Eva Longoria, John Leguizamo and Xochitl Gomez are among the 100-plus Latino actors, artists and creatives who have signed an open letter calling for accountability in Hollywood — citing longtime discrimination in casting and storytelling.
The public statement follows the controversy surrounding Odessa A’zion, who dropped her role as a Latina character in Sean Durkin’s “Deep Cuts,” following online backlash over the actor herself not being Latina.
“Recent casting decisions around the character Zoe Gutierrez in A24’s ‘Deep Cuts’ have exposed a troubling pattern,” the letter states. “We acknowledge and commend Odessa A’zion for listening, reflecting and deciding to exit the project and become an ally. Yet how did this happen?”
Earlier this week, the Wrap revealed that the “I Love L.A.” and “Marty Supreme” breakout star was cast as Zoe Gutierrez in the A24 film adaptation of Holly Brickley’s music-filled coming-of-age novel. The character’s identity plays an important role in the book, as she is written as a half-Mexican and half-Jewish lesbian.
Though the 25-year-old announced Wednesday night that she had dropped the role — admitting through her Instagram stories that she had not yet read the book, nor learned of all the character’s traits — the incident has unearthed questions about Latino representation in Hollywood.
“This isn’t about Odessa,” said Xochitl Gomez to The Times on Friday. “It’s about the executives, the producers and the whole system at the top. They thought it was OK to not even audition Latinas for the role in the first place. Latinas were pitched, including me, but we were told that there was an actress with an exclusive offer. This role never showed up on the casting grid because it was already gone.”
Xochitl Gomez attends “REBBECA” LA Premiere on November 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images for State of the Art)
(JC Olivera / Getty Images for State of the Art)
According to UCLA’s 2025 Hollywood Diversity Report, Latinos were cast in only 1% of the leading roles in the top 104 English-language films released theatrically in 2024, despite constituting roughly 20% of the total U.S. population.
In TV, representation is just as stark. Latinos are cast in only 6% of all roles across the top U.S. broadcast series, as per a recent study by ¡Pa’lante! — a Latino representation initiative from the USC Norman Lear Center — which also found that 1 in 4 Latino characters are depicted as career criminals.
“The absence of Latina audition opportunities, and the choice to replace a clearly Latina character with a non-Latina actress, signals a broader, ongoing erasure of our community from the stories that define our culture,” the letter continues. “This is not about any one actor or project. It is about a system that repeatedly overlooks qualified Latino talent even as our identities, histories, and experiences fuel the most enduring stories.”
The signatories request that Latino actors be hired for a diverse range of roles, including non-stereotypical leads. There is also a demand for more Latino executives to be involved in green-lighting projects and the inclusion of Latino consultants, writers and producers from the earliest stages of development. Finally, there is a call on Hollywood to create mentorship, scholarships and opportunities that expand access on all levels of the ecosystem.
This plea by marginalized creatives is not the first pushback — nor likely the last — against a stagnant Hollywood machine.
As early as the 1920s, the portrayal of Latinos was so negative that the Mexican government, and even Woodrow Wilson reportedly told Hollywood producers to “please be a little kinder to the Mexicans.”
In 1999, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) and the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) called for the boycott of broadcast networks’ 26 new fall series because they did not feature a non-white lead, sparking dialogue over the diversity of Hollywood at the time.
Comedian Chris Rock blasted the industry in a 2014 essay for its omission of Mexicans in Los Angeles, where nearly half of the population is Latino: “You’re in L.A., you’ve got to try not to hire Mexicans.”
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) — who in recent years has nominated several Latino-focused films to the Library of Congress National Film Registry — also penned a 2020 column in Variety, underscoring the dearth representation of Latinos in entertainment and the consequences of omission. “Prejudice has existed in the United States for generations, but the image of our community created by film and television has done little to counter bigoted views, and too often has amplified them.”
Another letter published in October 2020 with over 270 showrunners, creators, television and film writers signatures — including Lin-Manuel Miranda and “One Day at a Time” co-creator Gloria Calderón Kellett — called for systemic change in the industry. “We are tired,” they wrote.
The pushback continued in 2022, when actor Leguizamo penned an open letter in The Times about the history of Latino representation and the co-option of Latino stories — including that of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who was portrayed by a brownface Marlon Brando in the 1952 film “Viva Zapata!,” and Al Pacino, who played the fictional Cuban character Tony Montana in the 1983 film “Scarface.”
Wrote Leguizamo, “There’s a fix for this: Cast more Latinos!”
Read the full open letter below.
Dear Casting Directors, Creative Executives, Writers, Producers, and Hollywood Leaders,
We write to you with urgency, because storytelling is humanity’s compass and Hollywood wields all the power. The stories you choose to tell, and how you tell them, shape public perception, cultural understanding, and who gets to see themselves reflected on screen. In these challenging moments that power comes with real responsibility.
Recent casting decisions around the character Zoe Gutierrez in A 24’s Deep Cuts have exposed a troubling pattern. We acknowledge and commend Odessa A’zion for listening, reflecting and deciding to exit the project and become an ally. Yet how did this happen? The absence of Latina audition opportunities, and the choice to replace a clearly Latina character with a non-Latina actress, signals a broader, ongoing erasure of our community from the stories that define our culture. This is not about any one actor or project. It is about a system that repeatedly overlooks qualified Latino talent even as our identities, histories, and experiences fuel the most enduring stories.
Latino communities are already underrepresented and misrepresented in ways that distort reality and harm real people. Casting decisions carry real weight: they influence who is seen as worthy of authentic storytelling and who gets to tell those stories with care, nuance, and authority.
We are calling for accountability, intentionality, and equity in casting and storytelling. Authentic representation means more than casting a performer who looks like the character; it means involving the communities being portrayed not just in front of the camera, but in the decisions that shape these stories from their inception. Our stories deserve to be shaped with the input, guidance, and leadership of Latino creators, consultants, writers, and performers at every stage.
We implore you to join us in concrete action:
Audition and hire more Latino actors for a diverse range of roles, including non-stereotypical leads
Hire Latino executives in your greenlighting rooms
Include Latino voices as consultants, writers, and producers from the earliest stages of development
Create and support pipelines: mentoring, scholarships, and opportunities that expand access all levels of the ecosystem
1 of 2 | epa12689577 flutters outside its headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, 29 January 2026. File. Photo by YONHAP/ EPA
Jan. 30 (Asia Today) — Despite sluggish domestic demand, South Korea’s stock market is surging, driven largely by a semiconductor supercycle led by SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics.
