‘Chainsaw Man’ takes weekend box office; Springsteen biopic disappoints
“Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc,” the Japanese anime from Crunchyroll and Sony, claimed the top spot at the domestic box office this weekend, taking in an estimated $17.25 million, according to Comscore.
The R-rated movie, based on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s popular manga series, follows teen demon hunter Denji, who is betrayed by the yakuza and killed as he attempts to pay off the debts he inherited from his parents. His beloved chainsaw-powered dog Pochita makes a deal and sacrifices his life, fusing with Denji who is reborn with the ability to transform parts of his body into chainsaws.
“Chainsaw Man,” already a global hit, delivered a blow to Disney and 20th Century’s biopic “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” starring Jeremy Allen White, which came in a disappointing fourth place with an estimated $9.1 million.
Based on the 2023 Warren Zanes book of the same name, the film plumbs Springsteen’s life and career through the creative process, during the making of his 1982 acoustic album “Nebraska.”
The Times described the movie as a “thoughtful exploration of the creative process” that runs out of steam by the end, “meandering aimlessly into a depressive period of Springsteen’s, and it never quite regains its footing.”
In its second week out, the horror sequel “Black Phone 2” took the No. 2 slot, earning an estimated $13 million over the weekend, giving the Universal and Blumhouse movie a domestic total of $49.1 million.
Rounding out the third spot is Paramount’s romantic drama “Regretting You,” the latest film adaptation of novelist Colleen Hoover (“It Ends With Us”). Starring Allison Williams and Dave Franco, it opened to an estimated $12.5 million domestically.
Mexico City Grand Prix: Lando Norris delivers ‘statement win’
Norris admitted after the race in Mexico that there had been times earlier this year when he “certainly did” doubt himself.
“When the car was winning and Oscar was winning,” he said, “the last thing I could do was use the excuse that my car wasn’t good enough.
“I wasn’t getting to grips and finding a way to make it work and I’m finding a better way to make it work now, so it’s as simple as that.”
It is now Piastri facing that feeling, after two difficult weekends during which he has been a fair bit off the pace.
“For some reason, the last couple of weekends has required a very different way of driving,” said Piastri.
“What’s worked well for me in the last 19 races, I’ve needed something very different the last couple of weekends. Trying to wrap my head around why has been a bit of a struggle.”
After qualifying 0.588 seconds and seven places behind Norris in Mexico, Piastri spent Saturday night deep in the data with his engineers, trying to come up with some answers.
The race was about trying to apply them – even if he was not able to get a definitive answer as to whether they had worked, given he spent most of it stuck behind other cars on his way to a fifth place that will have felt painful, but in reality amounted to a solid recovery and exercise in damage limitation.
“Ultimately today was about trying to experiment with some of those things,” continued Piastri. “Because driving the way I’ve had to drive these last couple of weekends is not particularly natural for me.
Team boss Andrea Stella had an explanation for Piastri’s struggles.
He said that Norris excels in low-grip conditions, whereas Piastri’s driving style tends more towards high-grip levels, and he pointed out that, in only his third season, Piastri still has things to learn about adapting to different conditions.
“In the final four races, no reason to think that one may favour one driver or the other,” said Stella, pointing to Las Vegas as the most problematic potentially for the team.
“For Lando and Oscar, there’s no problem in terms of track layout coming in the next four races. If anything, we need to make sure that from a McLaren point of view, we are in condition to extract the full performance that is available in the car, like we have been able to do here in Mexico.
“The confidence in terms of the championship is increased. It’s increased because we have proven that we have a car that can win races and in some conditions can dominate races. This is the most important factor to put Lando and Oscar in condition to pursue the drivers’ championship.”
Vladimir Putin unveils ‘tiny flying Chernobyl’ nuclear missile
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Turkish President Recep Erdogan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin, China in September. Putin has announced Russia tested a nuclear missile and is ready to deploy it. File photo by Russia’s Presidential Office/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 26 (UPI) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said the country has tested a new, nuclear-capable missile and is preparing to deploy it.
Putin’s military maneuver comes just after a planned meeting with President Donald Trump collapsed.
The weapon runs on nuclear power, which makes it capable of flying much further than other missiles, according to the Kremlin, and is able to evade missile detection and defense systems.
“This is a unique product that no one in the world has, Putin, dressed in military fatigues, said during a meeting with military commanders, according to a video posted by the Kremlin. “We need to identify potential uses and begin preparing the infrastructure for deploying this weapon in our armed forces.”
Valery V. Gerasimov, general staff of the Russian armed forces, said the missile had remained in flight for 15 hours and traveled 8,700 miles during testing.
“It is a tiny flying Chernobyl,” Gerasimov said during a briefing, referring to a nuclear power plant in Ukraine that became widely known for a catastrophic explosion in 1986.
The missile, known as the SSC-X-9, has been in development for years, and while Putin’s announcement was not a surprise, nuclear experts say it is a bad turn of events.
“This is a bad development,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear nonproliferation expert at Middlebury College. “It is one more science fiction weapon that is going to be destabilizing and hard to address in arms control.”
Putin’s announcement of the missile revives the back and forth between the United States and Russia over nuclear arms, but the first action since President Donald Trump took office in January.
It is the latest in a long series of volleys over nuclear arms between the two countries stretching back decades.
US and China agree framework of trade deal ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
Michael RaceBusiness reporter
ReutersThe US and China have agreed the framework of a potential trade deal that will be discussed when their respective leaders meet later this week, the US treasury secretary has said.
Scott Bessent told the BBC’s US news partner CBS that this included a “final deal” on TikTok’s US operations and a deferral on China’s tightened rare earth minerals controls.
He also said he did not anticipate the 100% tariff on Chinese goods threatened by President Donald Trump coming into force, while China will resume substantial soybean purchases from the US.
Both nations are seeking to avoid further escalation in a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to hold talks on Thursday in South Korea.
Bessent met senior Chinese trade officials on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Malaysia, which Trump is also attending as part of a tour of Asia. Beijing said they had “constructive” discussions.
Bessent said the countries had “reached a substantial framework for the two leaders”, adding: “The tariffs will be averted.”
The Chinese government said in a statement that both negotiating teams “reached a basic consensus on arrangements to address their respective concerns”.
“Both sides agreed to further finalise specific details,” they added.
Trump’s tariff tactics
Since Trump re-entered the White House, he has imposed and threatened sweeping tariffs on imports from overseas on various countries, arguing that the policy would help boost US manufacturing and jobs. The introduction of tariffs has resulted in many countries, including the UK, agreeing new deals with the US.
But the steepest levies he has threatened have been levelled at China. Beijing has hit back with measures of its own, though the two agreed to hold off implementing the levies while pursuing a trade deal.
However, earlier this month Trump said he would impose an additional 100% tarriff on Chinese goods from November in response to China tightening restrictions on export of rare earths – materials essential to the production of many electronics. The US president accused Beijing of “becoming very hostile” and trying to hold the world “captive”.
China processes around 90% of the world’s rare earths, which go into everything from solar panels to smartphones, making supply of them to US manufacturers a key bargaining chip.
The last time Beijing tightened export controls – after Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods early this year – there was an outcry from many US firms reliant on the materials.
China will “delay that for a year while they re-examine it”, Bessent told a different news show, This Week, on Sunday.
Another issue of contention is soybeans, of which China is the world’s biggest buyer. As the trade war began heating up, China halted all orders, hurting US farmers.
Bessent hinted the boycott may soon be over but refused to give details.
“I’m actually a soybean farmer, so I have felt this pain too… I think we have addressed the farmers’ concerns,” he said on This Week.
“I believe when the announcement of the deal with China is made public that our soybean farmers will feel really good about what’s going on for this season and the coming seasons for several years.”
TikTok deal done?
Bessent also said a deal had been agreed on video-sharing platform TikTok’s US arm, with Trump and Xi left to “consummate that transaction on Thursday”.
The US has sought to prise the app’s US operations away from Chinese parent company ByteDance over national security concerns.
TikTok was previously told it had to sell its US operations or risk being shut down, but Trump has delayed implementing the ban four times to facilitate negotiations, and has extended the deadline again to December.
The White House announced last month that US companies would control TikTok’s algorithm and Americans would hold six of seven board seats for the app’s US operations.
While Trump initially called for TikTok to be banned during his first term, he has since changed course. He turned to the hugely popular platform to boost his support among young Americans during his successful 2024 presidential campaign.
