of pressure after a two-year retirement changed her perspective on skating. In Beijing, she was a 16-year-old who skated as she was told. She executed the jumps, performed to the music and wore the costumes that she was given.

But she laid the road to Milan all by herself and on her own terms.

One strong free skate away from her first individual Olympic medal — and second overall after helping the United States to team gold last week — Liu can’t be bothered to fret about how she’ll prepare for her last Olympic competition. Instead, she said she wants fans to see her new gala program.

A new dress just arrived and the choreography is almost done. All she needs is an invitation.

Feb. 17 (UPI) — Officials for Germany-based Bayer have agreed to pay $7.25 billion to settle a class action filed by those who say its Roundup weedkiller caused them or their loved ones to develop cancer.

The proposed settlement would create a fund to pay for existing and future claims filed by those who say the weed killer caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is blood cancer that forms in the body’s lymphatic system – most often in the lymph nodes — and spreads to other organs.

Bayer filed the proposed settlement in the city of St. Louis Circuit Court on Tuesday that also would include a separate Durnell case that is before the Supreme Court.

“The proposed class settlement agreement, together with the Supreme Court case, provides an essential path out of the litigation uncertainty and enables us to devote our full attention to furthering the innovations that lie at the core of our mission: Health for all, Hunger for none,” said Bayer Chief Executive Officer Bill Anderson.

“This litigation and the resulting cost underscore the need for guidance from the Supreme Court on clear regulation in American agriculture.”

“The class settlement and Supreme Court case are both necessary to help bring the strongest, most certain and most timely containment to this litigation.”

Bayer subsidiary Monsanto produces the popularly used Roundup weedkiller and will make annual payments into the settlement fund over the next 21 years.

Monsanto officials do not admit to any wrongdoing and said they agreed to the settlement to end the tens of thousands of lawsuits filed against it and stop more from being filed.

The settlement applies to those who say they were exposed to Roundup before Tuesday and who have a medical diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma or are diagnosed with it within 16 years of the proposed settlement gaining final approval.

Mahdawi, a Palestinian student activist, faced deportation proceedings amid a protest crackdown under the Trump administration.

An immigration judge in the United States has ruled against an attempt under President Donald Trump to deport Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia University student arrested last year for his protests against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

The decision, issued on February 13, became public as part of court filings on Tuesday from Mahdawi’s lawyers.

The filing was submitted to a federal appeals court in New York, which has been considering a challenge from the Trump administration against Mahdawi’s release from custody.

In a public statement released through the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Mahdawi thanked the immigration court for its decision, which he framed as a strike in favour of free-speech rights.

“I am grateful to the court for honoring the rule of law and holding the line against the government’s attempts to trample on due process,” Mahdawi said. “This decision is an important step towards upholding what fear tried to destroy: the right to speak for peace and justice.”

But the ACLU indicated that the immigration court’s decision was made “without prejudice”, a legal term that means the Trump administration could refile its case against Mahdawi.

Raised in a Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, Mahdawi is a lawful permanent resident who has lived in Vermont for 10 years.

He enrolled at Columbia, a prestigious Ivy League university, to study philosophy. But he was also a visible member of the campus’s activist community, founding a Palestinian student society alongside fellow student Mahmoud Khalil.

Columbia became a hub for pro-Palestinian protests in 2024, and Trump campaigned for re-election, in part, on cracking down on the demonstrations.

Khalil became the first student protester to be detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March of last year, less than three months into Trump’s second term.

Then, on April 14, Mahdawi was arrested at a meeting set up by the government, allegedly to process his citizenship application.

ICE detained him in “direct retaliation for his advocacy of Palestinian rights”, the ACLU said in a statement at the time.

The Trump administration attempted to transfer Mahdawi out of state to Louisiana, but a court order ultimately blocked it from doing so.

Mahdawi was ultimately released on April 30, after US Judge Geoffrey Crawford accused the Trump administration of doing “great harm” to someone who had committed no crime.

Human rights advocates have described the Trump administration’s attempts to deport foreign-born student activists as a campaign to chill free speech.

After his release last year, Mahdawi walked out of the court with both hands in the air, flashing peace signs as supporters greeted him with cheers.

As he spoke, he shared a message for Trump. “I am not afraid of you,” Mahdawi said to Trump.

He also addressed the people of Palestine and sought to dispel perceptions that the student protest movement was anything but peaceful.

“We are pro-peace and antiwar,” Mahdawi explained. “To my people in Palestine: I feel your pain, I see your suffering, and I see freedom, and it is very soon.”