SK Hynix last year posted record sales exceeding 97 trillion won (about $67.6 billion) and operating profit of 47 trillion won (about $32.8 billion), with both its annual and fourth-quarter results reaching all-time highs. Notably, its fourth-quarter operating margin surpassed that of Taiwan’s leading foundry, underscoring not only for growth but also for profitability. Samsung Electronics also reported sales of 333 trillion won (about $232.2 billion) and operating profit of 43 trillion won (about $30.0 billion), up 11% and 33% year on year. Its semiconductor division alone generated 44 trillion won (about $30.7 billion) in sales and 16 trillion won (about $11.2 billion) in operating profit in the fourth quarter.
These earnings surprises were fueled by higher sales of high-value products such as high-bandwidth memory and rising memory prices. On the back of the two chipmakers, the benchmark KOSPI index climbed past 5,200 on Jan. 29. Industry forecasts suggest the semiconductor supercycle could continue this year, with combined operating profit potentially exceeding 200 trillion won (about $139.4 billion) and, in some projections, approaching 300 trillion won (about $209.2 billion) as memory shortages deepen and dominance in the high-bandwidth memory market strengthens.
What is troubling, however, is the extent to which the broader economy relies on this single engine. Although exports topped $700 billion last year, fourth-quarter growth turned negative and annual growth was limited. The semiconductor-centered IT manufacturing sector accounted for most of the country’s modest GDP expansion, implying that without semiconductors overall growth would have been far weaker.
While the semiconductor boom is expected to last at least through this year, stock markets typically price in conditions about six months ahead. The chip-led rally may therefore run into limits later this year. Beyond that point, risks loom. The automotive sector faces uncertainty from Trump-era tariffs and rapid shifts toward autonomous and next-generation mobility. Steel, petrochemicals and batteries are struggling amid oversupply driven by China-led competition.
The previous administration pledged to foster pharmaceuticals and biotechnology as next-generation core industries, but tangible progress has been limited. Building new growth engines ultimately depends on government policy resolve. A recent report by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade noted that major powers such as the United States and China are aggressively promoting strategic industries with a wide range of policy tools, while South Korea remains comparatively passive.
Revitalizing industrial policy will require active restructuring of lagging sectors and stronger coordination across ministries. Leaving everything to private initiative is not enough. To secure sustainable growth beyond semiconductors, the government must mobilize far more policy tools to strengthen domestic production and cultivate new core industries.
Venezuelan leaders vowed that the law will lead to a significant growth of the oil industry. (Asamblea Nacional)
Caracas, January 30, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan National Assembly has approved a sweeping reform of the country’s 2001 Hydrocarbon Law that rolls back the state’s role in the energy sector in favor of private capital.
Legislators unanimously endorsed the bill at its second discussion on Thursday, with only opposition deputy Henrique Capriles abstaining. The legislative overhaul follows years of US sanctions against the Venezuelan oil industry and a naval blockade imposed in December.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez hailed the vote a “historic day” and claimed the new bill will lead oil production to “skyrocket.”
“The reform will make the oil sector much more competitive for national and foreign corporations to extract crude,” he told reporters. “We are implementing mechanisms that have proven very successful.”
Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez signed and enacted the law after the parliamentary session, claiming that the industry will be guided by “the best international practices” and undertake a “historic leap forward.”
Former President Hugo Chávez revamped the country’s oil legislation in 2001 and introduced further reforms in 2006 and 2007 to assert the Venezuelan state’s primacy over the industry. Policies included a mandatory stakeholding majority for state oil company PDVSA in joint ventures, PDVSA control over operations and sales, and increased royalties and income tax to 30 and 50 percent, respectively. Increased oil revenues bankrolled the Venezuelan government’s expanded social programs in the 2000s.
The text approved during Thursday’s legislative session, following meetings between Venezuelan authorities and oil executives, went further than the draft preliminarily endorsed one week earlier.
The final version of the legislation establishes 30 percent as an upper bound for royalties, with the Venezuelan government given the discretionary power to determine the rate for each project. A 33 percent extraction tax in the present law was scrapped in favor of an “integrated hydrocarbon tax” to be set by the executive with a 15 percent limit.
Similarly, the Venezuelan government can reduce income taxes for companies involved in oil activities while also granting several other fiscal exemptions. The bill cites the “need to ensure international competitiveness” as a factor to be considered when decreasing royalty and tax demands for private corporations.
The reform additionally grants operational and sales control to minority partners and private contractors. PDVSA can furthermore lease out oilfields and projects in exchange for a fixed portion of extracted crude. The new legislation likewise allows disputes to be settled by outside arbitration instances.
Thursday’s legislative reform was immediately followed by a US Treasury general license allowing US corporations to re-engage with the Venezuelan oil sector.
General License 46 (GL46) authorizes US firms to purchase and market Venezuelan crude while demanding that contracts be subjected to US jurisdiction so potential disputes are referred to US courts. The license bars transactions with companies from Russia, Iran, North Korea, or Cuba. Concerning China, it only blocks dealings with Venezuelan joint ventures with Chinese involvement.
Economist Francisco Rodríguez pointed out that the sanctions waiver does not explicitly allow for production or investment and that companies would require an additional license before signing contracts with Venezuelan authorities.
GL46 also mandates that payments to blocked agents, including PDVSA, be made to the US Foreign Government Deposit Funds or another account defined by the US Treasury Department.
Following the January 3 military strikes and kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the Trump administration has vowed to take control of the Venezuelan oil industry by administering crude transactions. Proceeds from initial sales have been deposited in US-run bank accounts in Qatar, with a portion rerouted to Caracas for forex injections run by private banks. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed that the resources will begin to be channeled to US Treasury accounts in the near future.
In a press conference on Friday, Trump said his administration is “very happy” with the actions of Venezuelan authorities and would soon invite other countries to get involved in the Caribbean nation’s oil industry. Rubio had previously argued that Caracas “deserved credit” for the oil reform that “eradicates Chávez-era restrictions on private investments.”
Despite the White House’s calls for substantial investment, Western oil corporations have expressed reservations over major projects in the Venezuelan energy sector. Chevron, the largest US company operating in the country, stated that it is looking to fund increased production with revenues from oil sales as opposed to new capital commitments.
Since 2017, Venezuela’s oil industry has been under wide-reaching US unilateral coercive measures, including financial sanctions and an export embargo, in an effort to strangle the country’s most important revenue source. The US Treasury Department has also levied and threatened secondary sanctions against third-country companies to deter involvement in the Venezuelan petroleum sector.
It is painful to have to write about Catherine O’Hara, so alive and lively a presence, in the past tense. O’Hara has lived inside my head — is it too corny to say my heart? — from “SCTV” to “Schitt’s Creek” to “The Studio,” on whose second season she was scheduled to start work, when she died, Friday at 71.