On Sunday, Washington also announced a slew of trade deals with Malaysia and Cambodia and framework agreements with Thailand and Vietnam.
The region, which is heavily dependent on trade with the US, is among the hardest hit by Trump’s tariffs.
The US will keep its tariff rate of up to 20% on each of the countries’ goods, but could carve out exemptions on certain products.
“Our message to the nations of South East Asia is that the United States is with you 100% and we intend to be a strong partner for many generations,” Trump said in Malaysia, the first stop of his week-long Asian tour.
Trump signed agreements involving the trade of critical minerals with Thailand and Malaysia. These expand the US’ access to rare earth elements and other metals beyond China.
Trump also announced framework agreements for the US to trade more goods with Cambodia and Thailand.
The White House and Vietnam announced “unprecedented” trade access between the countries. Vietnam also agreed to buying Boeing jets worth more than $8bn (£6bn) from the US and American agricultural goods.
Additional reporting by Osmond Chia
‘BBC Ghosts was filmed at my house – I’m being thrown out at 71 for holiday lets’
West Horsley Place has been used as a filming location for several shows, such as Enola Holmes, Howards End, Vanity Fair and Ghosts, and one resident claims she’s being thrown out
BBC’s Ghosts was filmed at West Horsley Place in Surrey, which is where Baschea Walsh has been living for nearly 20 years. However, she has now claimed that she is being thrown out of her home so fans can rent it out instead.
The 71-year-old has said that she was told in July that she has until the middle of November to leave, so it can be turned into a short-term let. Baschea is gutted at having to move out and says the property will be aimed at watchers of Ghosts.
Ghosts is a show about a haunted house that was filmed at Grade I-listed West Horsley Place. The trust that manages the estate confirmed the mum-of-one has been asked to leave and that the property will be rented out.
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However, it has been denied that it is specifically for TV fans. Baschea said: “They came to my house and said, ‘Your home is being turned into a holiday cottage, you have four months to go’. I was stunned as you can imagine. I am 71. I am going to be homeless.
“It is not about me, it is about the injustice of throwing a 71-year-old out. It is about anybody who is getting these section 21s out of nowhere because of greedy landlords.
“I was in shock for two months. For the first week, all I could eat was potatoes; I couldn’t even cook. I just felt completely lost. I didn’t know what to do. It came out of nowhere undeservedly in everyone’s opinion, and I really don’t know what is going to happen to me.”
West Horsley Place dates back to 15th century and was once owned by Henry VIII. It was last inherited by Bamber Gascoigne, who is the former host of University Challenge, who then decided to hand over the manor house and its assets to a charitable trust, which was aimed at restoring the building.
It has been used as a location for film and television productions, including Enola Holmes, Howards End, Vanity Fair and Ghosts, where the building was renamed Button House.
Baschea first moved into the house back in 2006 and said that it was instantly her dream home. She said: “This has been my life and absolutely the place for me to be. I fell in love with it the first time I came here. I knew this was the place I wanted to be. I had dreamt about it.
“It was just perfect for me. It was a really harmonious place to be, and we all got on with each other really well. It was a privilege to live here. Bamber and Christina said I could live here forever, and we never thought to put it in writing. We never thought they would sink so low.”
Baschea said that the Ghosts film crew were on set for five months every year for five years straight and that filming could be very disruptive.
She said: “It is disruptive when they film, especially at night with all the extra lights on really bright and the generators, extra mud, and people wandering around. But I embraced it because I wanted to support the house. It needed all sorts of things doing to it.
“Now I feel that I should have asked for a rent reduction for all the disruption, but I didn’t because I thought it was for the good of the house.”
Ghosts followed the adventures of a living couple sharing a house with a group of spirits, and it was a ratings hit for the BBC with 6.2 million people watching the final episode in 2023.
A friend of the pensioner has started a petition to stop her eviction from the home, which has received more than 2,000 signatures. Baschea said that she has started looking for a new home, but that she will not leave her cottage until a suitable replacement is found.
The West Horsley Trust said: “West Horsley Place Trust is an independent charity caring for a fragile heritage estate. To secure its future and continue our public mission, we are creating increased, diversified and sustainable income through carefully considered changes, including updating and converting two historic cottages into short-term lets.
“The cottages will allow people to stay on the estate to access and enjoy it, our heritage, our cultural activities and those of the wider region. The short-term lets will also support our wider business activities, such as weddings and events.
“We fully appreciate how significant an upheaval this is for the tenant. We have not taken the decision to end this tenancy lightly. We have provided an extended notice period and offered personalised support, including assistance in exploring alternative housing options.”
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High school football: Week 10 schedule
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
WEEK 10
(All games at 7 p.m. unless noted)
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION
Central League
Belmont at Bernstein
Mendez at Hollywood
Roybal at Contreras
Coliseum League
Dorsey at Fremont
Washington at King-Drew
East Valley League
Chavez at Monroe
Grant at Verdugo Hills
North Hollywood at Fulton, 3 p.m.
Sun Valley Poly at Arleta, 3 p.m.
Eastern League
Bell at LA Roosevelt
Legacy at Huntington Park
South Gate at South East
Exposition League
Jefferson at Manual Arts
Marine League
Carson at San Pedro, 7:30 p.m.
Northern League
Franklin at Lincoln
LA Marshall at LA Wilson
Southern League
Maywood CES at Los Angeles, 2 p.m.
Valley Mission League
Granada Hills Kennedy at Reseda
San Fernando at Canoga Park
Sylmar at Panorama
West Valley League
Birmingham at Chatsworth
El Camino Real at Taft
Granada Hills at Cleveland
Western League
Fairfax vs. Palisades at SoFi Stadium, 6 p.m.
Venice at LA Hamilton
Westchester at LA University
Nonleague
Eagle Rock at Garfield
Hawkins at West Adams
SOUTHERN SECTION
605 League
Artesia at Pioneer
Glenn at Cerritos
Almont League
Montebello at San Gabriel
Alpha League
Mission Viejo at Los Alamitos
Baseline League
Chino Hills at Rancho Cucamonga
Damien at Ayala
Etiwanda at Upland
Bay League
Leuzinger at Lawndale
Big West Lower League
Great Oak at Riverside King, 7:30 p.m.
Murrieta Mesa at Corona Santiago, 7:30 p.m.
Corona at Temecula Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Big West Upper League
Norco at Vista Murrieta, 7:30 p.m.
Eastvale Roosevelt at Murrieta Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Bravo League
Corona del Mar at Yorba Linda
Tesoro at San Juan Hills
Channel League
Buena at Moorpark
Royal at Oak Park
Citrus Belt League
Beaumont at Redlands East Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Citrus Valley at Cajon
Yucaipa at Redlands
Citrus Coast League
Channel Islands at Carpinteria
Conejo Coast League
Westlake at Calabasas
Cottonwood League
Riverside Prep at Temecula Prep
Santa Rosa Academy at Trinity Classical
Del Rio League
Whittier at California
Delta League
El Modena at Cypress
Tustin at Capistrano Valley
Desert Empire League
La Quinta at Palm Desert
Rancho Mirage at Palm Springs
Xavier Prep at Shadow Hills
Desert Sky League
Granite Hills at Silverado
Epsilon League
Crean Lutheran at Laguna Hills
La Habra at Foothill
Foxtrot League
Dana Hills at Northwood
Fountain Valley at Aliso Niguel
Gateway League
Downey at Dominguez
Mayfair at La Mirada
Golden League
Lancaster at Antelope Valley
Littlerock at Quartz Hill
Hacienda League
Diamond Bar at Chino
Los Altos at Walnut
South Hills at Covina
Inland Valley League
Heritage at Perris
Iota League
Santa Ana at Anaheim Canyon
Ironwood League
Cerritos Valley Christian at Ontario Christian
Ivy League
Paloma Valley at Liberty, 6 p.m.
Riverside North at Vista del Lago
Kappa League
Garden Grove at Segerstrom
St. Margaret’s at Westminster
Lambda League
La Palma Kennedy at Sunny Hills
Placentia Valencia at Fullerton
Marmonte League
Camarillo at St. Bonaventure
Mid-Cities League
Compton Early College at Lynwood
Norwalk at Bellflower
Miramonte League
Ganesha at Duarte
Garey at Bassett
La Puente at Workman
Mission Valley League
El Monte at Gabrielino
Mountain View at Arroyo
Rosemead at Pasadena Marshall
Mojave River League
Oak Hills at Hesperia
Serrano at Ridgecrest Burroughs
Montview League
Azusa at Pomona
Ontario at Nogales
Sierra Vista at Hacienda Heights Wilson
Moore League
Compton vs. Long Beach Poly at Veterans Stadium
Long Breach Cabrillo at Long Beach Jordan
Long Beach Wilson at Lakewood
Mountain Pass League
Tahquitz at West Valley
Temescal Canyon at San Jacinto
Mountain Valley League
San Bernardino at Miller, 7:30 p.m.