Mahdawi’s arrest comes as part of a wider push by the Trump administration to target visa holders and permanent residents for their pro-Palestine advocacy.

Trump has also pressured top universities to crack down on pro-Palestine protests in the name of combating anti-Semitism. In some cases, the Trump administration has opened investigations into campuses where pro-Palestinian protests were prominent, accusing them of civil rights violations.

Last July, Columbia University entered into a $200m settlement with the Trump administration, with a further $21m given to end a probe into allegations of religious-based harassment.

The university, however, did not admit to wrongdoing.

KATIE Price appeared to take a swipe at her new husband Lee Andrews exes with a cryptic quote.

The former glamour model, 47, shocked fans when she tied the knot with self-confessed businessman Lee in Dubai after just two weeks of knowing him.

It didn’t take long before Katie was issued a warning by Lee’s exes Alana Percival and Crystal Janke, who he dated at the same time last year. 

Last month Alana, 32, and Crystal, 40, told The Sun exclusively how they were hoodwinked by the businessman — branding him a lying swindler who preys on women.

But despite the women sharing their experiences with Lee, Katie appears to have paid it no attention.

Katie has taken to social media with what appears to be a swipe at those who have been critical of her whirlwind marriage.

HIS TRUTH

JJ Slater confirms relationship status after romance rumours and Katie split

no show

Mystery as Katie Price and new husband STILL haven’t returned to UK

Katie shared a quote that read: “Be careful what you hear about a female.

“Rumours either came from a male that can’t have her or a female that can’t compete with her.”

She shared another pointed message, which said: “Classy is when you have a lot to say, but choose to remain silent in front of fools.”

Lee’s exes didn’t hold back when they revealed how they charmed them.

Last month Katie posted photos of her lover’s wedding proposal, with flowers spelling “Will you marry me?” at Dubai’s Burj Khalifa hotel. 

Alana, who works in property, said she got engaged to him at the same venue last September in the same way. 

And two weeks before that, Crystal believed Andrews was going to ask her to marry him there too. 

The family nurse practitioner from Texas said: “I was supposed to meet Lee at the Burj Khalifa two weeks before he proposed to Alana. 

“We’d looked at rings, he told me he wanted to marry me. 

“Luckily I had to cancel the trip because I was too busy with work. 

“He would have proposed to both of us. Who does that?” 

Mum-of-five Katie, who flew back from Dubai to her home in Horsham, West Sussex just days after the wedding.

The pair struck up a relationship on social media before their whirlwind wedding last week, days after they met in person. 

And Alana and Crystal fear history may repeat itself. 

Lee connected with Alana on Facebook in March last year and struck up an online conversation with Crystal two months later. 

Earlier today, it was revealed that Katie and Lee have still not returned to the UK after their honeymoon.

It came after speculation that Lee was banned from touching down on home turf after “taking out a £200K loan in his ex’s name”.

Katie returning back to the UK on her own just days after their wedding – as her husband explained she needed to see her children.

Lee vowed he would soon be on a flight from the UAE to join her.

However, he remained in Dubai to house hunt ahead of Katie putting a deposit down on a home. She then rejoined him for their honeymoon in the emirate over a week ago and they have been together ever since.

Ivan Toney leaves the door open for a move back to the Premier League, Liverpool have no plans to sell Dominik Szoboszlai, but Nick Woltemade keen for a move back to the Bundesliga.

Al-Ahli’s 29-year-old England striker Ivan Toney has left the door open for a move back to the Premier League. (Sky Sports), external

Liverpool have no plans to sell Dominik Szoboszlai despite speculation linking the Hungary midfielder with Real Madrid, with talks progressing over a new contract for the 25-year-old. (Teamtalk), external

Germany striker Nick Woltemade is unhappy at Newcastle and the 24-year-old would welcome a move back to Stuttgart or Bayern Munich. (Bild – in German), external

Manchester United have no intention of lowering their £26m asking price for 28-year-old England forward Marcus Rashford, who is on loan at Barcelona. (Mail), external

Nicolas Jackson and Chelsea will evaluate their options in the summer with Bayern Munich not expected to trigger an obligation to buy the 24-year-old Senegal striker during his season-long loan in Germany. (Mail – subscription required), external

Sunderland will try to sign a new striker this summer to replace 25-year-old French forward Wilson Isidor, who wants to leave the club. (Football Insider), external

Atletico Madrid want Argentina striker Julian Alvarez to sign a new contract but the 26-year-old’s preferred destination is Barcelona. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Tottenham, Crystal Palace and West Ham are among the clubs keen on signing Real Madrid’s 32-year-old Germany defender Antonio Rudiger this summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Nottingham Forest‘s 23-year-old Brazil defender Murillo has emerged as a key target for Chelsea but the Reds’ asking price is around £70m. (Caught Offside), external

Everton are set to reject any approach for 27-year-old English midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall this summer amid interest from Tottenham. (Football Insider), external

Former England forward Jesse Lingard, 33, is on the verge of joining Brazilian side Remo after leaving FC Seoul in January. (Sun), external

Feb. 17 (UPI) — Officials for Fulton County, Ga., said in a filing Tuesday that the Department of Justice lied to get a warrant to raid and seize 2020 election materials from the county’s elections office.