Any appearance constituted a recommendation for — a benediction upon — whatever she was appearing in; you felt she would only say yes to things that used her well, that sounded fun or interesting, and that her casting reflected well on the project and people who cast her. I think of her not as a careerist, but a Canadian. Of joining “Schitt’s Creek,” she said when I interviewed her in 2015, “it took me a few moments to commit, [but] I already trusted [co-creator, co-star] Eugene [Levy] as a writer and an actor, and as a good man who I could stand to spend time with.”
This is how it began for her, in Toronto, where her brother Marcus was dating Gilda Radner, who was in “Godspell” with Levy and Martin Short. “And it was really watching Gilda when I realized, ‘cause I’d always liked acting in school, that it was actually a local possibility. And then she got into Second City theater, and I was a waitress there — it’s like I stalked her — and then she did the show for a while and then took on a job for the National Lampoon. So I got to understudy or take her place — I got to join the cast, and Eugene was in it. It was really just the luck of having a professional actor suddenly in my life.”
As an “SCTV” early adopter, O’Hara was first attractive to me because she was funny, but she was also beautiful — a beauty she could subvert by a subtle or broad rearrangement of her features. Though fundamentally a comic actress, her characters could feel pained or tragic beneath the surface — even Lola Heatherton, one of her signature “SCTV” characters, an over-exuberant spangled entertainer (“I love you! I want to have your babies!” was a catch phrase) is built on desperation. Among many, many other parts, she played a teenaged Brooke Shields singing Devo’s “Whip It!,” Katherine Hepburn, a depressed Ingmar Bergman character, and, most memorably, chirpy teenage quiz show contestant Margaret Meehan, buzzing in with answers before the questions are asked, and growing tearfully undone as the host (Levy) becomes increasingly angry.
Elsewhere, she played a forgetful suburban mom in “Home Alone,” the work for which she’s arguably best known, given its ongoing mainstream popularity; an ice cream truck driver messing with Griffin Dunne in Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours”; and a tasteless art snob and indifferent mother in “Beetlejuice,” where she met her future husband, production designer Bo Welch. She shone in three Christopher Guest movies, paired with Fred Willard in “Waiting for Guffman” as community stars; opposite Levy in “Best in Show,” as a dog handler with a lot of ex-boyfriends; with Levy again in “A Mighty Wind,” as a reuniting ‘60s folk duo; and in “For Your Consideration” as an aging actress dreaming of an Oscar. In the great Netflix miniseries “A Series of Unfortunate Events” (also designed by Welch), she played an evil optometrist, the sometime girlfriend of Neil Patrick Harris’ Count Olaf, dark, cold, sexy. Last year, she picked up a supporting actress Emmy nomination as a dethroned but not knocked down executive in “The Studio”; she’s fierce and funny. And, though she was fundamentally a comic actress, she could play straight, as in the second season of “The Last of Us,” penetrating opposite Pedro Pascal as his therapist, and the widow of a man he killed.
Lived in across six, ever-richer seasons of “Schitt’s Creek,” Moira Rose is certainly her crowning achievement, a completely original, Emmy-winning creation whose quirks and complexities were embraced by a wide audience; going forth, she’ll be a reference to describe other characters — a “Moira Rose type” — with no explanation needed. With her original, breathy way of speaking, stressing odd syllables and stretching random vowels to the breaking point, her mad fashions and family of wigs, Moira is a sketch character with depth. Of all the Roses, she’s the one most resistant to adapting to their motel world, to coming down off the mountain, but she is as needy as she is condescending, and underlying her fantastic, tightly structured carapace is a fear that’s terribly moving when it shows through the cracks.
Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara in scene from “Schitt’s Creek.” The actors worked together frequently over the years.
(PopTV)
“I like to think she’s really threatened by this small-town life — because she’s been there, you know?” O’Hara said back when the series began. “That just makes it more threatening in my mind. And I like to think of her as more vulnerable than just snobby or superior. I think it’s way more insecure.”
Her tentative acceptance of her circumstance, as well as the show’s overarching arc, finds expression in the series finale, where, all white and gold, in flowing robes with long blonde locks cascading from beneath a bishop’s hat, she tearfully conducts the marriage of her son, David (co-creator Dan Levy). Speaking of a sort of wind of fate, she says, “All we can wish for our families, for those we love, is that that wind will eventually place us on solid ground. and I believe it’s done just that for my family in this little town, in the middle of nowhere.” You might cry, too.
I had the luck to speak with O’Hara several times over the run of the series. The last was in Canada, a day or two before the last day of filming. We sat on the apron of the Rosebud Motel, looking across the muddy parking lot to where fans were gathered on the road above.
“They’re there as much for each other as for us. It’s almost that we don’t have to be there, but we brought them together somehow.” That’s what actors and the stories they tell, give us — the joy, and sometimes the pain: A world of strangers, united in this awful moment, out of love for Catherine O’Hara.
A clerk sorts 100 US dollar banknotes at the headquarters of Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, 15 April 2025. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
Jan. 30 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s presidential office said Friday that financial authorities are in close communication with the U.S. Treasury Department after Washington redesignated South Korea on its foreign exchange monitoring list.
The office said the Treasury reaffirmed in its latest currency report that the recent weakening of the won was not consistent with South Korea’s economic fundamentals.
At the same time, the office said it understood the redesignation was made in a “mechanical” way based on the Treasury’s evaluation criteria.
South Korea was removed from the monitoring list in November 2023 after being listed since April 2016, but was added back in November 2024 and remained on the list in the latest report, according to the office and South Korean media reports.
The Treasury cited South Korea’s sharply larger current account surplus and its expanded goods and services surplus with the United States as reasons it continues to warrant monitoring, the report said.
In the January report, the Treasury said its monitoring list includes 10 economies: China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The initial production representative MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone for the U.S. Navy has completed its first low-speed taxi test. The service has said it is now targeting a first flight for the uncrewed aircraft early this year, after missing a self-imposed deadline to reach that milestone before the end of 2025.
The taxi test took place at Boeing’s facility at MidAmerica Airport, situated outside of St. Louis, Missouri, according to social media posts from the company and Naval Air Systems (NAVAIR). Navy personnel from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 24 (UX-24), the latter of which is focused specifically on supporting the development of uncrewed aerial systems, participated in the event, per NAVAIR.
The first operational MQ-25A Stingray™ for the @USNavy has successfully completed its first taxi test.
At the push of a button from Air Vehicle Pilots the Stingray autonomously taxied and executed a series of maneuvers to validate its functionality. pic.twitter.com/bNHGKIYsPa
Taxing testing, with the drone moving under its own power, is a critical step toward a first flight. When exactly this milestone was achieved is not immediately clear, and TWZ has reached out to NAVAIR and Boeing for more information.