Ocean League
West Torrance at El Segundo
Omicron League
Buena Park at Woodbridge
Garden Grove Pacifica at Portola
Pacific League
Arcadia at Crescenta Valley
Burbank Burroughs at Burbank
Hoover at Glendale
Pioneer League
North Torrance at Torrance
Redondo at South Torrance
Rio Hondo League
Monrovia at Temple City
River Valley League
La Sierra at Norte Vista
Patriot at Jurupa Valley
Ramona at Rubidoux
Sierra League
Charter Oak at Bonita
Claremont at Colony
Los Osos at Glendora
Sigma League
Estancia at Santa Ana Valley
Ocean View at Rancho Alamitos
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Los Amigos
Skyline League
Carter at Arroyo Valley
Sun Valley League
Banning at Desert Mirage, 4 p.m.
Sunbelt League
Hemet at Rancho Christian
Tango League
Loara at Costa Mesa
Westminster La Quinta ar Anaheim
Tri County League
Dos Pueblos at San Marcos
Valle Vista League
Alta Loma at San Dimas
Diamond Ranch at Baldwin Park
Northview at West Covina
Zeta League
Godinez at Century
INTERSECTIONAL
Santee at Rio Hondo Prep
8-MAN
CITY SECTION
Valley League
East Valley at Sherman Oaks CES
South LA College Prep at Valley Oaks CES
SOUTHERN SECTION
Coast Valley League
Coast Union at San Luis Obispo Classical Academy, 5 p.m.
Maricopa at Valley Christian Academy
Heritage League
Lancaster Desert Christian at Lancaster Baptist, 6 p.m.
Majestic League
Public Safety Academy at Calvary Baptist, 3 p.m.
Tri-Valley League
Cate Flintridge Prep
Fillmore vs. Santa Paula at Ventura
Sage Hill at Chadwick, 3 p.m.
Nonleague
CSDR at California Lutheran, 3 p.m.
Mojave at Milken
FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION
Exposition League
Angelou at Marquez
Marine League
Narbonne at Banning, 7:30 p.m.
Nonleague
Diego Rivera at Rancho Dominguez
SOUTHERN SECTION
Almont League
Keppel at Alhambra
Bell Gardens at Schurr
Alpha League
San Clemente at Edison
Angelus League
Alemany at St. Pius X-St. Matthias
Cathedral at St. Francis
Paraclete at St. Paul
Bay League
Culver City at Inglewood
Palos Verdes at Mira Costa
Big West Upper League
Chaparral at Corona Centennial
Bravo League
Villa Park at Newport Harbor
Camino Real League
Mary Star at St. Bernard
St. Genevieve at St. Monica
Channel League
Ventura at Oxnard
Citrus Coast League
Del Sol at Nordhoff
Santa Clara at Grace
Conejo Coast League
Rio Mesa at Newbury Park
Thousand Oaks at Santa Barbara
Cottonwood League
Webb at Silver Valley
Del Rey League
Crespi at Cantwell-Sacred Heart
Salesian at La Salle
St. Anthony at Harvard-Westlake
Del Rio League
El Rancho at Santa Fe
Delta League
Western at Trabuco Hills
Desert Sky League
Barstow at Adelanto
Desert Valley League
Coachella Valley at Indio
Twentynine Palms at Yucca Valley
Epsilon League
Huntington Beach at El Dorado
Foothill League
Golden Valley vs. Saugus at College of the Canyons
Valencia at Castaic
West Ranch at Canyon Country Canyon
Foxtrot League
Laguna Beach at Orange
Gano League
Chaffey at Montclair
Don Lugo at Rowland
Gateway League
Warren at Paramount
Gold Coast League
Viewpoint at Brentwood
Golden League
Eastside at Knight
Highland at Palmdale
Inland Valley League
Canyon Springs at Moreno Valley
Lakeside at Citrus Hill
Iota League
El Toro at Troy
Sonora at Irvine
Ironwood League
Heritage Christian at Capistrano Valley Christian
Village Christian at Aquinas
Ivy League
Rancho Verde at Orange Vista
Kappa League
Brea Olinda at Esperanza
Lambda League
La Palma Kennedy at Sunny Hills
Marina at Beckman
Manzanita League
Desert Chapel at Anza Hamilton
San Jacinto Valley Academy at California Military Institute
Vasquez at Desert Christian Academy
Marmonte League
Oaks Christian at Simi Valley
Oxnard Pacifica at Bishop Diego
Mesquite League
Big Bear at Arrowhead Christian
Western Christian at Linfield Christian
Whittier Christian at Maranatha
Mid-Cities League
Gahr at Firebaugh
Mission League
Chaminade at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
Gardena Serra at Bishop Amat
Sierra Canyon at Loyola
Mission Valley League
El Monte at Gabrielino
Mojave River League
Sultana at Apple Valley
Mountain Valley League
Indian Springs at Pacific
San Bernardino at Miller
Ocean League
Hawthorne at Compton Centennial
Omicron League
Katella at Irvine University
Pacific League
Pasadena at Muir
Pioneer League
Santa Monica at Peninsula, 3 p.m.
Rio Hondo League
La Canada at San Marino
San Andreas League
Colton at San Gorgonio
Kaiser at Rim of the World
Sierra League
Charter Oak at Bonita
Skyline League
Bloomington at Fontana
Rialto at Riverside Notre Dame
Sun Valley League
Desert Hot Springs at Cathedral City
Sunbelt League
Hillcrest at Valley View
Riverside Poly at Arlington
Sunkist League
Eisenhower at Summit
Jurupa Hills at Grand Terrace
Tango League
Garden Grove Santiago at Bolsa Grande
Tri County League
Hueneme at Agoura
Trinity League
Mater Dei at St. John Bosco
Orange Lutheran vs. Servite at Orange Coast College
Santa Margarita at JSerra
Zeta League
Saddleback at Magnolia
8-MAN
CITY SECTION
City League
Animo Robinson at USC Hybrid
New Designs Watts at Stella
SOUTHERN SECTION
Agape League
Academy for Careers & Exploration at Hesperia Christian
Freelance League
Villanova Prep at Malibu, 3 p.m.
Majestic League
Highland Entrepreneur at United Christian
Nonleague
Lighthouse Christian at Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian, 6:30 p.m.
INTERSECTIONAL
Pasadena Poly at New Designs University Park
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
8-MAN
SOUTHERN SECTION
Coast Valley League
Cuyama Valley at Coastal Christian, 6 p.m.
Express League
Downey Calvary Chapel at Legacy College Prep
Frontier League
Thacher at Laguna Blanca, 1 p.m.
Heritage League
Faith Baptist at Santa Clarita Christian
Nonleague
Avalon at Southlands Christian, 12 p.m.
Ivory Coast candidate Billon concedes as partial results favour Ouattara | Elections News
Country awaits final presidential election result that could see 83-year-old Alassane Ouattara sworn in for fourth term.
Former Ivory Coast commerce minister Jean-Louis Billon has conceded defeat to incumbent Alassane Ouattara in the country’s presidential election, as early partial results show the latter with a strong lead nationwide.
“The initial results place the incumbent President, Mr Alassane Ouattara, in the lead, designating him the winner of this presidential election,” Billon said in a statement, congratulating the president on Sunday.
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Billon was among four opposition candidates running against Ouattara, the 83-year-old former International Monetary Fund executive who is seeking a fourth term in office.
Billon failed to secure the endorsement of the opposition PDCI party, led by Tidjane Thiam – the ex-Credit Suisse chief who was barred from the ballot.
Earlier in the day, the country’s Independent Electoral Commission began announcing partial results from Saturday’s polls on national television.
“The results of 20 departments or divisions are being read out,” and 10 or 11 departments remain, Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris said, reporting from the economic capital, Abidjan on Sunday. This included diaspora votes from six countries.
“This is the most critical stage of this election, where results from various polling booths and centres are being collated and announced,” Idris said.
“From the initial results, it’s clear the incumbent is leading by a wide margin in many of the areas so far.”
Nearly nine million Ivorians were eligible to vote in an election marked by a divided opposition further hobbled by the barring of two leading candidates.
“Ivorians are watching closely what happens here,” said Idris. “And the result of this election will determine whether or not the streets will remain calm.”
So far, the streets of Abidjan have remained quiet and calm, Idris reported, “apart from reports of scattered violence in other parts of the country that has led to two deaths”.
“Security patrols are all over the place; at least 44,000 security personnel have been deployed for this election before, during, and after, in case trouble breaks out,” he added.
Ouattara’s leading rivals – former President Laurent Gbagbo and Thiam – were barred from standing, Gbagbo for a criminal conviction and Thiam for acquiring French citizenship.
This led to pre-election protests and calls from some quarters for a boycott of the polls.
While an official voter turnout is not yet known, the president of the election commission, Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, earlier put the figure at about 50 percent.
Polling stations in Abidjan and historically pro-opposition areas in the south and west were nearly empty, the AFP news agency reported. Meanwhile, it said voters turned out in large numbers in the north, where Ouattara had most of his support.
With key contenders out of the race, Ouattara was the overwhelming favourite.
Saturday’s vote was reminiscent of the last election in 2020, in which he obtained 94 percent of the ballots with a turnout slightly above 50 percent in an election then boycotted by the main opposition.
None of the four candidates who faced Ouattara represented a major party or had the reach of the ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace.
America’s Shadow War at Sea: The Legal Grey Zone of the U.S. “Drug Boat” Strikes
In recent months, a series of videos surfaced on Donald Trump’s social-media platform, showing what appeared to be drone footage of small vessels exploding somewhere in the Caribbean. The clips were accompanied by triumphant statements from the former president, who claimed that U.S. forces had struck “drug boats” operated by Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua cartel as they ferried narcotics toward the American coastline. Within hours of the first announcement, officials confirmed that “multiple interdictions” had taken place, that several suspected traffickers were dead, and that survivors were in custody.
For Washington, the operation was presented as a new frontier in counter-narcotics self-defense. For much of Latin America, it looked alarmingly like extrajudicial warfare. Colombia’s president protested that one of the destroyed boats had been Colombian, carrying his own citizens. Caracas called the attacks “acts of piracy.” And legal scholars, both in the United States and abroad, began to question not only the strikes’ legitimacy under international law but also who, exactly, had carried them out.
The Law of the Sea Meets the War on Drugs
The United States is not a signatory to the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, yet successive administrations have claimed to act “in a manner consistent” with its provisions. Under that framework, ships on the high seas enjoy freedom of navigation. Interference is allowed only in narrow cases such as piracy, slavery, or “hot pursuit” when a vessel flees territorial waters after violating a state’s laws. The deliberate destruction of a boat on the open ocean—without proof of an immediate threat—sits uneasily within those boundaries.
“Force can be used to stop a boat,” observed Luke Moffett of Queen’s University Belfast, “but it must be reasonable and necessary in self-defense where there is an immediate threat of serious injury or loss of life.” Nothing in the public record suggests the crews of these vessels fired upon U.S. assets. The claim of self-defense, therefore, stretches maritime law close to breaking point.
International law’s broader prohibition on the use of force, codified in Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter, is equally uncompromising. Only an armed attack, or an imminent threat of one, allows a state to respond with force in self-defense. Trump’s officials insist that Tren de Aragua constitutes a transnational terrorist organization waging “irregular warfare” against the United States. Yet, as Michael Becker of Trinity College Dublin argues, “Labelling traffickers ‘narco-terrorists’ does not transform them into lawful military targets. The United States is not engaged in an armed conflict with Venezuela or with this criminal organization.”
Nonetheless, a leaked memorandum reportedly informed Congress that the administration had determined the U.S. to be in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug cartels—a remarkable claim that effectively militarizes the war on drugs. If accurate, it would mean Washington has unilaterally extended the legal geography of war to the Caribbean, with traffickers recast as enemy combatants rather than criminals.
Domestic Authority and the Elastic Presidency
The constitutional footing for these operations is no clearer. The power to declare war resides with Congress, but Article II designates the president commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Since 2001, successive presidents have leaned on the Authorization for Use of Military Force—passed in the wake of 9/11—to justify counter-terror operations across the globe. That statute, intended to target al-Qaeda and its affiliates, has been stretched from Yemen to the Sahel. Extending it to Venezuelan cartels represents another act of legal contortion.
Rumen Cholakov, a constitutional scholar at King’s College London, suggests that rebranding cartels as “narco-terrorists” may be a deliberate attempt to fold them into the AUMF’s reach. But it remains uncertain whether Congress ever envisaged such an interpretation. Nor has the White House explained whether the War Powers Resolution’s requirement of prior consultation with lawmakers was honored before the first missile struck.
The Pentagon, asked to disclose its legal rationale, declined. The opacity has fuelled speculation that the operations were not conducted solely by uniformed military forces at all, but by an entirely different arm of the American state—one that operates in deeper shadows.
The “Third Option”: Covert Power and the CIA’s Ground Branch
In October, Trump confirmed that he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to “conduct covert operations in Venezuela.” The statement was brief, but within the intelligence world it carried enormous significance. For decades, the CIA’s Special Activities Center—once known as the Special Activities Division—has been Washington’s chosen instrument for deniable action. Its paramilitary component, the Ground Branch, recruits largely from elite special-operations units and specializes in missions that the U.S. government cannot publicly own: sabotage, targeted strikes, and the training of proxy forces.
These operations fall under Title 50 of the U.S. Code, which governs intelligence activities rather than military ones. By law, the president must issue a classified “finding” declaring that the action is necessary to advance foreign-policy objectives and must notify congressional intelligence leaders. Crucially, Title 50 operations are designed so that “the role of the United States Government will not be apparent or acknowledged publicly.”
That distinction—between covert and merely secret—sets Title 50 apart from the military’s Title 10 authority. Traditional special-operations forces under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) operate as uniformed combatants in overt or clandestine missions authorized under defense law. Their actions are governed by the law of armed conflict, subject to military oversight, and, at least in theory, open to public accountability. CIA paramilitaries, by contrast, function outside those rules. They wear no uniforms, deny official affiliation, and are overseen not by the Pentagon but by the White House and select members of Congress.
Since 9/11, the line separating the two worlds has blurred. Joint task forces have fused intelligence officers and military commandos under hybrid authorities, allowing presidents to act quickly and quietly without triggering the political friction of formal war powers. The “drug boat” strikes appear to be the latest iteration of that model: part counter-narcotics, part counter-terrorism, and part covert action.
A Legal Twilight Zone
If CIA paramilitary officers were indeed involved, the implications are profound. A covert maritime campaign authorized under Title 50 would have required a presidential finding and congressional notification, but those documents remain classified. Conducting lethal operations at sea through the intelligence apparatus—rather than under military or law-enforcement authority—creates a twilight zone of accountability.
The law of armed conflict applies only when a genuine armed conflict exists; human rights law governs peacetime use of force. Covert paramilitary strikes sit uneasily between the two. They may infringe the sovereignty of other states without ever triggering a formal act of war, and they obscure responsibility by design. Survivors of the October strike—a Colombian and an Ecuadorian now detained by U.S. authorities—exist in a legal limbo, neither civilian nor combatant.
Mary Ellen O’Connell, professor at Notre Dame Law School, calls the rationale “utterly unconvincing.” No credible facts, she argues, justify treating these actions as lawful self-defense. “The only relevant law for peace is international law—that is, the law of treaties, human rights, and statehood.”
The Price of Secrecy
Covert action was conceived as a tool for influence and sabotage during the Cold War, not as an instrument of maritime interdiction. Applying it to counter-narcotics missions risks collapsing the boundary between espionage and war. Oversight mechanisms designed for covert influence operations struggle to accommodate lethal paramilitary campaigns. Only a handful of legislators—the so-called “Gang of Eight”—receive full briefings, and judicial review is virtually nonexistent. In practice, the president’s signature on a secret finding becomes the sole check on executive power.
The “drug boat” operations thus reveal how the United States’ shadow-war architecture has evolved since 9/11. The Special Activities Center, once reserved for coups and clandestine support to insurgents, now appears to function as an offshore strike arm for missions the military cannot legally or politically conduct. The public framing—protecting Americans from narcotics smuggling—masks a far broader assertion of authority: the right to employ lethal force anywhere, against anyone, without declaration or disclosure.
War Without War
Trump’s supporters hail the strikes as decisive. His critics see a dangerous precedent—a campaign that bypasses Congress, ignores international law, and blurs the line between defense and vigilantism. The tension runs deeper than partisanship. It touches the central question of modern U.S. power: who decides when America is at war?
The CIA’s motto for its paramilitary wing, Tertia Optio—the “third option”—was meant to describe a choice between diplomacy and open war. Yet as that option expands into an instrument of regular policy, it threatens to eclipse both. When covert action becomes a substitute for law, secrecy replaces accountability, and deniability becomes the new face of sovereignty.
Whether these “drug boats” carried cocaine or simply unlucky sailors may never be known. What is certain is that the legal boundaries of America’s global operations are eroding at sea. The United States may claim it is defending itself; international law may call it aggression. In that unresolved space—the realm of the third option—the world’s most powerful democracy is waging a war it will not name.
Michelle Keegan looks incredible posing with Hollywood superstar Reese Witherspoon and raves ‘when two geniuses collide’
MICHELLE Keegan gushed over Hollywood superstar, Reese Witherspoon, at a glitzy event in London.
The Brassic actress posed with the Academy Award winning star and they were seen getting on very well as they chatted excitedly.
She met Reese at an event for her new book, Gone Before Goodbye, which she co-authored with best selling crime author, Harlen Coben.
Michelle recently starred in Fool Me Once, one of Harlen’s many adapted series on Netflix.
She shared a series of photos of her posing closely with Reese and another video of her chatting with Reese as Harlen watched on happily.
“When two genuises collide.. ‘Gone Before Goodbye’ is made! 📖 (I can confirm Reese Witherspoon is everything you’d imagined her to be, what a woman),” Michelle captioned the post on Instagram.
Reese later responded to her post writing, “So wonderful to meet you .. finally!”
Gone Before Goodbye is Reese’s debut novel and tells the story of surgeon Maggie who after a series of personal tragedies is offered an intriguing opportunity by a former colleague.
Michelle also shared a series of her posing at the Southbank Centre in London where the event was held.
Her brush with Hollywood royalty comes after The Sun was first to reveal how Michelle’s BBC series Ten Pound Poms had been scrapped after two series.
The show’s axe comes as the ex-Coronation Street star waves goodbye to hit comedy Brassic on Sky, just as she’s returning to work after becoming a first time mum, to daughter Palma Elizabeth.
Period drama Ten Pound Poms followed a group of British citizens who emigrated from post-war Britain to Australia in the 1950s, with Michelle playing nurse Kate Thorne.
A BBC spokesperson said: “It’s been a joy to bring the story of the Ten Pound Poms to life for BBC viewers and we are really grateful to Danny Brocklehurst, Eleven and all the cast and crew who have worked on the series.”
The gentle drama made a splash when it first aired in May 2023, with 6.37million viewers but that had halved to 3.15million by the end of series two in April this year.
She is busy on a new thriller called The Blame for ITV, though, after time off to have baby Palma with husband Mark Wright.
Monday 27 October Labour Day in New Zealand
Like the similar holiday in Australia, the origin of this holiday goes back to the eight-hour working day movement that started in the mid nineteenth century.
Unusually, this holiday can actually be traced to a specific person. In the newly founded Wellington colony, a carpenter called Samuel Parnell refused to work for more than eight hours a day.
In 1840, Parnell reportedly told a prospective employer: “There are twenty-four hours per day given us; eight of these should be for work, eight for sleep, and the remaining eight for recreation…”
He encouraged other tradesmen in the colony to also restrict their work to only eight hours a day and by October 1840, a local workers’ meeting passed a resolution supporting the idea.
On October 28, 1890, the 50th anniversary of the eight-hour day was marked with a parade. The Government supported parades in the main centres by union members and supporters, giving public servants the day off to attend. Many businesses closed for the event. This led to an annual celebration in late October as either Labour Day or Eight-Hour Demonstration Day.
The New Zealand government legislated that the day be a public holiday from 1900, after Parliament passed the Labour Day Act 1899, but they didn’t specify when it should be celebrated. This led to the holiday being on different days in different provinces.
This date difference even led to complaints that sailors were having extra holidays by timing their visits to ports in different provinces to coincide with local Labour Day holidays – an ironic but inventive misuse of the idea of Labour day.
The situation was clarified in 1910 when the date was ‘Mondayised’ by the Public Holidays Act of 1910, when it was moved to the fourth Monday in October.
New Zealand was the first country in the world to adopt the eight hour working day, initially restricted to tradespeople and labourers
Dukakis Issues Harshest Attack on President
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Democratic presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis stepped up his attacks on the ethical standards of the Reagan Administration on Saturday, offering his harshest criticism yet of the President’s role in the Pentagon procurement scandal.
Asked if he blamed President Reagan and Vice President George Bush, the presumed Republican nominee, personally for the corruption, Dukakis responded: “There’s an old Greek saying . . . The fish rots from the head first. It starts at the top.”
Dukakis said that misconduct and scandal have become “almost an epidemic” under Reagan. “It’s the guy at the top who has to be held accountable,” he added.
“If an Administration comes to Washington with a contempt for public service,” the Massachusetts governor said, “we shouldn’t be surprised if people it attracts to the government share that contempt.”
Dukakis’ acid comments at a press conference here capped a seven-state campaign swing in the industrial Midwest and Deep South targeted at Reagan Democrats–or “Bubba Democrats” as some here in Kentucky call themselves–the 18% of the electorate whose defection helped Reagan win landslide elections in 1980 and 1984.
The strategy holds the risk of alienating supporters of the still-popular President. Until now, Dukakis usually has avoided direct criticism of Reagan, aiming his sharpest barbs at outgoing Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III.
In his three-day campaign swing, his second since the convention, Dukakis repeatedly mocked Bush’s promise to put an ethics office in the White House. “In the Dukakis White House, the ethics office will be in the Oval Office, not somewhere down the hall,” he said.
He also cited testimony last week by David Packard, former head of the Reagan Commission on Defense Management and a former deputy secretary of defense, before the Senate Armed Services Committee investigating the Pentagon scandal.
Packard “testified that this Administration has helped create an environment in which, and I quote, ‘honest and efficient military acquisition is impossible,’ ” Dukakis told more than 5,000 people at an outdoor rally in this steamy Ohio River city.
“My friends, in a Dukakis Administration we’re not going to surrender our national security to greed and corruption,” he added. “We’re not going to use our defense dollars to line the pockets of Washington consultants. We’re going to pay for the tanks and equipment and training the men and women of our armed forces need and deserve.”
Dukakis has called for sharp spending cuts for Reagan’s “Star Wars” missile defense system. He opposes further deployment of the MX missile, as well as further spending on the mobile Midgetman missile system. He also would forgo two proposed Navy aircraft carrier task forces.
Dukakis focused mostly on economic development and education in his campaign visits to Secaucus, N.J.; Cleveland; Flint, Mich.; Racine, Wis.; Springfield, Ill.; Louisville, and Raleigh, N.C.
Despite sweltering weather at every stop, Dukakis encountered sizable crowds and palpable enthusiasm almost everywhere. His rally here, for example, was a sharp contrast with the visit in 1984 by then-Democratic nominee Walter F. Mondale.
Only a few hundred lonely voters showed up then. Even state Democratic leaders “mostly ducked it,” recalled Mayor Jerry E. Abramson. On election day, Kentucky, a state with twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans, gave 69% of its votes to Reagan.
This time, every top elected Democrat in the state crowded the platform in sweat-soaked shirts, waving flags and grinning for the cameras. State Chairman Jerry Lundergan happily held the candidate’s coat. A plane circled overhead, towing a banner: “Our Choice: President Dukakis!”
“He’s what America needs,” said Dale Robinson, 25, a law clerk who clutched two Instamatic cameras and a tiny U.S. flag. “He stands for what America is all about.”
“I think we need a change,” agreed Mike Johnson, 34, a high school teacher. “And I think he’ll do a better job of handling the deficit than Bush.”
Later, at an indoor state fairground hall in Raleigh, aides tried to re-create the excitement of Dukakis’ victory speech in Atlanta.
First came the now-familiar thumping beat of Neil Diamond’s “America” to warm up the crowd. Then in came the candidate, marching like a prize fighter under TV lights as the crowd roared to its feet. A singer belted out the National Anthem, the crowd faced a giant flag to chant the Pledge of Allegiance and Dukakis used a TelePrompTer to speak of an America that “cares for each other and, yes, loves one another.”
“He’s inspiring us to be Americans again,” said Janice Brady, who held her 9-year-old daughter, Amanda. “Just like Reagan.”
Match of the Day: Everton vs Tottenham analysis
Match of the Day pundits Theo Walcott and Danny Murphy discuss how Tottenham Hotspur’s set pieces led to their win against Everton and that they will become more creative when some of their injured players return.
WATCH MORE: Van de Ven scores twice as Tottenham beat Everton
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Exxon Mobil sues California over emissions reporting laws
The Exxon gas station on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, in 2006. Exxon Mobil has sued the State of California in federal court challenging a pair of laws that require the oil giant to report climate emissions data tied to its products, worldwide. File photo by Kamenko Pajic/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 26 (UPI) — Petroleum giant Exxon Mobil has filed a federal lawsuit challenging a pair of California laws that would require the company to report greenhouse gas emissions tied to the worldwide use of its products.
The complaint, Filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, argues that the California statutes violate the company’s free speech rights by compelling it to “trumpet California’s preferred message even though Exxon Mobil believes the speech is misleading and misguided.”
Calif. SB 253, known as the Climate Corporate Data Act, requires the state’s Air Resources Board to adopt regulations that mandate private companies with more than $1billion in annual revenue to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, indirect emissions, such as the electricity purchased by the company and emissions from the company’s supply chain, including water, water usage, business travel and employee commutes. The indirect emissions account for about two-thirds of a company’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The legislation does not require Exxon to change anything about its production process or limit what consumers can use, only that the company provide data on its emissions.
Michael Gerrard, a climate change researcher at Columbia University, said the oil giant has a long history of resisting making such information public, and said the suit reflects “Exxon’s pattern of aggressively pushing back” on any climate change-related regulation.
Supporters of the law say it discourages “corporate greenwashing,” such as marketing efforts that falsely depict a company’s efforts to reduce climate-warming emissions.
“We need the full picture to make the deep emissions cuts that scientists tell us are necessary to avert the world’s impacts of climate change,” said Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, the bill’s author.
In its lawsuit, Exxon said SB 253 and a companion measure, SB 261, would require the company to “engage in granular conjecture about unknowable future developments and to publicly disseminate that speculation on its website.”
SB 261 requires companies with revenue in excess of $500 million to disclose their climate-related financial risks.
UK journalist Sami Hamdi detained in US amid pro-Israel lobby pressure | Censorship News
British political commentator and journalist Sami Hamdi has been detained by federal authorities in the United States in what a US Muslim civil rights group has called an “abduction”.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned Hamdi’s detention at San Francisco airport on Sunday as “a blatant affront to free speech”, attributing his arrest to his criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza.
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Hamdi, a frequent critic of US and Israeli policy, had addressed a CAIR gala in Sacramento on Saturday evening and was due to speak at another CAIR event in Florida the next day before his detention by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
CAIR said he was stopped at the airport following a coordinated “far-right, Israel First campaign”.
“Our nation must stop abducting critics of the Israeli government at the behest of unhinged Israel First bigots,” it said in a statement. “This is an Israel First policy, not an America First policy, and it must end.”
In a statement seen by Al Jazeera, friends of Hamdi called his arrest “a deeply troubling precedent for freedom of expression and the safety of British citizens abroad”.
The statement called for the United Kingdom Foreign Office to “demand urgent clarification from the US authorities regarding the grounds for Mr Hamdi’s detention”.
Al Jazeera was told that he remains in US custody and has not been deported.
“The detention of a British citizen for expressing political opinions sets a dangerous precedent that no democracy should tolerate,” the statement added.
Hamdi’s father, Mohamed El-Hachmi Hamdi, said in a post on X that his son “has no affiliation” with any political or religious group.
“His stance on Palestine is not aligned with any faction there, but rather with the people’s right to security, peace, freedom and dignity. He is, quite simply, one of the young dreamers of this generation, yearning for a world with more compassion, justice, and solidarity,” he added.
Earlier this morning, ICE agents abducted British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi at San Francisco Airport, apparently in response to his vocal criticism of the Israeli government during his ongoing speaking tour.
We can confirm that Mr. Hamdi has not been… https://t.co/dfcVGvz6UX
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) October 26, 2025
‘Proud Islamophobe’
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed Hamdi’s detention on Sunday, claiming without evidence that he posed a national security threat. “This individual’s visa was revoked, and he is in ICE custody pending removal,” she wrote on X.
Hamdi has been outspoken in accusing US politicians of actively enabling Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and has been widely quoted, challenging Western governments directly over arms transfers and diplomatic cover for Israeli war crimes.
His detention comes amid a wider pattern of US authorities blocking entry to Palestinian and pro-Palestine voices.
In June, two Palestinian men, Awdah Hathaleen and his cousin, Eid Hathaleen, were denied entry at the same airport and deported to Qatar. Weeks later, Awdah was reportedly killed by an Israeli settler in the occupied West Bank.
Far-right activist and ally of US President Donald Trump, Laura Loomer, who has publicly described herself as a “proud Islamophobe” and “white advocate”, immediately celebrated online for playing a part in Hamdi’s detention.
“You’re lucky his only fate is being arrested and deported,” she wrote, falsely branding him “a supporter of HAMAS and the Muslim Brotherhood”.
Loomer has previously pushed conspiracy theories, including the claim that the September 11 attacks in the US were an inside job.
Loomer and others credited the escalation against Hamdi to the RAIR Foundation, a pro-Israel pressure network whose stated mission is to oppose “Islamic supremacy”. RAIR recently accused Hamdi of trying to “expand a foreign political network hostile to American interests” and urged authorities to expel him from the country.
On Sunday, Shaun Maguire, a partner at the tech investment firm Sequoia and a vocal defender of Israel, alleged without evidence that Hamdi had tried to get him fired through an AI-generated email campaign, claiming: “There are jihadists in America whose full time job is to silence us.”
Hamdi’s supporters and civil rights advocates say the opposite is true, and that this detention is yet another case of political retaliation against critics of Israel, enforced at the border level before a single public word is uttered.
CAIR says it intends to fight the deportation order, warning that the US is sending a chilling message to Muslim and Palestinian speakers across the country.
‘Queens of the Dead’ review: Tina Romero queers the zombie film, exuberantly
“They’re coming to get you, Barbara” is the most famous line from 1968’s revolutionary “Night of the Living Dead.” It’s a mean taunt that comes from a sibling, unaware that civilization is crumpling around him. In a few moments, his sister will be fleeing across a field barefoot from an undead zombie (terms that are never used in the movie because it’s so ahead of its time) and any Boris Karloff impressions will quickly be forgotten.
The line also sounds remarkably comfortable coming out of the mouth of a drag queen — one of the many sides of shade served in the generously funny and sharp “Queens of the Dead.” Directing and co-writing the film is 42-year-old Tina Romero, daughter of George Romero, “Night’s” original progenitor, whose death in 2017 was met with the kind of belated cultural praise usually reserved for Oscar winners.
Tina Romero understands the legacy of her father better than most. It’s not just a matter of gathering a bunch of bickering survivors inside a besieged location — here it’s a converted Bushwick warehouse — while the outside world goes to hell. (Adding to the film’s bona fides, legendary makeup artist Tom Savini makes a cameo as the city’s mayor on TV: “This is not a George Romero movie,” he warns.) Shrewdly, “Queens of the Dead” also foregrounds the deeper meanings that gore-obsessed knockoffs sometimes miss: the idea that working together across differences is harder than it seems and maybe the monster is already calling from inside the house.
Pink-hued and queered so aggressively that only a prig won’t be able to find some RuPaul-adjacent enjoyment in it, “Queens” stars Katy O’Brian, last seen as Kristen Stewart’s sculpted lust object in “Love Lies Bleeding.” Here O’Brian has much more to do emotionally as Dre, a wanna-be impresario with big dreams for her drag event, Yum, even if her attractions keep bailing and her target audience of influencers is in the process of turning into lumbering flesh-eaters. (They still clutch onto their cellphones, a nice touch.)
Within the makeshift club — a dressing room, a bar, some dance cages that will figure later — tensions flare and Dre has her hands full. Ginsey (Nina West), a hardworking diva, holds down the fort while unreliable protégé Sam (Jaquel Spivey) chooses this moment to show up and ruffle feathers. Unhappy with second billing, a younger queen (Tomás Matos) insists on being called Scrumptious while a gruffly accommodating handyman named Barry (Quincy Dunn-Baker, a smart inclusion of George Romero’s blue-collar streak) tries to keep all the pronouns straight.
Confidently, Tina Romero makes room for a wonderfully dumb makeover montage and a daring escape via Pride Parade float. If the comedy overcompensates at the expense of landing every gag, then good on her. It’s long overdue and there’s something touching to the idea that the end of the world might unleash leadership qualities in those who’ve had a rough time existing in the old one.
But a film this well-made and cut (the pacy editing by Aden Hakimi calls back to the elder Romero’s own cutting of his major titles) shouldn’t be relegated to just one kind of audience. Anyone who appreciates horror should find something to smile at here. Maybe it’s the side plot — as satisfying as a worn-in pair of shoes — of Dre’s wife, Lizzie (Riki Lindhome), a hospital nurse, racing across town in an old Impala.
Or, true to zombie movie form, there’s the mid-film arrival of a game-changing character, the synthesizer music pumping. Here it’s Margaret Cho on a motor scooter, cruising through a cloud of exhaust. “You all look healthy enough,” she tosses off, an action hero in the making. And yes, that’s as thrilling as it sounds.
‘Queens of the Dead’
Not rated
Running time: 1 hour, 41 minutes
Playing: In limited release Friday, Oct. 24
7 charged in 2024 Pennsylvania voter registration fraud that prosecutors say was motivated by money
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A yearlong investigation into suspected fraudulent voter registration forms submitted ahead of last year’s presidential election produced criminal charges Friday against six street canvassers and the man who led their work in Pennsylvania.
The allegations of fraud appeared to be motivated by the defendants’ desire to make money and keep their jobs and was not an effort to influence the election results, said Pennsylvania Atty Gen. Dave Sunday.
Guillermo Sainz, 33, described by prosecutors as the director of a company’s registration drives in Pennsylvania, was charged with three counts of solicitation of registration, a state law that prohibits offering money to reach registration quotas. A message seeking comment was left on a number associated with Sainz, who lives in Arizona. He did not have a lawyer listed in court records.
The six canvassers are charged with unsworn falsification, tampering with public records, forgery and violations of Pennsylvania election law. The charges relate to activities in three Republican-leaning Pennsylvania counties: York, Lancaster and Berks.
“We are confident that the motive behind these crimes was personal financial gain, and not a conspiracy or organized effort to tip any election for any one candidate or party,” Sunday said in a news release. Prosecutors said the forms included all party affiliations.
In a court affidavit filed with the criminal charges on Friday, investigators said Sainz, an employee of Field+Media Corps, “instituted unlawful financial incentives and pressures in his push to meet company goals to maintain funding which in turn spurred some canvassers to create and submit fake forms to earn more money.”
The chief executive of Field+Media Corps, based in Mesa, Ariz., said last year the company was proud of its work to expand voting but had no information about problematic registration forms. A message seeking comment was left Friday for the CEO, Francisco Heredia. The Field+Media Corps website did not appear to be operative.
Field+Media was funded by Everybody Votes, an effort to improve voter registration rates in communities of color. The affidavit said Everybody Votes “fully cooperated” with the investigation and noted its contract with Field+Media prohibited payments on a per-registration basis.
“The investigation confirmed that we hold our partners to the highest standards of quality control when collecting, handling and delivering voter registration applications,” Everybody Votes said in a statement emailed by a spokesperson.
Sainz, who managed Pennsylvania operations from May to October 2024, is accused of paying canvassers based on how many signatures they collected. The police affidavit said Sainz told agents with the attorney general’s office earlier this month he was unaware of any canvassers paid extra hours if they reached a target number of forms.
“Sainz had to be asked the question multiple times before he stated he was not aware of this and that ‘everyone was an hourly worker,’ ” investigators wrote.
One canvasser said she created fake forms to boost her pay and believed others did, too, according to the police affidavit. Another told investigators that most of the registration forms he collected were “not real.” A third reported that when she realized she was not going to reach a daily quota, “she would make up names and information,” police wrote, “due to fear of losing her job.”
The investigation began in late October 2024, when election workers in Lancaster flagged about 2,500 voter registration forms for potential fraud. Authorities said they appeared to contain false names, suspicious handwriting, questionable signatures, incorrect addresses and other problematic details.
In a separate but related investigation, authorities in Monroe County late Friday filed voter registration fraud charges against three canvassers who worked for Field+Media Corps last year. All three defendants were charged with forgery, perjury, unsworn falsification, tampering with public records, identity theft and election law violations.
The suggestion of criminal activity related to the election came as the battleground state was considered pivotal to the presidential election, and then-candidate Donald Trump seized on the news. At a campaign event, he declared there was “cheating” involving “2,600” votes. The actual issue in Lancaster was about 2,500 suspected fraudulent voter registration forms, not ballots or votes.
Scolforo writes for the Associated Press.
Nick Mangold, former standout center for the New York Jets, dies at 41
Nick Mangold’s long, blond hair and bushy beard made him instantly recognizable. His gritty, outstanding performance on the field for the New York Jets made him one of the franchise’s greatest players.
Mangold, a two-time All-Pro center who helped lead the Jets to the AFC championship game twice, has died, the team announced Sunday. He was 41.
The Jets said in a statement that Mangold died Saturday night from complications of kidney disease. His death came less than two weeks after the two-time All-Pro selection announced on social media that he had kidney disease and needed a transplant. He said he didn’t have relatives who were able to donate, so he went public with the request for a donor with type O blood.
“I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time,” he wrote in an Oct. 14 message directed to the Jets and Ohio State communities.
“While this has been a tough stretch, I’m staying positive and focused on the path ahead. I’m looking forward to better days and getting back to full strength soon. I’ll see you all at MetLife Stadium & The Shoe very soon.”
Mangold said he was diagnosed with a genetic defect in 2006 that led to chronic kidney disease. He was on dialysis while waiting for a transplant.
“Nick was more than a legendary center,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. “He was the heartbeat of our offensive line for a decade and a beloved teammate whose leadership and toughness defined an era of Jets football. Off the field, Nick’s wit, warmth, and unwavering loyalty made him a cherished member of our extended Jets family.”
The Jets announced Mangold’s death about an hour before they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 39-38 for their first win of the season. A moment of silence was held in the press box before the game. Mangold grew up in Centerville, Ohio — about 45 miles north of Cincinnati — but remained in New Jersey, close to the Jets’ facility, after his playing career ended.
Jets coach Aaron Glenn was a scout for the franchise during Mangold’s playing career.
“A true Jet, through and through. … He was the heart and soul of this team,” Glenn said.
Mangold was a first-round draft pick of the Jets in 2006 out of Ohio State and was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times. He helped lead New York within one win of the Super Bowl during both the 2009 and 2010 seasons and was enshrined in the Jets’ ring of honor in 2022. Mangold was among 52 modern-era players who advanced earlier this week in the voting process for next year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Mangold was the anchor of New York’s offensive line his entire playing career, spending all 11 seasons with the Jets.
“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to lace them up with you every Sunday,” Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis, Mangold’s teammate for eight years, wrote on X. “I will miss you and forever cherish our moments in the locker room. Love you buddy.”
Mangold started every game during his first five seasons and missed only four games in his first 10 years before an ankle injury limited him to eight games in 2016, his final season.
“It’s brutal,” former Jets coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan said during “Sunday NFL Countdown” while fighting through tears. “Such a great young man. I had the pleasure of coaching him for all six years with the Jets (from 2009-14). I remember it was obvious I was getting fired, my last game, Mangold’s injured — like, injured — and he comes to me and says, ‘I’m playing this game.’ And he wanted to play for me.
“That’s what I remember about this kid. He was awesome. And it’s just way too young. I feel so bad for his wife and family. (This is) rough.”
Mangold was released by the team in 2017 and didn’t play that season. The following year, he signed a one-day contract with the Jets to officially retire as a member of the team.
“Rest in peace to my brother & teammate Nick Mangold,” tweeted former running back Thomas Jones, who played three years with Mangold. “I keep seeing your smiling face in the huddle bro. One of the kindest people I’ve ever met. One of the greatest interior linemen to ever play the game. This one hurts. Surreal.”
