News Desk

United States President Donald Trump realises “the rules-based international order” never existed, and he’s “willing to turn his back on that”, former Trump administration official Christian Whiton argues.

Whiton tells Steve Clemons that US foreign policy remained fairly consistent over the past 80 years while Trump is happy to upset “the globalists and the establishment unity party in Washington – Republican and Democrat – and all the generals”.

In Europe, the US would like to see more populist, anti-immigration governments, Whiton said, adding that Western societies should “cast aside” the idea that they are “inherently racist, a patriarchy [with] … a racist, imperialist history”.

BBC broadcasting legend Sir Mark Tully has died aged 90.

The veteran journalist, who spent 30 years at the Beeb, was hailed as a “towering voice of journalism” by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Posting a tribute on X, the Indian PM said: “Saddened by the passing of Sir Mark Tully, a towering voice of journalism.

“His connect with India and the people of our nation was reflected in his works.

“His reporting and insights have left an enduring mark on public discourse. Condolences to his family, friends and many admirers.”

Sir Mark was born in India in 1935 and later moved to England at the age of nine.

After studying history and theology at Cambridge, he first started working for the BBC in the 1960s.

He returned to India in 1965 to work as an administrative assistant at the broadcaster, before taking on a reporting role.

Sir Mark went on to lead reporting for India and the whole South Asian region.

Some of his famous coverage included included military rule in Pakistan, Tamil Tigers’ rebellion in Sri Lanka and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Almost three decades later, in 1994, Sir Mark resigned from the BBC.

He later became the voice of BBC Radio 4 programme Something Understood, which explored religion and spirituality.

And he went on to slam the broadcaster for the decision to scrap it in 2019, accusing the company of “underestimating the asset”.

Mohit Bakaya, controller at BBC Radio 4 and director of BBC Speech audio, said Sir Mark “embodied the spirit” of the station.

He added: “He was known to the Radio 4 audience for his reflective, spiritually inspired essays on Something Understood.

“His broadcasts were never about certainty or instruction; they were about curiosity, compassion and making space for complexity.

“Sir Mark embodied the spirit of Radio 4 at its best; thoughtful, generous and searching.

“His voice will be greatly missed by colleagues and listeners alike.”

He was knighted in 2002 by King Charles III, then-Prince of Wales, at Buckingham Palace.

Jonathan Munro, interim chief executive of BBC News and current affairs, said Sir Mark was “a joy to speak with”.

In a statement, he said “We are sad to hear the passing of Sir Mark Tully.

“As one of the pioneers of foreign correspondents, Sir Mark opened India to the world through his reporting…

“…bringing the vibrancy and diversity of the country to audiences in the UK and around the world.

“His public service commitments and dedication to journalism saw him work as a bureau chief in Delhi, and report for outlets across the BBC.

“Widely respected in both India and the UK, he was a joy to speak with and will be greatly missed.”

The United States no longer views China as a top security priority, according to the Pentagon’s 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS), as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to focus on the Western Hemisphere in a break from a decade of foreign policy that saw Beijing as the biggest threat to US security and economic interests.

The strategy document says US allies and partners such as South Korea “must shoulder their fair share of the burden of our collective defense”. This is in line with Trump’s rhetoric calling on US allies in Europe and the Asia Pacific to step up and boost their defences to counter security threats from Russia and North Korea.

Released late on Friday, the 34-page Department of Defense blueprint comes weeks after the announcement of Trump’s National Security Strategy, which seeks to “restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere” by reinforcing the Monroe Doctrine, a 19th-century US policy opposed to European colonisation and interference in the Americas.

So what’s new in the NDS? And how will it impact US allies in the Asia Pacific?

What’s in Trump’s National Defense Strategy?

The major shift in the NDS lies in the shifting approach of the US Defense Department, which considers security of the “homeland and Western Hemisphere” its primary concern.

The document noted that the US military would be guided by four central priorities: defend the homeland, push allies around the world away from reliance on the US military, strengthen defence industrial bases and deter China as opposed to a policy of containment.

The Pentagon document said relations with China will now be approached through “strength, not confrontation”.

“It is neither America’s duty nor in our nation’s interest to act everywhere on our own, nor will we make up for allied security shortfalls from their leaders’ own irresponsible choices,” the document said.

Instead, the US would prioritise “threats to Americans’ interests”, it said.

The Pentagon said it would provide “military and commercial access” to key locations, such as Greenland, and construct the president’s “Golden Dome” missile defence system for North America.

Trump’s threat to take over Greenland has roiled transatlantic ties while the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3 has sent shockwaves across the world and raised questions about the undermining of international law. Trump has justified US actions in Venezuela as necessary to secure US security and economic interests.

The unclassified version of the NDS, which is released every four years, is uncharacteristically laden with photos of the defence secretary and president and repeatedly targets the administration of former President Joe Biden.

Under Biden, the Pentagon described “revisionist powers” like China and Russia as the “central challenge” to US security.

The NDS followed the release in December of the National Security Strategy, which argued that Europe is facing civilisational collapse and did not cast Russia as a threat to US interests.

The NDS noted that Germany’s economy dwarfs Russia’s, arguing that, therefore, Washington’s NATO allies are “strongly positioned to take primary responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense, with critical but more limited US support”.

The strategy blueprint noted that this includes taking the lead in supporting Ukraine’s defence.

The document also addressed the question of Iran, repeating the US position that Tehran cannot develop nuclear weapons. It also described Israel as a “model ally”. “And we have an opportunity now to further empower it to defend itself and promote our shared interests, building on President Trump’s historic efforts to secure peace in the Middle East,” it said.

What’s the impact on US allies?

First, Europe is pushed further down on Washington’s list of priorities and has been told to shoulder more responsibility for its own defence. Many NATO allies had already increased their defence spending and offered to provide security guarantees to Ukraine against Russian threats.

For South Korea and Japan, the US Defense Department recognised the “direct military threat” from North Korea, led by Kim Jong Un, and noted that Pyongyang’s “nuclear forces are increasingly capable of threatening the US Homeland”.