Boeing MQ-25 Becomes First Unmanned Aircraft to Refuel Another Aircraft
Testing MQ-25 Aboard an Aircraft Carrier
The footage released today provides new views of the drone’s exotic top-mounted ‘flush’ air inlet and its engine exhaust inset inside the fuselage, as seen at the top of this story and below. TWZ has drawn particular attention to the inlet in the past, which speaks to the design’s other low observable (stealthy) features, as well as its overall design, despite this not being an explicit focus of the MQ-25 program.
One of the new top-down views of the production representative MQ-25 showing its ‘flush’ inlet. Boeing captureA view of the drone’s inset exhaust arrangement. Boeing capture
The video also offers a new look at the production representative Stingray configuration’s retractable sensor turret under the nose. Turrets like these typically contain a mixture of electro-optical and infrared cameras, and sometimes also have laser range finders, laser spot markers, and laser designators. In addition to its primary role as a pilotless aerial refueling platform, the Navy says the MQ-25 will have a secondary ISR function. The Stingray’s overall design opens up the possibility that it could take on other missions, including kinetic strike, in the future, as TWZ has previously explored in detail.
A look at the retracted sensor turret on the production-representative MQ-25. A buddy refueling store, which is how the drone will perform its primary tanking mission, is also seen here under the drone’s left wing. Boeing capture
Boeing has otherwise been working in recent years to deliver nine pre-production Stingrays, five of which will be used for fatigue and other static testing work. The Navy plans to eventually acquire a total of 76 Stingrays, and has been most recently targeting 2027 for reaching initial operational capability (IOC) with the type.
The first @USNavy MQ-25 Stingray recently moved off the production line to our static test facility. This is the first of nine Stingrays to be put through static, fatigue and flight tests to ensure durability and airworthiness. pic.twitter.com/2UvYoKnK7G
The MQ-25 program has been beset by delays and cost growth in recent years. The original goal had been for the initial batch of pre-production Stingrays to be delivered in 2022 and for the type to reach IOC in 2024. Last year, the Navy repeatedly stressed that it was working hard to finally get to first flight before 2026.
“We will fly MQ-25 in ‘25. You can quote me on that,” Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, Commander of Naval Air Forces, said in January 2025. “We will fly that platform in ‘25 and get that thing on a carrier in ‘26 and start integrating that thing.”
“There’s a lot of confidence in MQ-25 and [20]25. There is a ton of work to get MQ-25 and ’25,” now-retired Navy Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, then head of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), had also said last April. “70% of the capability that we deliver, [that] industry delivers to us, is late. So we’re pushing hard.”
Needless to say, the first flight schedule subsequently slipped into 2026.
These hurdles aside, Navy officials continue to be outspoken in their support of the MQ-25 program, which they see as offering critical range extension for current and future aircraft embarked on the service’s carriers. The Navy also wants the Stingrays so it can stop flying crewed F/A-18F Super Hornets in the tanker role, which makes up a significant number of their sorties while deployed, helping free up those aircraft for other missions and reducing the wear and tear on those airframes.
An F/A-18F seen carrying a buddy refueling store and underwing drop tanks for tanker duty. USN
Last year, the Navy announced a new surge in efforts to acquire a fleet of carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, hiring four companies (Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman) to develop conceptual designs. Lockheed Martin is also now under contract to the Navy to develop an underlying common control architecture. NAVAIR has now also established a CCA-focused Future Advanced Capability (FAC) program office. The Navy previously entered into a formal agreement with the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps to work together on CCA developments to ensure interoperability, including the ability to seamlessly exchange control of drones during future operations.
The Stingrays will also have to be woven into the existing cadence of flight deck operations, including just figuring out how to move them around amid the hustle and bustle of other activity. Carrier decks are very constrained environments physically, and present very different conditions to operate in compared to bases on land. This is true even for crewed aircraft operations, where individuals onboard can provide additional situational awareness. A wearable glove-like system that personnel could use for deck handling was notably used during testing of the X-47B. A different kind of portable control device has been used in testing of the T1 MQ-25 demonstrator in the past, as well. The video released today does not appear to offer any major new insights into how the Navy plans to maneuver the Stingray around on carrier decks.
The glove-like system used during testing of the X-47Bs. USNA look at a deck control device that has been used in previous testing involving the T1 MQ-25 demonstrator. USN
With the start of taxi-testing, the MQ-25 is at least now one step closer to its first flight.
Update: 3:12 PM EST —
Boeing and the Navy have now confirmed to TWZ that the first taxi test occurred yesterday.
“The first U.S. Navy MQ-25A Stingray is in the final stages of ground testing and completed its first taxi test yesterday,” a company spokesperson told us in a statement. “Boeing and the Navy will now conduct additional taxi tests and then complete deliberate systems level testing and review and approve the final airworthiness artifacts needed for a flight clearance. Once that’s complete and we have a suitable weather window, the aircraft will fly.”
“The [MQ-25] aircraft is now in the final stages of ground testing and successfully completed its first low-speed taxi test [on] January 29,” Navy Rear Adm. Tony Rossi, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO U&W), also told TWZ in a statement. “The team is finalizing systems testing and flight clearance, with the first flight planned once certification is complete and weather permits.”
“The MQ-25A Navy–Boeing team continues to make progress toward first flight,” Rossi added. “Over the last several months, the team has completed MQ-25A Stingray structural testing on a static aircraft, conducted initial engine runs, completed its flight-certified software, and commanded the vehicle from the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS).”
Even the Harry Potter star in the cast failed to save this 1990s film from ridicule
Samantha King Content Editor
01:00, 31 Jan 2026
Ralph Fiennes starred in the nineties adaptation(Image: Paramount)
A forgotten period drama based that was slated by viewers has just been made available for free streaming.
Emily Bronte’s classic and controversial novel Wuthering Heights has inspired countless film and TV adaptations, with the most recent starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi hitting cinema screens in a matter of days.
However, years before Emerald Fennell adapted the page-turner for the big-screen in 2026, there was another that released back in the nineties. It starred Ralph Fiennes as the brooding Heathcliff opposite Juliette Binoche as Catherine Earnshaw, while Peter Kosminsky sat in the director’s chair.
Despite the starry cast, the 1992 release struggled to win over critics in particular with one calling it a “failed” adaptation. Meanwhile another described Fiennes’ take on Heathcliff as “demonic”.
“Peter Kosminsky’s Wuthering Heights is a drone, depressing, and exhaustively revolting excuse for entertainment,” another peeved critic penned.
At time of writing, it has a measly 33 per cent critics’ score on review site Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences gave it a more optimistic 66 per cent.
One fan described it as a “masterpiece”, adding: “Very well put together and the chemistry between the actor was awesome!” while another said it was their “favourite adaptation.”