The officials say President Donald Trump‘s former campaign attorney, Kurt Olsen, orchestrated the search and seizure by the FBI that happened on Jan. 18 at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operation Center.

“The affidavit admits that the entire ‘criminal investigation originated from a referral sent by Kurt Olsen,’ but it conceals the fact that multiple courts have sanctioned Olsen for his unsubstantiated, speculative claims about elections,” the officials said in an amended motion filed Tuesday.

County officials want the Justice Department to return seized election ballots, voter rolls, digital ballot images and tabulator tapes that are related to the county’s certification of the 2020 presidential election.

“Instead of alleging probable cause to believe a crime has been committed,” the county officials say the Justice Department’s application “does nothing more than describe the types of human errors that its own sources confirm occur in almost every election — with no wrongdoing whatsoever.”

The FBI did not tell the magistrate judge who approved the search warrant that the claims made against Fulton County election officials already had been investigated and debunked, county officials said in their newest filing.

The federal lawsuit was filed on Sunday in the U.S. District Court of Northern Georgia by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, the NAACP and Atlanta and Georgia State Conference branches of the NAACP.

They want to stop the Trump administration from using the voter records to purge voters, improperly disclose information or intimidate or dox voters.

⁠Vinicius Jr scored a sublime second-half winner as Real Madrid beat Benfica 1-0 in their Champions League playoff first leg, a night overshadowed by the Brazilian accusing Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni ⁠of directing a racist slur at him.

The alleged incident occurred moments after Vinicius had curled Real ahead, five minutes into the second half at the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday, before referee Francois Letexier halted the match for 11 minutes under FIFA’s ⁠anti-racism protocol.

Television pictures showed the Argentinian winger covering his mouth with his shirt before making a comment that Vinicius and nearby teammates interpreted as a racial slur against the 25-year-old, who has repeatedly suffered racism in Spain during matches.

“It is unbelievable that, with dozens of cameras in the stadium, that none could have caught [Prestianni’s] racial slur, but if you cover your mouth ‌to say something, that says a lot,” Real captain Federico Valverde told Movistar Plus.

“According to my teammates who were close, they heard something very ugly. Many people have been fighting against racism in football; Vinicius is one of them. I’m proud of him and his great game.”

The Associated Press news agency reported that television cameras picked up Vinicius Junior telling the referee that Prestianni had called him a “monkey”.

Benfica began the game on the front foot, but the visitors gradually assumed control while the hosts appeared content to counterattack, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois producing a stunning one-handed save to keep out a 25th-minute strike from Fredrik Aursnes.

Real finished the first half strongly, and only goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin’s brilliance kept ⁠the score goalless at the break as he produced stunning saves to deny Kylian ⁠Mbappe and Arda Guler.

The breakthrough came five minutes after the restart. Mbappe burst forward and fed Vinicius on the left. The Brazilian cut diagonally towards the box, shifted inside and unleashed an unstoppable curling shot into the far top corner.

Vinicius celebrated by dancing with the corner flag and ⁠was booked by Letexier for excessive celebration.

As the forward argued with the referee, he became involved in a heated exchange with Prestianni, with Vinicius and several teammates suddenly running towards ⁠the referee.

Letexier crossed his arms in front of his face to activate ⁠FIFA’s protocol and stopped the match. Real’s players threatened to leave the pitch as tensions flared, before play eventually resumed 11 minutes later.

The atmosphere turned hostile, with Vinicius loudly booed whenever he touched the ball, and the broadcast camera appeared to show an outraged Mbappe calling Prestianni “a bloody racist” to ‌his face several times after the game resumed.

Tempers flared again in the 85th minute, when Vinicius fouled Richard Rios. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho stormed towards the fourth official, demanding a second booking for the Brazilian, but was himself cautioned ‌for ‌his protests.

An incensed Mourinho continued remonstrating, and was promptly shown a second yellow card.