About 28,500 US soldiers are stationed in South Korea as part of a defence treaty to deter the North Korean military threat. Seoul has raised its defence budget by 7.5 percent for this year after pressure from Trump to share more of the defence burden.

The NDS noted that South Korea “is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea, with critical but more limited US support”, which could result in a reduction of US forces on the Korean Peninsula. “This shift in the balance of responsibility is consistent with America’s interest in updating US force posture on the Korean Peninsula,” the document said.

Harsh Pant, a geopolitical analyst based in New Delhi, said the defence strategy is line with the Trump administration’s push to get allies to take control of their own security.

“The Trump administration has been advocating that the relationship that they see now in terms of security cooperation with their allies is one where allies will have to bear a heavier burden and pay their share,” Pant told Al Jazeera.

“America’s allies in the Indo-Pacific will have to be much more cognisant of their own role in shaping the regional security architecture. America will be there, and it will continue to have an overarching presence, but it won’t foot the bill in ways that it has done in the past,” said Pant, who is the vice president of the Observer Research Foundation think tank.

North Korea routinely criticises the US military presence in South Korea and their joint military drills, which the allies say are defensive but which Pyongyang calls dress rehearsals for an invasion.

Seoul’s Ministry of National Defence said on Saturday that the US forces based in the country are the “core” of the alliance, adding: “We will be cooperating closely with the US to continue developing it in that direction.”

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said: “It is inconceivable that South Korea – which spends 1.4 times North Korea’s gross domestic product on defence and possesses the world’s fifth largest military – cannot defend itself. Self-reliant national defence is the most fundamental principle amid an increasingly unstable international environment.”

Lee made the comments after visiting China this month in an effort to improve ties with the country, which is Seoul’s largest economic partner, its top destination for exports and a primary source of its imports. Seoul wants to cultivate better ties with Beijing, which wields influence over North Korea and its leader.

What about Taiwan?

When the previous NDS was unveiled under Biden in 2022, it said the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security was China’s “coercive and increasingly aggressive endeavor to refashion the Indo-Pacific region and the international system to suit its interests and authoritarian preferences”. A part of that strategy, Washington said at the time, was Beijing’s ambitions concerning Taiwan.

The Pentagon said four years ago that it “will support Taiwan’s asymmetric self-defense commensurate with the evolving [Chinese] threat and consistent with our one China policy”.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has threatened to take it by force if necessary. In a New Year’s address, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to achieve the “reunification” of China and Taiwan, calling Beijing’s long-held goal “unstoppable”. Chinese forces have carried out wargames in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the two.

In this year’s NDS, the US Defense Department does not mention Taiwan by name.

“The American people’s security, freedom, and prosperity are …  directly linked to our ability to trade and engage from a position of strength in the Indo-Pacific,” the document said, adding that the Defense Department would “maintain a favourable balance of military power in the Indo-Pacific”, which it called “the world’s economic center of gravity”, to deter Chinese threats.

It said the US does not seek to dominate, humiliate or strangle China but “to ensure that neither China nor anyone else can dominate us or our allies”. Instead, the US wants “a decent peace, on terms favourable to Americans but that China can also accept and live under”, the blueprint said, adding that, therefore, the US would deter China by “strength, not confrontation”.

“We will erect a strong denial defense along the First Island Chain (FIC),” the NDS said, referring to the first chain of islands off the East Asian coast. “We will also urge and enable key regional allies and partners to do more for our collective defense.”

Pant said it would be a mistake on the part of China “to read this as America leaving its allies”. He added that “there is an undercurrent [in Trump’s foreign policy] of how America wants to see a stable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific where China is not the dominant force.”

“And I think, therefore, for China, if it reads this as a weakening of American commitment to its allies, that would not really be in consonance with the spirit of this defence strategy.”

Deadly Israeli air strikes target areas across south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley amid simmering regional tensions.

Israel has launched a wave of air strikes across Lebanon, killing two people, in another near-daily violation of the November 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Israeli attacks targeted areas in the eastern Bekaa Valley and several villages in south Lebanon, including Bouslaiya and Aita al-Shaab, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Sunday.

A strike on a warehouse in Khirbet Selm in the Bint Jbeil district killed at least one person and injured another, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.

The Israeli military said the attack targeted a Hezbollah “weapons manufacturing site”, without providing evidence.

NNA reported that another person was killed in a separate strike in Derdghaya, east of the southern coastal city of Tyre. Several Lebanese news outlets identified the victim as Mohammed al-Hussayni, a school teacher.

The attacks come amid fears of a major Israeli assault to disarm Hezbollah amid simmering regional tensions and possible strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran, the Lebanese group’s top ally.

The Lebanese government said earlier this month that it completed the stage of removing the group’s weapons south of the Litani River, 28km (17 miles) from the Israeli border.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to occupy five points within Lebanese territory.

The Israeli army has also levelled several villages along the borders and blocked their reconstruction, preventing their residents from returning.

In August of last year, the Lebanese government issued a decree tasking the army with formulating a plan to disarm Hezbollah.

But the group has refused to give up its weapons north of Litani, arguing that its military force is necessary to resist Israeli attacks, occupation and expansionism.

Lebanese officials have vowed to push on with a multi-phased plan to disarm the group across the country. The next stage of disarmament will target the region between the Litani River and the Awali River, about 40 km (25 miles) to the north.

Hezbollah has been severely weakened by Israel’s all-out assault against Lebanon in 2024, which killed most of the group’s top political and military leaders, including its chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Since the end of the war, Lebanon has been forced to accept a de facto one-sided ceasefire, where Israel attacks the country almost daily without any response from the Lebanese side.

Hezbollah has been calling on the Lebanese government to intensify its diplomacy and press the sponsors of the ceasefire – the US and France – to pressure Israel to stop its violations.

He’s known for raising temperatures on risque period drama Bridgerton and as it returns for a fourth season, Jonathan Bailey lifts the lid on those raunchy sex scenes

Bridgerton heartthrob Jonathan Bailey has spilled on the show’s infamous sex scenes, saying he finds it “hard not to laugh” while filming them. The saucy period drama returns at the end of this month for its fourth season, with Bailey reprising his role as Anthony Bridgerton.

He said: “I know the sex scenes have been a hot topic, but as a cast we get more excited by other scenes which require in-depth emotions.

“I know the sex scenes look glamorous, but on set with cameras, tens of people, intimacy coordinators and everything else – it actually feels a bit silly and it’s incredibly hard not to laugh.”

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The 37 year old has had his fair share of on-screen romps – his first just three minutes into Bridgerton’s first ever episode – but he’s keen to make sure there’s always a reason behind the steam. “I’m not a fan of, ‘Lets get our kit off because we have a scene to film,’” he explained. “It’s got to mean something.”

The next season of the show – the first part landing on Netflix January 29 – focuses on Anthony’s younger brother Benedict (Luke Thompson) who falls for maid Sophie (Yerin Ha) after meeting at a masquerade ball in a fairytale storyline resembling Cinderella. “It isn’t a slow start,” Bailey revealed. “I can’t wait for fans to see the first episode – it really starts off with a bang.”

As well as his part in the runaway success of Bridgerton, it’s fair to say Jonathan is having a bit of a moment. Last year he followed in the footsteps of Idris Elba and David Beckham to become People’s Sexiest Man Alive – something he finds “hilarious.” “But at the same time very flattering,” the Oxfordshire born actor added. “I mean who wouldn’t be flattered?”

His win came off the back of his stellar performances in Hollywood blockbusters Jurassic World Rebirth and the Wicked franchise. The second instalment of the latter, ‘Wicked For Good’, may have received mixed reviews and been snubbed in the latest Oscars noms, but it certainly sky-rocketed Bailey to worldwide fame.

“It was a dream role, and an experience I will never forget,” he said of the film. “We all had the best time, and even though it’s over, I am eternally grateful that, in Ariana [Grande] and Cynthia [Erivo], I have made friends for life.”

In his personal life, the fiercely private actor revealed in 2023 he was dating a “lovely man”, but his current relationship status is unknown. Offering an insight into his life away from the cameras, he did say he keeps “grounded” by his six nieces and nephews.

“When I get to do what the world views as ‘normal things’ like read them a story or build Lego with them – I don’t think they have any idea how happy they make me.”

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Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as Arsenal and Man United renew their rivalry.

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The timeline of the hospitals controversy

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Celebrity Traitors champ says he doesn’t need a new man in his life because Amanda Holden is a perfect ‘partner’ – except for one crucial thing

Since his resounding triumph in the first series of Celebrity Traitors, Alan Carr has found himself somewhere close to the top of the showbiz A-list. He revealed that the “big streamers” have been in touch with offers of work, and he’s also becoming increasingly popular on social media, with close to two million followers.

But that doesn’t mean he’s turning his back on old friends. Alan remains very close to showbiz pal Amanda Holden. Discussing his plans for a 50th birthday party, he says he’s planning three events: one for family and friends, a second for industry contacts, and a final massive one for everybody else. “And I just know Amanda Holden is going to come to all three,” he told The Times.

While Alan’s single at present, he describes Amanda as his other half: “I don’t need a partner. She is my partner,” he says, before adding: “The sex is awful.”

Amanda was determined to find Alan a man, though, and helped him sign up to a dating app: “Amanda is an ally of the LGBTQI but even she was shocked because I think she thinks gay dating is like straight dating. She said, ‘Alan, they were asking for the length of your penis!’ She’s very worldly and very fun, Amanda. But in the world of gay dating she is a novice.”

Other potential guests at Alan’s “friends and family” party will almost certainly include Paloma Faith, who now appears to have forgiven him for having “murdered” her by stroking her face in a shocking Celebrity Traitors twist.

Alan says they’ve since reconciled, revealing on the Graham Norton Show: “I’ve seen her – it was very harsh and so grim killing her, but we are friends again now.”

Another close pal is platinum-selling artist Adele, who stayed in Alan’s spare room after an emotional break-up. Alan revealed that she “hibernated” in the room for so long that he thought she might have died: “Although she had purged her feelings in 21 she was still cut up about her ex and completely inconsolable.”

Writing in his book, Alanatomy, Alan recalled that he started to get a little worried after he and then-partner Paul Drayton hadn’t seen her for a few days. When Paul suggested knocking on the spare room door to check if she was OK, Alan replied: “‘I daren’t. What if she’s dead? We looked at each other. Just out of interest, if the world’s biggest star dies in your house, does the price go up or down? I’m asking for a friend. Would we get a plaque? Could we turn it into a museum? Would we have busloads of Adele fans tying wreaths to our knocker?’”

Adele did eventually emerge, and went on to officiate at Alan and Paul’s wedding, staging the event at her Los Angeles home in January 2018.

Alan and Paul announced their separation in January 2022 after 13 years together and three years of marriage. They described the split as a “joint and amicable” decision, although reports at the time suggested that Paul’s struggles with alcohol were “the final straw.”

Which goes some way to explaining why Amanda is now trying to push her close friend – and newly-minted A-lister – back into the dating pool.

Myanmar’s final stage of its disputed general election is under way despite the ongoing civil war. Al Jazeera speaks to rebel fighters who reject the process as illegitimate, while the UN is urging the world not to recognise the results.

Andy Burnham has been blocked from standing as a candidate for an upcoming parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton by Labour’s ruling body.

As a directly elected mayor, Burnham had to get approval from Labour’s national executive committee (NEC), after he applied to be a candidate on Saturday.

Labour sources have told the BBC lots of concerns were raised about the costs of an election to replace Burnham as Greater Manchester mayor and the “prospect of a divisive campaign”.

But allies of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer feared Burnham – a former cabinet minister – could mount a leadership challenge, should he return to Westminster.

The move is likely to infuriate Labour MPs and some ministers who said local party members should have had the option of choosing the Greater Manchester mayor as the candidate.

It is a big political gamble by allies of the prime minister and risks inflaming tensions within the party, which is consistently trailing Reform UK in national opinion polls.

One senior Labour source who had been supportive of Burnham’s candidacy said: “They’re gambling the PM’s whole premiership on winning a very hard by-election without their best candidate. It is madness.”

The decision was made by 10 members of the NEC, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, party chair Ellie Reeves and the prime minister himself on Sunday morning.

NEC sources told the BBC the vote was 8-1 in favour of blocking Burnham’s candidacy.

The prime minister was among those who voted to block Burnham from standing.

Mahmood abstained as the chair, while Labour’s deputy leader Lucy Powell voted to allow him to stand.

Sir Keir’s allies say Burnham is doing “a very good job” as mayor of Greater Manchester, adding a mayoral by election “would cost the party hundreds of thousands of pounds” and “cost the country millions of pounds during a cost-of-living crisis”.

The prime minister’s supporters were worried Reform UK “would outspend us ten to one” during the by-election campaign.

The argument those who blocked Burnham intend to make publicly is that during a period of geopolitics dominating the headlines and deep concerns about the cost of living at home, there would be no appetite in the country for a “return to political psychodramas of the Tory years”.

There was “overwhelming support” in the meeting “for upholding clear Labour Party rules preventing mayors and PCCs standing in by-elections”, a source said.

Earlier, Mahmood told the BBC allowing elected mayors to run as candidates in parliamentary by-elections had “organisational implications” for the party.

A mayoral election in Greater Manchester could also be costly for the taxpayer, with the last one costing about £4.7m.

Aryna Sabalenka has extended her reign ‌as tiebreak queen to book a fourth successive appearance in the Australian Open quarterfinals before Carlos Alcaraz reached the ‍last eight with a Tommy ‍Paul takedown.

Third-seeded Coco Gauff also advanced to her third quarterfinals in a row on Sunday with a pulsating 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win over crafty Czech Karolina Muchova in a late-afternoon match at Margaret Court Arena.

The day’s biggest upset was veteran Daniil Medvedev’s straight-sets exit at the hands of Learner Tien.

A day after blistering heat caused mayhem and meltdowns at Melbourne Park, normal service resumed as a cool change brought relief for players, ⁠fans and tournament schedulers.

Two-time champion and title favourite Sabalenka was first out, seeing off Canada’s 19-year-old talent Victoria Mboko 6-1, ​7-6(1) in a match of two halves.

The Belarusian was at her irrepressible best as she crushed the teen ‍in a 31-minute opening set and raced to a 4-1 lead in the second before Mboko produced a thrilling fightback.

Breaking Sabalenka twice on the way to a 6-5 lead, Mboko then hit a brick wall as the Belarusian raised her game to notch a 20th successive tiebreak win at Grand Slams.

“It’s incredible ‍to see these kids ⁠coming up on tour,” said world number one Sabalenka, who has now booked 13 successive Grand Slam quarterfinals.

“She pushed me really hard today.”

Having taken down one young gun, Sabalenka gets a shot at another in the quarters against 18-year-old American Iva Jovic, who thrashed Kazakh veteran Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 at John Cain Arena, two days after dumping out seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini.

Jovic is the youngest player to reach the women’s quarterfinals at the Australian Open without dropping a set since Venus Williams in 1998.

The men’s tournament has seen few surprises of the magnitude of Mboko and Jovic with the last 16 shut out by seeded players for the first time at any Grand Slam in the professional era.

Top-seeded Alcaraz did his bit ​in preserving the status quo despite facing arguably his toughest test of this tournament against 19th-seeded ‌Paul, a semifinalist in 2023.

For all of Paul’s credentials, Alcaraz appeared in cruise control in a 7-6(6), 6-4, 7-5 win in the afternoon sun at Rod Laver Arena.

Once a stubborn matchup for Alcaraz, Paul has now lost on three Grand Slam surfaces to the Spaniard after last year’s quarterfinal thrashing at the French Open ‌and his 2024 loss at Wimbledon.

“I guess the way that I would describe it is, you know, he kind of, like, suffocates you in a way,” Paul said of Alcaraz.

“He makes you feel ‌like you have no time.”

Two-time Grand Slam champion Gauff saw three match points slip through her fingers before prevailing in a proper scrap against 19th-seeded Muchova, a former semifinalist.

Gauff emerged the winner with a 6-1, 3-6, ‍6-3 scoreline.

“She definitely elevated her game, and I thought I was ‌sometimes a bit passive,” said Gauff, who will meet the winner of the match between Elina Svitolina and Mirra Andreeva in the quarters.

“I am really happy to get through this one today.

“I think today I didn’t panic. … I knew I just had to capitalise on those chances in the ‍third set, and I did that.”

Later in the day, last ‌year’s runner-up Alexander Zverev stayed on track in his bid for ‍an elusive maiden Grand ‍Slam title, beating Francisco Cerundolo 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals.

The 28-year-old German has lost all three Grand Slam title clashes he has contested, including last year’s final to Jannik Sinner at ⁠Melbourne Park, and has flown under the radar this time as he seeks another opportunity.

“I’m ​very happy with the match and the performance. Really happy to be ‍back in the quarterfinals,” Zverev said on court, dodging a question on whether he is playing his best tennis.

“I don’t want to jinx it. I’ll keep my mouth shut. But you have to play at ‍a high level ⁠to reach the quarterfinals. I hope to continue the same way.”

Zverev will face American Tien, who overcame a nosebleed ‍in the ‍opening set to school Medvedev 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 in a late session.

Tien ‍upset Medvedev in the second round at the Australian Open last year in an epic five-setter that lasted ‍nearly five ⁠hours, but this time, he wrapped up the contest in just an hour and 42 minutes on Margaret Court Arena.

Tien took a medical timeout 10 minutes into the fourth-round encounter as ​he stuffed tissues up his ‌nose, but that did little to stop his dominance on court as he left Medvedev looking utterly lost ‌on numerous rallies.

Medvedev had said he did not like playing ‌Tien after a trilogy of ⁠matches that went the distance last year, and the 20-year-old proved him right with a clinical performance ‌that included 33 winners.

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‘It’s mind-boggling’

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Syrians in the northeast of the country have welcomed an extended ceasefire of 15 more days between the military and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a day after its announcement.

Government troops have seized large swaths of northern and eastern territory in recent weeks from the SDF in a rapid turn of events that has consolidated President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rule, as Syria seeks internal stability and secures the external lifeline of reintegration into the international fold and the economic revival that comes with it. The eruption of fighting has rocked a nation trying to recover from nearly 14 years of ruinous civil war.

The truce extension has offered a respite amid mounting tensions as the government’s army closed in on the last SDF strongholds last week. Al-Sharaa abruptly announced the ceasefire on Saturday, giving the SDF until that night to lay down arms and come up with a plan to integrate with the army or to resume fighting.

The extension gives the SDF more time for such a plan.

Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi, reporting from Raqqa, said the ceasefire extension has been received positively in the region. “The news certainly lifted the mood of the residents here in Raqqa,” he said.

He added that locals said they want long-term stability with schools, which “have not been operational in a meaningful manner in a decade”, reopening in the region.

Basravi said the government aims to use the coming two weeks to “cement a long-term ceasefire and focus on reconstruction efforts”.

Extension after truce expired

An hour before midnight – hours after the four-day truce expired – the Defence Ministry announced that its forces would cease military operations for a further 15 days to support an ongoing US operation to transfer ISIL (ISIS) detainees from Syria to Iraq.

“The extension of the ceasefire comes in support of the American operation to transfer Islamic State detainees from SDF prisons to Iraq,” the statement said.

The SDF confirmed the extension, saying it was reached “through international mediation, while dialogue with Damascus continues”.

“Our forces affirm their commitment to the agreement and their dedication to respecting it, which contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and the creation of the necessary conditions for stability,” it said in a statement.

Al Jazeera’s Basravi said people have been celebrating not only the extended truce but also the release of minors from al-Aqtan prison, among other people, held imprisoned on unjust charges, according to locals.

“So, the Syrian administration here is going through all of those case logs and looking for anyone who is underage or unjustly accused,” Basravi said. “They are separating dangerous detainees, particularly the ISIL ones, from everyone else.”

The Kurdish authorities, who previously managed al-Aqtan prison, said in a statement on Saturday that a section of it hosted juveniles “who were involved in crimes” as well as “others, who had fallen victim to recruitment and exploitation by ISIS”.

“Due to security circumstances, the Prisons Administration transferred these juveniles approximately three months ago from the juvenile detention centre to al-Aqtan Prison,” it said, adding that they received special treatment in accordance with international standards during their time there.

Fraught Syria government-SDF talks

Al-Sharaa, whose forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive in late 2024, has promised to bring all of Syria under state control, including SDF-held areas in the northeast.

But Kurdish authorities, who have run autonomous civilian and military institutions there for the last decade, have resisted joining with state and military institutions.

After a yearend deadline for the merger passed with little progress, Syrian troops launched the offensive this month.

They swiftly captured two key Arab-majority provinces from the SDF, bringing key oilfields, hydroelectric dams and some facilities holding ISIL fighters and affiliated civilians under government control.

ISIL swept across Syria and Iraq in 2014, taking over vast swaths of both countries and declaring Raqqa its de facto capital, committing massacres and other heinous atrocities before ultimately being vanquished by the SDF and a United States-led coalition.

There have been concerns of a regional ISIL resurgence, especially in Syria, where the group has carried out deadly attacks on Syrian and US forces.

Former captain Babar Azam has returned to Pakistan’s squad for the Twenty20 World ‍Cup, a ‍day after their cricket board chief cast doubt over the team’s participation in the global showpiece, which begins on February 7.

T20 regular Haris Rauf was dropped from the 15-man squad, led by Salman Ali Agha. It was announced on Saturday despite the uncertainty surrounding Pakistan’s plans for the World Cup.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, also the country’s interior ⁠minister, said the PCB was awaiting the ​government’s permission before confirming the team’s participation after the International Cricket Council (ICC) kicked out Bangladesh over their refusal to play in India.

Hours later, the PCB announced its squad for the tournament

However, chief selector Aaqib Javed said the Pakistani government would make ‍a final call on whether the team would travel to Sri Lanka.

“Our job is to pick the team,” Javed said after naming the squad in Lahore, Pakistan. “We’ve announced the team very close to the deadline.

“The government will decide on our participation, so I can say nothing on that front. That’s what the chairman has said too, so we’ll wait for their decision.”

India will ​host the majority of the T20 World Cup ‌matches, but Pakistan will play exclusively in Sri Lanka because of the fraught political relations between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Bangladesh have been replaced by Scotland for their refusal ‌to tour India due to safety concerns, which the ICC rejected last week.

In addition to Babar, spin-bowling all-rounder Shadab ⁠Khan and fast bowler Naseem Shah have also returned, but there was no place for wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan.

Pakistan’s selectors excluded fast bowler Mohammad Wasim from the 16-member squad announced for next week’s three-match T20 series against Australia in Lahore.

They also continued to ignore Rauf, who hasn’t played since competing in the Asia Cup in September but kept faith with struggling Babar, who scored 202 runs at a strike rate of 103.06 in 11 Big Bash League games while opening the batting for Sydney Sixers.

“We don’t see him opening the batting [at the World Cup],” head coach Mike Hesson said. “He hasn’t opened the batting for us because the ability to attack in the powerplay is very important.”

Hesson said Babar could come in handy on slow pitches in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan are scheduled to play all their games, including the playoffs if they advance in the tournament.

“He [Babar] certainly has the skill to control the middle overs if required and then to feed the strike to certain players,” Hesson said. “If we’re chasing a lower score, he certainly has that ability to control a chase. … The conditions in Australia are significantly different than what we’re going to face in Sri Lanka, so we factored all those things in.”

Hesson said the selectors preferred the three fast bowlers – Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza and Naseem Shah – after taking into account their abilities to bowl in all three T20 phases.

With the wickets likely to suit spinners, Pakistan included four spinners: Mohammad Nawaz, Khan, Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq.

Pakistan play their opening Group A match against the Netherlands on February 7, followed by matches against the United States (February 10), India (February 15) and Namibia (February 18).

Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, ‍Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq

Protesters have taken to the streets in Minneapolis, in the state of Minnesota, after a United States Border Patrol agent killed a US citizen, heightening tensions in a city already shaken by a deadly shooting just weeks earlier of a mother of three.

Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara told reporters that a 37-year-old man, a Minneapolis resident, died in hospital on Saturday after being shot multiple times.

Family members identified him as Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse who had previously protested against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the city.

After the shooting, an angry crowd gathered, and protesters clashed with federal officers, who wielded batons and deployed flashbang grenades.

The Minnesota National Guard was assisting local police at the direction of Governor Tim Walz, officials said. Guard troops were sent to the site of the shooting and to a federal building where officers have been facing off with demonstrators on a daily basis.

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that federal officers had been conducting an operation and fired “defensive shots” after a man with a handgun approached them and “violently resisted” when they tried to disarm him.

In bystander videos of the shooting that emerged soon afterwards, Pretti is seen holding a mobile phone, but none appears to show him with a visible weapon.

Pretti was shot about 1 mile (1.6km) from the spot where an ICE officer killed 37-year-old Renee Good on January 7, which led to widespread protests.

Family members have identified Alex Jeffrey Pretti as the person who was shot dead by federal agents in the United States during an immigration raid in Minneapolis, the largest city in the state of Minnesota.

The shooting of Pretti, a 37-year-old US citizen, came as the city continues to mourn the death of another American, Renee Good, who was killed earlier this month when a federal agent fired into her vehicle.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned Pretti’s killing as part of a “campaign of organised brutality”, while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged the Trump administration to end its immigration crackdown there.

The Department of Homeland Security, however, characterised the incident as an attack, saying a Border Patrol agent fired in self-defence after a man approached with a handgun and violently resisted attempts to disarm him.

Witnesses and Pretti’s family reject that claim, while bystander videos from the scene also appear to contradict the account.

Here’s what we know about Pretti and the circumstances of his death.

What happened in Minneapolis?

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters Pretti had attacked agents during the shooting, while federal officials posted an image of the gun they say the victim was carrying at the time of the shooting.

“He wasn’t there to ‌peacefully protest. He was there to perpetuate violence,” Noem said at a news conference.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commander, Gregory Bovino, said Pretti wanted to do “maximum damage and massacre law enforcement”, while Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, described the victim as “a would-be assassin”.

But bystander videos verified by the Reuters news agency showed Pretti, holding a mobile phone in his hand, not a gun, as he ⁠tries to help other protesters who have been pushed to the ground by agents.

As the videos begin, Pretti can be seen filming as a federal agent pushes away one woman and shoves another ​to the ground. Pretti moves between the agent and the women, then raises his left arm to shield himself as the agent pepper-sprays him.

Several agents then take ‍hold of Pretti – who struggles with them – and force him onto his hands and knees. As the agents pin down Pretti, someone shouts what sounds like a warning about the presence of a gun. Video footage then appears to show one of the agents removing a gun from Pretti and stepping away from the group with it.

Moments later, an officer points his handgun at Pretti’s back and fires four shots at him in quick succession. Several more shots ‍are then heard as another agent also appears to fire at Pretti.

The agents initially all back away from Pretti’s body on the road. Some agents then seem to offer medical assistance to Pretti as he lies on the ground, as other agents keep bystanders back.

Meanwhile, two witnesses who immediately filed sworn statements before the US District Court of Minnesota said Pretti did not brandish a gun during the incident. According to the court documents, one of the witnesses, a doctor, said Pretti sustained at least three gunshot wounds in his back.

Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara later said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with no criminal record other than traffic violations.

Who was Alex Pretti?

Anguished family members described Pretti as a compassionate and dedicated healthcare worker who had been angered by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Pretti was working as an intensive care nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis at the time of his death.

“We are heartbroken, but also very angry. Alex was a kind soul who cared deeply for his family and friends, and also the American veterans who he cared for as an ICU nurse,” his parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, said in a statement released to the media.

Michael Pretti told The Associated Press news agency that his son “was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the United States” with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and had taken part in the protests against the immigration raids.

“He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests,” the elder Pretti said.

The family told the AP that Pretti studied at the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, society and the environment. They said he worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse.

As of Saturday evening, the family said they had still not heard from anyone at a federal law enforcement agency about their son’s death.

In their statement, the family lambasted the Trump administration’s claim that their son had attacked the officers who shot him. “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” they said.

The family added that videos showed Pretti was not holding a gun when federal agents tackled him, but holding his phone with one hand and using the other to shield a woman who was being pepper-sprayed.

“Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man,” they said.

Meanwhile, the federal employees’ labour union AFGE said it was “deeply stricken by this tragedy” while its president, Everett Kelley, paid tribute to Pretti, saying he “dedicated his life to serving American veterans”.

“This tragedy did not happen in a vacuum. It is the direct result of an administration that has chosen reckless policy, inflammatory rhetoric, and manufactured crisis over responsible leadership and de-escalation,” Kelley said.

The American Nurses Association also said it was “deeply disturbed and saddened” by the killing, and called for a “full, unencumbered investigation” into the case. Pretti’s colleague, Dr Dmitri Drekonja, told ABC News that it was “galling and enraging” to hear the way federal officials were portraying the victim.

What’s driving the tensions in Minneapolis?

Under Trump, the Republican administration launched immigration crackdowns last year, targeting Democrat-led states and cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, saying the militarised operations were necessary to remove criminals from the US.

The crackdown in Minneapolis is the largest federal immigration enforcement operation ever carried out, according to officials, with some 3,000 agents deployed. The operation began in November, with officials tying it in part to allegations of fraud involving residents of Somali origin.

In addition to the deaths of Pretti and Good, the surge has also pitted city and state officials against the federal government and prompted daily clashes between activists and immigration officers. Amid the tensions, children are skipping school or learning remotely, families are avoiding religious services and many businesses, especially in immigrant neighbourhoods, have closed temporarily, according to media reports.

Pretti is at least the sixth person to die during ICE enforcement efforts since last year, the AP reported, and the incident was one of at least five shootings in January involving federal agents conducting anti-immigration operations, according to Reuters.

At least six people have also died in ICE detention centres since the start of 2026, following at least 30 deaths in its custody last year, a two-decade high.

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who likes developing long-term relationships with TV shows.

For many, that show is ABC’s popular police procedural “The Rookie,” which returned for its eighth season earlier this month and brought some international intrigue to its routine, high-stakes Los Angeles police work. Eric Winter, who stars as Tim Bradford, stopped by Guest Spot to discuss his character’s career and personal growth.

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our viewing recommendations are two shows that feature some cool and determined women: One centers on an expert interrogator, the other on a group of menopausal women in Northern England who form a punk band. Don’t they sound like the perfect companions for a chill weekend?

ICYMI

Must-read stories you might have missed

“Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” lead the field of 2026 Oscar nominees with 16 and 13 nominations each, respectively.

(Photo illustration by Avery Fox / Los Angeles Times; Photos from A24; Focus Features; Getty; Netflix; Victor Juca; Warner Bros. Pictures)

2026 Oscar nominations: The complete list of nominees: The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards were announced this week, with “Sinners” leading the field with 16 total nominations.

The 10 movies we’re most excited to see at the Sundance Film Festival: For its final edition in Park City, Utah, the preeminent indie showcase promises a slate of features that, to judge from prior years, should get audiences talking.

How ‘Heated Rivalry’ became a joyful community: ‘It gave us a reason to dance’: The hit TV series about a queer hockey romance has spurred fans to create dance parties and show-themed merch.

‘Waiting to Exhale’ to ‘Set It Off’: At these Black film screenings, the soundtrack reigns: From ‘Waiting to Exhale,’ ‘Boomerang’ and ‘The Wood,’ this L.A. event celebrates classic Black films and the iconic soundtracks that help bring them to life.

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Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Kyra Sedgwick in an episode of “The Closer.”

(DANNY FELD/WB/ TNT)

“The Closer” (Netflix)

Kyra Sedgwick stars as LAPD deputy chief Brenda Leigh Johnson in this immensely satisfying procedural-plus, which originally ran on TNT from 2005 to 2012 — ah, the great age of basic cable — and has recently arrived in its seven-season, 109-episode entirety on Netflix. Brenda, a sugarcoated, CIA-trained Southerner with a sweet tooth, has a “history”with nattily attired boss Will Pope (J.K. Simmons), and a talent for interrogation rivaled only by Andre Braugher‘s Frank Pembleton on “Homicide: Life on the Street” — though she’s more likely to catch flies with honey before she drops them in vinegar. (“Thank you, thank you so much” is her catch phrase). Like Helen Mirren‘s DCI Jane Tennison on “Prime Suspect,” an oblique influence, she has to face down the skepticism of the mostly male crew she’s been imported to run, and run them she will. (“Candice Renoir” fans will recognize that show as something of a “Closer” remake.) The cases are more focused on human behavior than clever methods of murder, and though dark and often sad in that regard, the show is also quite funny and lit in the the sunshine of the city, which it shows off to great effect. As FBI special agent Fritz Howard, Jon Tenney brings romantic heat and ironic commentary. — Robert Lloyd

Yvonne Vaux (Amelia Bullmore), from left, Kitty Eckersley (Rosalie Craig) and Holly Gaskell (Tamsin Greig) in “Riot Women.”

(Helen Williams/Britbox)

“Riot Women” (Britbox)

Sally Wainwright (“Happy Valley,” “Last Tango in Halifax”) is one of the best writers working in television today and her “Riot Women” is further, and completely delightful, proof. Five women staring down various midlife crises, including, but not limited to, menopause, decide to form a rock band, a move normally reserved for their male counterparts. It begins as a lark — Jess (Lorraine Ashbourne) wants to put together an act for a fundraiser at her grandkids’ school — and quickly becomes a lifeline, particularly for Beth (Joanna Scanlan), a divorced teacher who feels she has become so invisible that there’s no point in living anymore. Jess also wrangles in Holly (Tamsin Greig), who, having just retired from the police force, isn’t sure what to do next, and Holly’s sister Yvonne (Amelia Bullmore), a disenchanted midwife. But it’s Beth who pushes the group to take the band seriously, and make it punk; when she finds the very troubled and equally talented Kitty (Rosalie Craig) singing in a bar, the mission is clear. “Riot Women” is not going to be just a fundraising cover band; it’s going to become a voice and source of power for women conditioned to believe that their value comes from what they can give others and that, after a certain age, that value radically diminishes. The cast is perfection and Wainwright’s sharp writing is, as always, hilarious, clear-eyed and heartbreaking. “Riot Women” is aspirational, inspirational and absolutely fabulous. — Mary McNamara

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

Eric Winter as Tim Bradford in “The Rookie.”

(Mike Taing/Disney)

As it settles into its eighth season — after a long hiatus — “The Rookie” (airing Tuesdays on ABC, next-day streaming on Hulu) isn’t skimping on the set of challenges it’s throwing at the team within the fictional Mid-Wilshire Division of the LAPD. But that hasn’t curtailed the career and personal achievements for Tim Bradford (played by Eric Winter). The formerly rigid, no-nonsense, out-in-the-trenches officer has transitioned into a watch commander trying to find work-life balance now that his relationship with colleague Lucy Chen is back on and they are living together. Winter stopped by Screen Gab to talk about how his character has evolved as a leader, what he’s watching and more. — Yvonne Villarreal

This season, Tim takes over for Grey as watch commander. At this stage in playing the character, what’s been your favorite part of watching him take on something new and settle into that role? Is there an ambition you have as an actor, or have for Tim as a character, that you still want to achieve?

It’s always fun for me to see Tim uncomfortable, which has happened a lot. He knows how to lead but this is a different scope and also dealing with a bit more of the politics in this position. He loves being in the action and impacting the streets so it’ll be fun to explore how he can still do that while also managing a desk job. As an actor, there is still so much I would love to accomplish in this industry. I am always wanting to get out of my comfort zone and explore different characters and it is the same for Tim. I love learning more about his past and finding ways for him to grow as a character which keeps the job fun after so many years.

A slow-burn romance is a favorite TV trope for many viewers. Tim and Lucy are back together this season and living together. We often hear from writers about whether fan reaction informs their writing. But as a performer, what’s it like on the other side — the fan anticipation, the intensity of that and figuring out when to lean into it? And what intrigues you about where Tim and Lucy are headed for the rest of the season?

It’s great to have so much incredible support for characters but definitely as an actor, there is a balance of when to lean in. This ship has taken on a mind of its own worldwide and with that, a lot of people can’t separate the characters from our personal reality, which comes with the territory though. The fans are anchors to the show’s success, and we always appreciate their commitment to our storytelling. This relationship was completely fan-driven and once the writers jumped in on it, they just elevated the storytelling to make it what it is today. It’s always interesting to see what they have in store next, to give the fans what they want while also keeping everyone guessing.

I’m intrigued to gauge the fan reaction to what our creator is building to and how we end the season. It will be great to see how Tim has grown and how he will manage this new setup and diving into some family time.

My colleague recently wrote about “The Rookie” being a surprise hit with teenagers. What’s the show you were obsessed with as a teen?

The youth support has been incredible. I love it! I was obsessed with shows like “Growing Pains,” “[The] Cosby Show,” “Who’s the Boss” and “Different Stokes.” They are all such great family comedies.

We know how active you are on TikTok. Please give me a sampling of what your algorithm is feeding you.

My algorithm is all over the map. I get a lot of trends because that’s what I post, but also history stuff, aliens and stand-up comedian clips. That’s what I listen to at the gym now.

What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?

I often share comedy clips and also strange UFO/ancient phenomenon. I get so wrapped up in theories and want to get my wife’s opinion as well as friends.

What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again? (Please explain.)

I was excited to wrap up “Stranger Things” [Netflix] and now [I’m] obsessed with “Severance” [Apple TV]. My big comfort watch on the regular is documentaries. I am always looking for something in that space — sometimes true crime, but I love sports and history stuff too. Just watched a great one recently on AI called “The Thinking Game” [Prime Video].

Justin Gaethje survived a ‌five-round war with a relentless Paddy Pimblett to claim the interim UFC lightweight ‌ championship by unanimous decision in a bloody and bruising fight in Las Vegas.

The experienced American’s win put an end to Pimblett’s nine-fight winning run at the UFC 324 main event on Saturday, but Gaethje paid tribute to the Liverpool fighter’s durability ⁠and heart.

“Now that Scouser does not get knocked down,” he said after judges scored the ‌ fight 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46, which saw MMA’s rising star walk away with his head held high.

“He is very dangerous, got great timing… young ‌ kid, dangerous kid. I had to steal his momentum and his confidence,” Gaethje said.

Pimblett struck first in the opening round but the tide quickly turned when Gaethje cracked him with a heavy left-handed punch. The American followed ‌ him to the ⁠mat with punishing ground strikes before the Briton scrambled back to his feet.

A right hand dropped Pimblett to the canvas again in the second and he was lucky to survive the round as Gaethje pounded away until the horn sounded.

However, despite bleeding from the nose and cuts to his face, Pimblett strung together some clean flurries in the third round that had Gaethje wobbling, with the round ‌ briefly paused after a low blow had the 37-year-old American grimacing.

The ‌fourth round swung back in Gaethje’s favour after he absorbed some early pressure, repeatedly finding his target with heavy right hands.

The roaring crowd were on their feet as the final round began and an early slip ‌from Gaethje opened the door for Pimblett, who unloaded a barrage of punches.

Gaethje answered in trademark fashion with a booming right ‌hand and both fighters pushed hard for the finish, ⁠with Pimblett closing with a strong final burst.

Pimblett showed grace in defeat.

“I know how tough I am, I don’t need to prove it to anyone. I wanted to leave with that belt, but there’s no other man ‌I’d rather lose to than ‘The Highlight’,” Pimblett said.

“Gaethje is someone I’ve loved watching growing up, watching the UFC. It shows why he’s a legend right there. I thought 48-47 was ‌ a fair scorecard.

“You live and you learn. I’m 31. I’ll be back better, it’s as simple as that. You haven’t seen the last of me.”

Gaethje’s win gave ‌ him his second career interim ‌ lightweight championship and sets up an undisputed title fight against Ilia Topuria, who stepped away last November amidst mounting personal issues but is expected to return at some point in 2026.

The loss was Pimblett’s first in UFC since joining from his native England, snapping a nine-fight winning streak and dropping him to 23-4-0 in his career.

Sean O’Malley, one of ‌ UFC’s biggest stars, ⁠ended a two-fight losing skid in the co-main event with a controversial unanimous decision victory over Song Yadong of China.

Meanwhile, Waldo Cortes-Acosta of the Dominican Republic defeated Derrick Lewis by knockout at 3:14 in the second round. ‌

In women’s fights, Natalia Silva of Brazil defeated Rose Namajunas by unanimous decision in a potential flyweight title eliminator, ‌although the controversial outcome was met with unanimous dismay from a Vegas crowd that clearly believed Namajunas did enough to pull off the upset against Silva.

The performance marks Silva’s 14th straight victory and her eighth ‌consecutive in the flyweight division to improve her overall record to 20-5-1. More importantly, it may ⁠line her up for a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko later this year.

The opening fight of the main card saw heavily favoured Brazilian fighter Jean Silva rebound from his loss against Diego Lopes in September, defeating England’s Arnold Allen in a slugfest that was decided in the third round on two of three official scorecards.

Dominick Cruz, a two-time Bantamweight champion and the division’s inaugural belt holder, was announced as the first member of UFC’s 2026 Hall of Fame class at the conclusion of the prelim show. Cruz will be inducted into the “Modern Era Wing”, which honours fighters who debuted after the first sanctioned UFC event under unified rules was held on November 17, 2000.