Meanwhile a third shared: “Not a single adaption has ever truly done it justice – but this is my favourite of the adaptions for two reasons. 1) Ralph Fiennes manages to capture the essence of Heathcliff better than any other actor ever has and 2) Ryuichi Sakamoto’s soaring score together with the authentic filming locations really do bring the book’s atmosphere to life.”
A fourth, not convinced by the film, said: “Absolutely unwatchable. Could not make it 20 minutes in, terrible acting, strange casting. Don’t waste your time.”
Fans wanting to give it a go can now do so entirely for free, as the film has just been added to Pluto TV. The streaming service has also added three extra adaptations of the story to its library if the nineties flick doesn’t hit the spot.
Wuthering Heights (1970) starring Timothy Dalton and Anna Calder-Marshall; Wuthering Heights (1998) starring Robert Cavanah, Orla Brady, and Sarah Smart; and Wuthering Heights (2011) starring James Howson and Kaya Scodelario are all available to watch now.
Wuthering Heights (1992) is now streaming for free on Pluto TV.For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
Jan. 30 (UPI) — The federal government mostly will go unfunded at least through Monday after the Senate on Friday approved a bill package to fully fund all but the Department of Homeland Security.
Five budget bills would fund the majority of the federal government through the 2026 fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30, but Homeland Security only is funded through Feb. 13 in a sixth bill.
The two-week extension enables lawmakers to debate proposed changes regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection enforcement activities.
The six measures must be approved by the House of Representatives, which will take them up on Monday and send them to President Donald Trump for signing if House members concur with the changes made in the Senate.
While the measure awaits approval in the House and eventual signing by the president, the federal government mostly will shut down at 12:01 a.m. EST on Saturday, but lawmakers expect that lull to be short and over by Tuesday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Friday told media that he expects to fast-track the voting by suspending the House floor rules and immediately approve the budget measures, which only require a simple majority in the House versus at least 60 votes in the Senate.
The vote to suspend the rules, though, requires a two-thirds vote of House members.
The Homeland Security budget still would need to be debated and could lapse if it is not approved and signed into law by the end of the day on Feb. 13.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told media he does not expect Homeland Security to be funded by Feb. 13.
“I believe this is a horrible bill,” he said on Friday. “I can’t believe we’re not funding ICE.”
He said he doesn’t believe it will be funded in two weeks, either.
Congressional Democrats are demanding an end to sweeps through targeted cities, want ICE and CBP officers unmasked and wearing body cameras, and want judicial warrants instead of administrative warrants issued to target and arrest individuals.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was unhappy that the Senate removed a provision approved by the House that would have enabled him and others to sue the Department of Justice for seizing his phone records during the Biden administration’s Operation Arctic Frost.
Graham was among eight Republican senators whose phone records were accessed by the DOJ, which he called illegal.
“Every Senator should make sure this never happens again,” he told media on Thursday.
Congressional Democrats generally were happy that the Homeland Security funding was separated from a six-bill package to fund the entire government.
They also successfully rejected an effort to reduce the maximum Pell Grant amount by $1,000 and blocked the president’s proposal to lower rental assistance funding and reduce the National Institutes of Health budget.
Democrats were especially pleased that measures approved by the Senate give the Low Income Home Energy Assistance program $20 million more in funding, while the Child Care and Development Block Grant and Head Start each get another $85 million.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s an off-topic thread.
This week’s second caption reads:
The Launch Control Center, with blast door at left, underground at the Oscar-1 Minuteman Missile Alert Facility on Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, June 18, 2020. The Oscar-01 MAF was constructed in 1963 and determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) by Missouri SHPO in 1998. The facility consists of a one-story surface structure, assembled as a Launch Control Support Building (LCSB), and two sub-surface, re-enforced concrete encapsulated steel pods- a Launch Control Center (LCC) and Launch Control Equipment Building (LCEB). These two sub-surface wings are connected by a Tunnel Junction and accessed by an elevator. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexander W. Riedel)
Also, a reminder:
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Finally, as always, report offenders, please. This doesn’t mean reporting people who don’t share your political views, but we really need your help in this regard.
She portrayed a spoiled socialite turned impoverished rural motel manager in “Schitt’s Creek.” She played a self-centered stepmom who, when possessed by an evil entity, channeled Harry Belafonte’s voice singing “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” in 1988’s “Beetlejuice.” She was the harried, forgetful mom who left her son behind in “Home Alone,” a goofy ‘90s comedy that would become a Christmas classic.
Catherine O’Hara, who died Friday at the age of 71, brought to life dozens of characters over her 50-year career across film and television, and no two of her performances were alike. She might play an eccentric artist one moment, an insufferable snob the next, then a deceptively “normal” housewife, animating each with their own personality, quirks and ticks.
Though a comedic performer at heart, O’Hara, as they say, had range. From her recurring role as a grieving therapist in Season 2 of HBO’s dystopian drama “The Last of Us” to voicing and acting a plethora of bizarre characters in Tim Burton‘s films, O’Hara made her mark. Here are 10 of her most memorable roles.
A man has been arrested by police in Spain after they recovered a stolen statue of the late golfer Seve Ballesteros.
Published On 31 Jan 202631 Jan 2026
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A statue of the late golfer Seve Ballesteros, which had vanished from his hometown of Pedrena in northern Spain’s Cantabria region, was found chopped into pieces as the alleged thief prepared to sell it for its bronze, police have said.
Valued at about 30,000 euros ($35,820) but holding significant sentimental importance for locals and fans, the statue was discovered in a storage room in Santander. It had been cut in half at the waist.
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While the torso and head remained intact, the arms were broken into several pieces.
A 22-year-old man with a criminal record for copper theft was arrested on Thursday, police revealed on Friday, adding that more individuals could be involved.
A screengrab from a handout video shows pieces of a statue of Seve Ballesteros, a late Spanish professional golfer, recovered by members of the Spanish law enforcement, in Santander, Spain [Reuters]
Police had focused their investigation on metal trading centres, suspecting the thieves planned to sell the bronze for profit.
The 100kg (220.46-pound) statue, depicting Ballesteros in a signature pose celebrating his 1984 British Open win at St Andrews in Scotland, was torn from its base in La Barqueria Park earlier this month before being dragged across grass and dismembered for transport.
Created in 2009 by sculptor Salvador Garcia Ceballos, it was permanently installed in Pedrena in 2017.
Ballesteros, who won five major titles during his career and became a fan favourite for his capacity for digging himself out of trouble on the golf course, died in 2011 aged 54 after a battle with cancer.
I was just getting settled in my seat for the first showing of “Melania” at the Grove cineplex when Melania Trump walked in.
OK, it wasn’t the Melania Trump, as in the first lady. But it was a reasonable facsimile.
The impersonator, followed by a man filming with his phone, strode in like a model, flinging her hair back and smiling as she addressed the six people — many of them critics from various press outlets — in the auditorium who were among the first in Los Angeles to see “Melania,” the controversial documentary that features the first lady as star and producer.
“Hi, everybody. I want to welcome you all to my movie,” the impersonator said in a Slovenian accent. She wore a stylish dark pantsuit and high heels, a frequent motif in the film which chronicles the real Melania Trump in the 20 days leading up to the second presidential inauguration of her husband, Donald Trump.
After a few more words of greeting, the impostor Melania flashed another smile as she exited.
I was stunned and extremely frustrated that I didn’t have time to capture the moment. It’s rare to find yourself in the presence of a first lady —even a fake one.
During the film, my fellow viewers were mostly silent, although there were a few murmurs of laughter as Melania Trump outlined the burdens of coordinating the correct outfit and decor for her re-entry to the White House.
“My creative vision is always clear, and it’s my responsibility to share my ideas with my team so they can bring it to life,” she says at one point.
Later in the film, when Donald Trump was formally introduced at the inauguration as the 47th president, one older woman sitting near the front of the theater applauded. And I could see her smiling as, onscreen, the first couple made their way through the White House following the ceremony.
“Being hand in hand with my husband at this moment is very emotional,” she says. “Nobody has endured what he has over the past few years. People tried to murder him, incarcerate him, slander him. But here he is. I’m so very proud.”
I hoped that Melania would be around in the lobby as we left the theater to ask us how we liked the film. But I was disappointed. Melania had left the building.
Jan. 30 (UPI) — While Russia and Ukraine continue targeting each other’s energy infrastructure amid their war, the International Atomic Energy Agency leader said backup systems are critical for ensuring safety.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Friday told the agency’s board of governors the war in Ukraine is nearing its fifth year and poses the world’s greatest risk for a nuclear accident.
Ukraine has 15 nuclear reactors that generate about half of the nation’s electricity, and Russia has 36 operable reactors that generate up to 20% of its electricity, according to the World Nuclear Association.
The number of reactors in the two warring nations highlights the need for backup systems in those nations and all others that contain nuclear reactors to prevent accidents and ensure reliable off-site power, Grossi said.
“There must be secure off-site power from the grid for all nuclear sites,” he told the board of governors.
Grossi cited Russia’s control of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine as especially troubling, saying “all efforts should be made to ensure off-site power remains available and secure at all times.”
The nuclear power plant is Europe’s largest and was reconnected to its last active power backup system on Jan. 19 after undergoing repairs amid a temporary cease-fire between the two nations.
The backup system helps to ensure the reactor is cooled and supports other important safety systems, which Grossi said must remain “available and secure at all times” to prevent a nuclear accident.
It went offline after being damaged on Jan. 2 due to military actions, which forced the facility to rely on its main power line to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent-fuel pools.
The IAEA also is monitoring the facility’s ability to operate during the winter months, including ensuring water does not freeze its respective cooling and sprinkler ponds.
Grossi also warned of a potential calamity if some or all of Ukraine’s electrical substations were to go offline.
“Damage to them undermines nuclear safety and must be avoided,” Grossi said, adding that a group of agency experts are examining 10 substations amid Russian military strikes on Ukraine’s power infrastructure.
Other nuclear facilities that pose significant concerns include Ukraine’s Chernobyl site, which recently relied on diesel-powered generators to supply backup power until repairs were completed on its damaged substation power lines.
While the IAEA and others have managed to prevent a nuclear accident amid the ongoing war, Grossi said the “best way to ensure nuclear safety and security is to bring this conflict to an end.”
Iran’s foreign minister says missile programme not up for negotiation as Trump says he’s sending more ships to the region.
Iran’s foreign minister says the country is ready for “fair and equitable” talks with the United States amid soaring tensions, as US President Donald Trump refused to rule out taking military action against Tehran.
On a visit to Turkiye on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters that, “Iran has no problem with negotiations, but negotiations cannot take place under the shadow of threats”.
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“I should also state unequivocally that Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities – and Iran’s missiles – will never be the subject of any negotiations,” Araghchi said during a news conference alongside his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
“The security of the Iranian people is no one else’s business, and we will preserve and expand our defensive capabilities to whatever extent is necessary to defend the country.”
Tensions have been rising for weeks between Tehran and Washington amid Trump’s repeated threats to attack Iran over a recent crackdown on antigovernment protests and his push to curtail the Iranian nuclear programme.
Earlier this week, the US president said a “massive armada” – led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier – was moving towards Iran and was ready to use “violence, if necessary” if Iranian leaders did not agree to negotiate a nuclear deal.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said his administration was sending “a larger number of ships” to Iran.
“And hopefully we’ll make a deal,” he said. “If we do make a deal, that’s good. If we don’t make a deal, we’ll see what happens.”
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett noted that Trump said he gave Iran a deadline, but “only Iran knows what that deadline is”.
“So he’s left the world in waiting, trying to determine what the next steps will be,” Halkett said.
Trump, who in 2018 unilaterally withdrew from a previous deal that saw Iran agree to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions, has been pressuring Iran to halt all uranium enrichment.
Washington has accused Tehran of seeking a nuclear weapon – a claim Iranian leaders have repeatedly denied.
Amid the latest tensions, senior officials in Tehran have repeatedly said they are open to negotiations, but only once Trump ends his military threats against the country.
Meanwhile, regional allies including Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have been engaging in diplomatic efforts to try to prevent a military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier on Friday told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in a call that Ankara was ready to play a “facilitator” role between the two sides.
Fidan, the Turkish foreign minister, also said he had long discussions on the issue with US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday and would keep lines open with Washington.
Speaking alongside Araghchi on Friday, Fidan said US-Iran nuclear negotiations must restart and would pave the way to lifting sanctions on Iran.
“We call the parties to the negotiating table” to address the issues “one by one”, he said.
WHEN Katie Price got married to Lee Andrews at breakneck speed, just days after they began dating, her loyal fans were left bewildered.
For her family, the reaction has been even more stark. Here, insiders tell us how Pricey’s son Junior responded to the Dubai nuptials – and why her closest ally, sister Sophie, has been left reeling as concern for the mother- of-five reaches an all-time high.
Junior Andre has been left reeling after his mum’s latest moveCredit: ITVKatie married Lee Andrews just days after meeting him in DubaiCredit: BackGrid
Hours after revealing her extravagant engagement, The Sun told how Katie and Lee had in fact got hitched with none of her family there. Her fourth marriage took place less than a week after she had met Lee.