Benfica pushed late on, but managed only three shots on target as Real secured a slender advantage to take back to Madrid for the return leg.

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa decried the alleged abuse against Vinicius Junior.

“I think everyone can see what happened with Prestianni,” he said.

Arbeloa added, “We have to fight against this type of attitude”, and, “If we don’t respect each other, then it is a problem”.

Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold told Amazon Prime that what allegedly happened during the match was a “disgrace to football” and overshadowed the performance and an amazing goal.

“Vini has been subject to this a few times throughout his career,” he said. “To ruin a night like this for our team is a disgrace. There is no place for it in football or society. It is disgusting.”

Mourinho criticised Vinicius Junior’s celebration and defended the club – if not Prestianni – against allegations of racism.

“Words were exchanged. I want to be independent. I don’t want to say I believe in Prestianni or believe in Vinicius,” he said.

“I told [Vinicius], ‘When you score a goal like that, you just celebrate in a respectful way’. When he was arguing about racism, I told him the biggest person [Eusebio] in the history of this club was Black. This club, the last thing that it is, is racist.”

Galatasaray thrash Juve 5-2

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Dutch midfielder Noa Lang scored a brace as Galatasaray thumped Juventus 5-2 in a pulsating contest in Istanbul in the first leg of a Champions League playoff.

In a nerve-shredding atmosphere, Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus actually led 2-1 at half-time after Teun Koopmeiners replied to Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Sara’s opener with a brace of his own.

But Colombian full-back Juan Cabal was dismissed for two bookings in a calamitous second half for the Italian side, as Lang’s brace and goals from Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey sunk Juventus.

Meanwhile, Champions League holders Paris Saint Germain overcame a horror start and a two-goal deficit to beat 10-man Monaco 3-2 away in the first leg of their knockout round ⁠playoff tie.

Desire Doue came off the bench to engineer an impressive turnaround for PSG, who conceded a goal in the opening minute and were 2-0 down after 18 minutes as Folarin Balogun grabbed a double for ⁠the hosts.

The 20-year-old Doue replaced Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who went off injured after 27 minutes, and proved decisive for the visitors as he struck two superb goals, as well as setting one up for Achraf Hakimi.

In Germany, striker Serhou Guirassy ⁠scored one ⁠goal and created another as hosts Borussia Dortmund claimed a ⁠2-0 victory over Italian visitors Atalanta in the first leg ⁠of their Champions League playoff tie on Tuesday.

A Gogglebox family has been missing a family member on their sofa in the latest series and he has now shared the reason for his absence in a hospital selfie

A Gogglebox star has revealed why he hasn’t been in front of the camera lately. Raza Siddiqui is a fan favourite on the hit Channel 4 series, but had to take time away from filming.

He had been a regular on the show since it first started in 2013. He often appeared alongside his family as they offered their thoughts on the latest shows. But he was nowhere to be seen in the latest series, leaving fans questioning where he was, while dad Sid and brothers Umar and Bassit continue to entertain.

Now, Raza has posted an update from his hospital bed. Sharing the snap on the Siddiqui family’s Instagram page, the upload showed a series of pictures of him in hospital. In some images, he was hooked up to breathing machines.

And to explain his absence from the show, the post read: “For you eagle eyed Goggleboxers, you may have noticed that Raza (@razathefaint) hasn’t joined us on the sofa so far this season. Sadly he had a bit of a fall, a few weeks back and cracked some ribs.”

The post said they fully expect him to return in a few weeks as he is recovering well. It went on: “He’s absolutely smashing his recovery, staying positive and keeping himself entertained with walks, telly, reading and nephew cuddles with Theodore.

I know you guys reaching out and sending your well wishes will put a bigger smile on his face than morphine ever could. Can’t wait for all four Siddiquis to be back on team @c4gogglebox with the rest of the fab families.”

The post was met with an influx of positivity and messages of well wishes. One user wrote: “Bless you get well soon, we look forward to having you back on our screens when you are well enough.”

Another wished him a “speedy recovery”. And a third said: “Oh no! Get well soon!”

The Siddiquis weren’t the only family to be missing a member in the latest series. Fans quickly spotted siblings Tremaine and Tristan Plummer weren’t joined by their brother Twaine. The trio had joined the programme in 2016, but Twaine was a recent absentee from the show.

On Instagram before the episode aired, Tremaine and Tristan confirmed: “It’s just the two T’s today as Twaine left us to go on holiday. So we’ve got a new member of the team now,” before picking up their adorable dog.

Twaine let his feelings be known as he responded to the post, saying: “Wish I was there.” He was quickly supported by his fans, who went on to wish him a happy birthday.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .