A federal judge ruled Friday that President Trump’s administration must keep federal funds flowing to childcare subsidies and other social service programs in five Democratic-controlled states — at least for now.

The ruling Friday from U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick extends by two weeks a temporary one issued earlier this month that blocked the federal government from holding back the money from California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York. The initial temporary restraining order was to expire Friday.

Broderick said Friday that he would decide later whether the money is to remain in place while a challenge to cutting it off works its way through the courts.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent the five states notices in early January informing them it would require justifications for spending the money aimed at helping low-income families. It also said it would require more documentation, including the names and Social Security numbers of the beneficiaries of some of the programs.

The programs are intended to help low-income families

The programs affected by the restrictions at the heart of this case are the Child Care and Development Fund, which subsidizes childcare for 1.3 million children from low-income families nationwide; the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance and job training; and the Social Services Block Grant, a smaller fund that provides money for a variety of programs.

The states say that they receive a total of more than $10 billion a year from those programs — and that the programs are essential for low-income and vulnerable families, including paying about half the cost of shelters for homeless families in New York City.

For TANF and the Social Service Block Grant, the request required the states to submit the data, including personal information of recipients beginning in 2022, with a deadline of Jan. 20.

Government lawyers said Friday that the department was working on more guidelines about what exactly was required before the initial restraining order was put in place.

The administration says it took action because of concerns about fraud

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said earlier this month that it was pausing the funding because it had “reason to believe” the states were granting benefits to people in the country illegally. At the time, it didn’t explain why.

But in Friday’s hearing, Mallika Balachandran, a federal government lawyer, said that the concerns were raised by media reports, though she told the judge she did not know which ones. Federal officials have previously cited a video by a right-wing influencer who claimed fraud by Minneapolis day care centers operated by people with Somali backgrounds.

Broderick asked whether the government picked the five states first and then did research into whether there were fraud claims there. Balachandran said she didn’t know that either.

Broderick said he didn’t understand why the government made it harder for the states to access money for the programs before any wrongdoing had been found.

“It just seems like the cart before the horse,” he said.

The states, which all have Democratic governors, say the move was instead intended to damage Trump’s political adversaries.

Around the same time as the actions aimed at the five states, the administration put up hurdles to Minnesota for even more federal dollars. It also began requesting all states to explain how they’re using money in the childcare program.

States call the action ‘unlawful many times over’

In court papers last week, the states say what they describe as a funding freeze does not follow the law.

They say Congress created laws about how the administration can identify noncompliance or fraud by recipients of the money — and that the federal government hasn’t used that process.

They also say it’s improper to freeze funding broadly because of potential fraud and that producing the data the government called for is an “impossible demand on an impossible timeline.”

Jessica Ranucci, a lawyer in New York’s attorney general’s office arguing on behalf of the five states, told the judge that she was told only about a half-hour before the hearing that the government had been developing more information about what states needed to provide. That wasn’t mentioned in the court filings, she said.

The administration says it’s not a freeze

In a court filing this week, the administration objected to the states describing the action as a “funding freeze,” even though the headline on the Department of Health and Human Services announcement was: “HHS Freezes Child Care and Family Assistance Grants in Five States for Fraud Concerns.”

Federal government lawyers said the states could get the money going forward if they provide the requested information and the federal government finds them to be in compliance with anti-fraud measures.

The administration also notes that it has continued to provide funding to the states.

The lawyer for the states said that most of the funding, though, was not accessible until after the restraining order was entered.

This isn’t the only case where the federal government has threatened to cut off funding recently. Trump has said this month that “sanctuary cities” that resist his administration’s immigration policies — and their states — could lose federal funds.

This week, his budget office told other federal departments and agencies to collect information about money several states receive — but said it wasn’t to withhold money.

Mulvihill writes for the Associated Press.

Trinity Rodman has re-signed with the Washington Spirit, ending a months-long saga that led the NWSL to adjust its salary cap rules in order to retain one of its biggest stars.

Financial details of the three-year contract weren’t released, but ESPN reports that the deal is worth more than $2 million annually, including bonuses, making Rodman the highest-paid athlete in NWSL history.