Several other former teammates mourned the loss of Mangold.
“Absolutely gutted,” former wide receiver David Nelson, who played with Mangold for two seasons, wrote on X. “One of the best guys I’ve ever met — true legend on and off the field.”
Former kicker Jay Feely, Mangold’s teammate for two seasons, tweeted: “Heartbreaking news this morning. Nick and I played together with the Jets and loved to banter about the Michigan/Ohio St rivalry. He was a natural leader, a great player, thoughtful, kind, & larger than life.”
Mangold’s No. 74 jersey remained a popular one for fans to wear at games, even nine years after playing his final NFL game. He was active with charitable events and often dressed as Santa Claus for the team’s holiday celebrations for children.
“Nick was the embodiment of consistency, strength, and leadership,” Jets vice chairman Christopher Johnson said in a statement. “For over a decade, he anchored our offensive line with unmatched skill and determination, earning the respect of teammates, opponents and fans alike. His contributions on the field were extraordinary — but it was his character, humility, and humor off the field that made him unforgettable.”
Mangold is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and their children Matthew, Eloise, Thomas and Charlotte. Nick Mangold’s sister, Holley, was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team and competed in the super heavyweight division of the weightlifting competition.
Waszak writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Jay Cohen and freelance reporter Jeff Wallner contributed to this report.
U.S. and China could ‘consummate’ TikTok deal Thursday
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could “consummate” a deal forcing a divestiture by the platform’s Chinese parent company on Thursday. File Photo by Alex Plavevski/EPA-EFE
Oct. 26 (UPI) — President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could “consummate” the TikTok deal announced last month this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
“We reached a final deal on TikTok. We reached one in Madrid, and I believe that as of today, all the details are ironed out, and that will be for the two leaders to consummate that transaction on Thursday in Korea,” Bessent said in an interview Sunday morning on “Face the Nation.”
Trump had signed an executive order in late September to complete a deal estimated at $14 billion that would create a U.S. entity to control TikTok, with American investors owning 80% of the company and its parent company ByteDance maintaining less than 20%.
It would satisfy an April 2024 law passed by Congress in the Biden administration requiring ByteDance to divest from the company or the platform would be banned for some 170 million U.S. users.
The president said at the time that the deal was approved by Xi in a phone conversation.
Bessent did not provide new details of the deal in the interview Sunday.
“My remit was to get the Chinese to agree to approve the transaction, and I believe we successfully accomplished that over the past two days,” Bessent said.
The White House said at the time the executive order was signed that the federal government would not play a role in selecting members for TikTok’s board. And when asked if the platform would begin to favor “MAGA” content, Trump responded it will be fair.
“If I could make it 100% MAGA I would but it’s not going to work out that way unfortunately,” Trump said. “Everyone is going to be treated fairly. Every group, every philosophy will be treated fairly.”
A number of academic studies have shown that TikTok already “tends to lean toward right-wing content, with right-wing praise being a significant predictor of user engagement.”
Gaza Tribunal calls for ‘Israeli perpetrators and enablers’ to face justice | Israel-Palestine conflict News
The tribunal’s message came as it released its genocide verdict following four days of public hearings in Istanbul, Turkiye.
The Gaza Tribunal has issued its final findings, saying that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and that “Israeli perpetrators and their Western enablers” should not be allowed to escape justice for their crimes.
The unofficial tribunal, which was established in London last November, gave its “moral judgement” on Sunday, following four days of public hearings in Istanbul, Turkiye.
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Presided over by Richard Falk, a former United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, the initiative comes in the tradition of the Russell Tribunal, which heard evidence in 1967 of United States war crimes in Vietnam.
The year-long Gaza process involved collecting information, hearing witnesses and survivors, and archiving the evidence.
In its ruling, the tribunal’s jury condemned the genocide in Gaza and crimes including the mass destruction of residential properties, the deliberate denial of food to the civilian population, torture, and the targeting of journalists.
Criticism of post-war plans
After saying that Israel’s war on Gaza shows global governance is failing to uphold its duties, the tribunal recommended that all “perpetrators, supporters and enablers” be held accountable and that Israel be suspended from international organisations like the UN.
The jury also found Western governments, “particularly the United States”, complicit with Israel through the provision of “diplomatic cover, weapons, weapon parts, intelligence, military assistance and training, and continuing economic relations”.
As well as calling for justice, the tribunal criticised two post-war plans put forward by US President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, suggesting they “ignore the rights of the Palestinian people under international law” while “doing nothing to rein in the perpetrators of genocide”.
“Palestinians must lead the restoration of Gaza, and Israel and its enablers must be held responsible for all reparations,” members of the tribunal said in a statement.
Given that it is not a court of law, the tribunal “does not purport to determine guilt or liability of any person, organisation or state”, but should rather be seen as a civil society response to the war on Gaza, the jury said.
“We believe that genocide must be named and documented and that impunity feeds continuing violence throughout the globe,” the jurors explained. “Genocide in Gaza is the concern of all humanity. When states are silent civil society can and must speak out.”
Israel is facing genocide accusations – brought by South Africa – at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Although it is likely to be years before the ICJ gives its judgement, it found in an interim ruling in January 2024 that it is “plausible” that Israel is violating the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
Israel has repeatedly denied accusations that it has committed genocide in Gaza.
I’m A Celebrity ‘signs up Conor Benn’ amidst Chris Eubank Jr rematch
Sport and reality show fans have different reasons to take not of the rumoured line up for I’m A Celebrity…. Get Me Out Of Here! 2025 as a major sporting event may be affected by plans
Boxing star Conor Benn is reportedly being lined up to star in the upcoming season of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! despite having fights planned incredibly close to the expected air date.
Long-time fans of I’m A Celeb will be used to watching stars parachute into the Australian jungle every November. This year will see the 25th season of the long-running show air on ITV – and an early November start date is anticipated.
One of the names linked to the upcoming series is 29-year-old boxer Conor, who is the son of former two-division world champion boxer Nigel Benn. Fans might be surprised to see his name tied to the series, as he is due to fight Chris Eubank Jr on November 15 for a hotly anticipated rematch.
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A source told The Sun: “The logistics are a challenge given how close the match is to the start of the jungle, but ITV and Conor are keen to make this happen if they can.” The Mirror has approached representatives of Conor and I’m A Celebrity for comment.
A string of other stars have been tipped to appear in the new season of the show, with EastEnders star Shona McGarty, Emmerdale star Lisa Riley, and comedian Ruby Wax among those thought to have signed up for gruelling tasks and infamous trials.
I’m A Celeb fans should have even more jungle action to watch in the coming months as a second season of the All Stars version has reportedly wrapped. Filmed in South Africa, the spin-off show sees past contestants return to take part in more tasks.
Gemma Collins, Harry Redknapp, Scarlett Moffatt, and Sir Mo Farah are among the names attached to the upcoming second season. The format of the show has disappointed fans, however, as it airs as a pre-recorded show.
This deprives viewers of the ability to vote for those they want to see take part in trials – and also to vote for a winner. The first All Stars season aired in April 2023 – six months after the filming process ended.
Former Hear’Say singer & presenter Myleene Klass was crowned the winner of the show, triumphing over second-place star Jordan Banjo and third-place star Fatima Whitbread.
ITV confirmed the show would return last month, with host Ant McPartlin saying in a statement: “The campmates really brought their A-game to the first series, so we can’t wait to be back for more trials, challenges and surprises amongst the beautiful South African landscape.”
Co-host Declan Donnelly added: “Having a live final is an exciting addition to the new series with the viewers choosing their IAC Legend and we’ve heard some of the new trials are truly epic, even by I’m A Celeb… standards!”
Meanwhile, Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment, Reality & Daytime Commissioning at ITV, said: “We were blown away by the love for the first series of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa. It was a true celebration of the show’s history, and viewers loved seeing their favourite campmates return to their screens. We can’t wait to do it all again next year with a whole new cohort, and have the audience crown the winner during a live final for the first time.”
And Tom Gould, Director of Entertainment & Formats, Lifted Entertainment, added: “We’re very excited to have some more of the most memorable campmates from previous series returning to take on terrifying trials and face challenging twists and difficult decisions, in the tougher setting of South Africa.
“It will test them to their limits, and with a live final, this time viewers will get to decide who truly deserves the title of I’m A Celebrity Legend”.
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