It was an unusually quiet ceremony for the former glamour model . An officiator was seen in front of the pair reading from a script as Katie, who wore a £12 dress from Shein, said her vows.
She gushed about how happy she was, telling fans: “All I can say is ‘fatale’, and this was a wedding at First Sight.”
Yet celebratory messages from her nearest and dearest have not been forthcoming, despite Price, 47, returning to the UK earlier this week without Lee, 43, who has since been accused of being a ‘swindler’.
There’s only so much Katie’s kids can take. It is really not fair.
Insider
One source said: “It’s just another day on Planet Katie, and everyone has to deal with the consequences.
“She will always have a close bond with her children, but there’s only so much they can take. It is really not fair.”
Her son Junior, 20, has refrained from posting to his half a million Instagram followers in the days following the whirlwind wedding – which is not legally binding.
And it is not only Junior’s fans who have got the silent treatment from the singer.
Rather tellingly, we have been told that the rapper, who is “very close” to dad Peter and stepmum Dr Emily, has not contacted his mother to offer his congratulations on her marriage to Andrews.
A source said: “Junior is used to Katie’s increasingly erratic behaviour, but even this took him by surprise.
“He is so fed up with his mum’s constant dramas. He wants no part in it. He’s hardly going to send a congratulations message about a bloke he hasn’t even met.”
But while Junior is more resilient, sister Princess, 18, has given clues to her hurt feelings, taking to TikTok in the days following her mum’s wedding ceremony to post two emotional videos on the social media platform, including one featuring a tearful girl.
Sophie is understandably horrified by it all. It’s been incredibly draining for her. The sisters are incredibly close so it was very hard for Sophie not to know what was going on.
Insider
The writing on top of the clip reads: “I feel everything very deeply” with an accompanying voiceover on top of the clip that says: “I’m such an incredibly, stupidly, sensitive person that everything that happens to me I feel everything really intensely.”
Another featured a teen girl getting into bed and wiping tears from her eyes as she lets out a sigh.
The writing on top reads: “When the smallest thing upsets me, and now I have to be non-verbal and easily irritated for hours until I can let it go”.
Insiders say that despite the cryptic posts it is unlikely that Princess, who remains close to her mother, will publicly condemn her. But a pal of the star confided: “It is so selfish to create all this drama just before Princess is about to launch series two of The Princess Diaries. This should be her turn in the spotlight. Not her mums.”
In recent years as Katie’s fame has dwindled, she has become increasingly reliant on her younger half-sister Sophie, 36, who has devoted a large part of her life to looking after her.
Despite managing the wayward reality star, organising much of her chaotic life, and co-hosting a podcast together, Sophie was not invited to Katie’s wedding.
Fans thought Sophie looked very upset when she announced there would be no podcastSophie has been a huge support to Katie over the yearsCredit: RexSophie and Katie with their mum, Amy – who is said to be ‘beside herself with worry’Credit: Instagram
An insider said: “Sophie is understandably horrified by it all. It’s been incredibly draining for her. The sisters are incredibly close so it was very hard for Sophie not to know what was going on.
“They were due to record a podcast like normal this week, but at the last minute, they decided not to go ahead.
Their mum is utterly beside herself with worry.
“Sophie felt the need to say sorry to her fans, while Katie kept silent. It is quite typical of their relationship that Sophie is the one picking up the slack, and she’s honestly struggling with it at the moment. It has caused tension between the siblings, with Sophie just desperate for Katie to be ok.
“Their mum is utterly beside herself with worry – they have all been through so much with Katie, but thought the worst was over in recent years.
“They don’t believe Lee is the man he said he was and are just waiting for Katie to click. It was a huge relief when he did a U-turn on coming to the UK. Sophie was not ready to meet him and deal with all that.”
Sophie made her feelings very clear on the situation today as she shared a picture of the countryside and wrote: “This and never stepping foot in Dubai.”
Last night, Sophie took to social media to explain what was happening to the podcast.
Looking exhausted, she said: “Hi guys, how are you all? I know you’ve all been chomping at the bit to find out what has been going on. All our DMs have been going off,” she began in her video address.
Junior and Princess have not publicly spoken out about the weddingCredit: PAKatie was seen back in the UK this week – with no husband in sightCredit: SplashLee’s life has come into question since they married
“Let’s just say, it’s been one hell of a week. We have done over a 100 episodes of the podcast, which sounds absolutely nuts when it’s just me and Kate doing our b*s chat.
“We will be back next week as normal, and we will be able to update you guys on what’s been going on. It will be business as usual.”
Such was the emotion on display that one commentator posted: “’You are a good sister. Hope you’re ok, Sophie, you look like you’re holding back tears”
Sophie has always been outspoken about Katie’s relationships, while trying to be as supportive as possible.
Just a couple of weeks ago, she expressed her horror when Katie announced she was looking for a Richard Gere type.
She retorted: “Absolutely not, you need a break, you need time to yourself’.”
Katie completely ignored her, and when she announced her engagement, she gushed about finding her ‘real life Richard Gere’. The film is, of course, about a wealthy gentleman who sweeps a prostitute off her feet.
The sisters – who have an 11-year age gap- have talked in the past about being “like chalk and cheese”.
Sophie was just six years old when her big sister found fame, meaning that she doesn’t remember a time when Katie wasn’t in the spotlight.
However, Katie’s fame made her a target at school – and she was bullied by cruel classmates.
She recalled: “It was just girls saying nasty things, when you’re a teenager… You know what girls can be like.”
Yet a beautiful relationship blossomed, with the sisters becoming firm friends and podcast favourites.
But after the latest cruel snub, it might be a while before fans get a new episode of the podcast.
Katie has been saying she is missing her new manCredit: BACKGRID / INSTAGRAM
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s electrical substations could cut power to nuclear plants, increasing risks of meltdown.
Published On 30 Jan 202630 Jan 2026
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The United Nations nuclear watchdog has held a special session on Ukraine amid growing fears that Russian attacks on its energy facilities could trigger a nuclear accident.
Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said at the start of Friday’s extraordinary board meeting in Vienna that the war in Ukraine posed “the world’s biggest threat to nuclear safety”.
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The meeting was held as an IAEA expert mission conducted a weeks-long inspection of 10 electrical substations that Grossi described as “crucial to nuclear safety”.
Although nuclear power plants generate power themselves, they rely on an uninterrupted supply of external power from electrical substations to maintain reactor cooling.
Ukraine has four nuclear power plants, three of them under Kyiv’s control, with the fourth and biggest in Zaporizhzhia occupied by Russian forces since the early days of their full-scale invasion in 2022.
Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly accused each other of risking a nuclear catastrophe by attacking the Zaporizhzhia site.
The plant’s six reactors have been shut down since the occupation, but the site still needs electricity to maintain its cooling and security systems.
Earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine paused local hostilities to allow repairs on the last remaining backup power line supplying the plant, which was damaged by military activity in January.
Ukraine is also home to the former Chornobyl plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident in 1986. The site’s protective shield containing radioactive material was damaged last year in a drone strike allegedly carried out by Russia.
Status of energy ceasefire unclear
The four-hour IAEA meeting, which aimed to increase pressure on Russia, was called at the request of the Netherlands, with the support of at least 11 other countries.
Russia’s “ongoing and daily” attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in recent weeks have caused significant damage, Netherlands’ Ambassador Peter Potman told the board.
“Not only does this leave millions of Ukrainians in the cold and dark during a very harsh winter, but it is also … bringing the prospect of a nuclear accident to the very precipice of becoming a reality,” he said.
Ukraine’s ambassador, Yuriy Vitrenko, said it was “high time” for the IAEA to “shine an additional spotlight on the threat to nuclear safety and security in Europe” caused by Russia’s “systematic and deliberate” attacks.
Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov dismissed the board’s gathering as “absolutely politically motivated”, adding there was “no real need to hold such a meeting today”.
The status of a current weeklong moratorium on attacks targeting energy infrastructure is currently unclear.
United States President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russia had agreed to his request not to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for a week.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that neither Moscow nor Kyiv had conducted strikes on energy targets from Thursday night onwards.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later suggested the pause in attacks would end on Sunday.
VICTORIA and Nicola clashed again this week – but for once it wasn’t with each other.
The pair released brand new modelling shoots on exactly the same day as they made a bid to put Brooklyn’s statement behind them.
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Victoria Beckham and Nicola Peltz clashed again this week – but for once it wasn’t with each otherCredit: GennyThe pair clashed at Paris Fashion Week, where Victoria launched her debut eyewear range on the same day that Nicola was showcasing her role with fashion brand GennyCredit: Victoria Beckham Eyewear/Mert and Marcus
As well as a pink trouser suit, Nicola wore a number of elaborate, colourful gowns for the brand.
Victoria meanwhile launched her debut eyewear range on the same day.
She posed up in a pair of her own frames and said: “I wanted strong, instantly recognisable silhouettes that felt effortless to wear, so the focus for this collection was really on refining shape and proportion.”
Jan. 30 (UPI) — The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday said the Producer Price Index rose by a half percent in December, which raises concern that inflation could rise as a result.
The index measures the cost businesses pay for wholesale goods and is among the factors that potentially affect inflation and unemployment rates.
The nation’s inflation rate currently is 2.7%, while unemployment was 4.4% in December.
“On an over-year-ago basis, core final demand PPI goods rose 3.7%, which points to ongoing pipeline pressures for consumer inflation that appears to be bolstered in part by tariffs,” JPMorgan analysts said in a statement.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNBC that the higher Producer Price Index is not matched by the Consumer Price Index, which decreased in December.
“The CPI over the last three months, the annual rate, was lower than 2,” Hassett said.
“I think that right now we’re seeing materials prices like gold and so on are up quite a bit, in part because of all the investment that’s happening for artificial intelligence and data centers and so on,” he added.
December’s half-percent rise in the Producer Price Index was more than double its 0.2% rise in November and 0.1% increase in October, the BLS said.
For the year, wholesale prices, not including foods, energy and trade services, rose by 3.5%, which is slightly less than the 3.6% increase in 2024.
“Over 40 percent of the December increase in prices for final demand services can be traced to a 4.5-percent rise in margins for machinery and equipment wholesaling,” the BLS reported.
The cost of nonferrous metals also rose by 4.5% in December.
Also posting cost increases were the “indexes for guestroom rental; food and alcohol retailing; health, beauty and optical goods retailing; portfolio management; and airline passenger services also advanced,” the bureau said.
“Prices for residential natural gas, motor vehicles, soft drinks and aircraft and aircraft equipment also increased.”
While such costs rose, others declined by significant margins, including the cost for bundled wired telecommunications access services, which declined by 4.4%.
President Donald Trump poses with an executive order he signed during a ceremony inside the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday. Trump signed an executive order to create the “Great American Recovery Initiative” to tackle drug addiction. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo
The Kremlin says it’s agreed to halt attacks on Kyiv and surrounding towns until February 1, after a request from US President Donald Trump pointing to the ‘record-setting cold’ gripping the region. Many Ukrainians have no heating, after Russian attacks on power infrastructure.
FORMER glamour model Katie Price’s new husband has challenged her cage fighter ex to a mixed martial arts match for criticising her whirlwind wedding.
Lee Andrews, 41, wants to take on Alex Reid, 50, in a one-on-one because he called her latest marriage irresponsible.
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Katie Price’s new husband Lee Andrews has challenged her cage fighter ex Alex Reid to an MMA bout after he criticised her whirlwind weddingIt comes after Reid, Katie’s second husband, slammed her fourth wedding, saying it was ‘irresponsible’ to marry someone she barely knowsCredit: PA:Press AssociationLee and Katie got married in Dubai at the weekend in a whirlwind wedding just days after meeting each otherCredit: BackGrid
The businessman goaded Reid as he told The Sun he wanted to fight him “anytime, anywhere” in Britain, Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
He also said he had spoken with Katie about the challenge only briefly, but insisted: “We do support each other.”
Lee — dubbed a “Walter Mitty” over his long list of outlandish or untrue claims including that he is Director of Philanthropy at The Prince’s Trust — confidently claimed he had his own experience in sparring, partial boxing and “elite fitness”.
He said he wanted it to be on an Ultimate Fighting Championship five-round match setting and said proceeds would go towards supporting mum-of-five Katie and charity.
It comes after Reid, who was Katie’s second husband, made his feelings plain over her fourth wedding.
He said: “It’s irresponsible on your family and the children to marry someone you don’t know.” Reid added: “I genuinely wish the man good luck marrying her.
“I hope the marriage lasts longer than the court-ordered debts that she still owes me and to many others, demonstrating accountability and responsibility.
“It’s not really her strong point. Maybe, he could be the best thing in the world to happen to her.
“He could help her pay her debts and be accountable with money.”
Her family are understood to be concerned about her, while an ex of Lee warned: “Run for the hills.”
Katie flew back to Britain by herself on Monday.
Lee claimed two days later that she went home early because of her children and insisted he had to “wrap a few things up” and would fly back the next day to join her.
But he appeared to U-turn when he posted an Instagram story yesterday seemingly still in Dubai.
He wrote: “Waiting for Katie.” And he said in the video: “I’m waiting for Katie to come out here, love you so much Katie.”
Reid, who divorced Katie in 2012 after a two-year marriage, was a professional in mixed martial arts from 2000Credit: Rex