In a news release, the Spirit described the deal as “one of the most significant contracts in the NWSL and the women’s game worldwide.”

“I think I’ve always had a vision and an idea of what I wanted my legacy to be,” Rodman said at an event announcing her new deal Thursday at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. “And for me, we’re doing that and I’m so grateful for that.”

Rodman is currently training with the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team in Carson. At age 18, she was selected No. 2 overall by Washington in the 2021 draft. Rodman went on to win the league’s rookie of the year award and record the game-winning assist in extra time during the NWSL championship game that season.

In 2024 and 2025, Rodman helped the Spirit return to the championship game.

“Getting drafted here and developing and maturing and learning — and failing — at the Spirit, in D.C., it’s become so much of my legacy and my story,” Rodman said. “But on top of that, I still feel like there’s so much more I have to give and so much more that I want to do.”

Rodman’s initial contract with Washington expired on Dec. 31, making her a free agent. A gold medal winner for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Rodman was rumored to be getting interest from European teams that don’t have the same salary restrictions.

“I can’t think of the Washington Spirit without her,” Spirit owner Michele Kang said at Thursday’s event in L.A. “And I hope she can’t think about her career without the Washington Spirit. So this is really monumental and it was really important, not only for the Spirit, especially for our fans who expect to see her. They come to Audi Field and that’s where Rowdy Audi clearly came out.”

Lakers legend Magic Johnson, a minority stakeholder in the Spirit, called Rodman’s re-signing a “big win for the entire National Women’s Soccer League!”

“Michele and the Spirit leadership spoke about the vision for the franchise, creating sustainable success, implementing innovation and being a standard bearer for women’s sports,” Johnson wrote on X following Thursday’s event. “Keeping Trinity as a Spirit player was a big step to fulfilling that vision. I want to congratulate the entire Spirit organization for getting the deal done! I know our incredible fan base is as excited as I am.”

Rodman and the Spirit had previously reached an agreement on a four-year, multimillion-dollar contract in early December. That deal was rejected by the NWSL as being against the spirit of the league’s salary cap, which is set at $3.5 million for each team for the 2026 season and will rise each year until hitting $5.1 million in 2030.

The NWSL Players Assn. filed a grievance against the league for nixing the contract agreement, alleging that the move violated the collective bargaining agreement.

Weeks later, the league adopted a “High Impact Player” rule allowing teams to spend up to $1 million over the salary cap for star players that meet certain criteria. The union also has filed a grievance over that rule, claiming that the league is not allowed to “unilaterally create a new pay structure.”

Spirit president of soccer operations Haley Carter says the “High Impact Player” rule figured into Rodman’s new contract and that neither NWSLPA grievance would alter the deal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jan. 23 (UPI) — People are calling out of work, businesses are shutting down and people are avoiding spending money in Minnesota Friday as a protest of the federal agents surge in their state.

The general strike day is called ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth and Freedom, and the organizers have called for people to boycott work, school and shopping. The strike calls for an immediate end to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents in the state and charges for the ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Nicole Good. It also demands no more funding for ICE in the next federal budget.

“It’s tense and emotional, and folks are hurting,” Bishop Dwayne Royster, executive director of Faith in Action, told The New York Times. He said Minnesotans are showing their “deep resilience and willingness to stand together in ways I haven’t seen folks do in a very long time.”

The day of the protest will be difficult for those braving the weather, as Minnesota is under an extreme cold warning Friday. Temperatures in the Twin Cities are expected to drop to minus 20 degrees, with wind chills of minus 41 degrees.

A march is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST in Minneapolis, and prayer vigils are planned all over the state.

The city has been under tension for weeks since the agents arrived. Good was killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on Jan. 7. Federal prosecutors recently subpoenaed Gov. Tim Walz, Mayor Jacob Frey and other Democratic elected officials. A Nicaraguan detainee died in ICE custody of an apparent suicide. On Thursday, a 5-year-old boy was detained with his father, and three other children were taken. Three activists were arrested after a protest during a church service. Vice President JD Vance visited the city Thursday to “restore law and order” in the city, and he blamed local officials for the “chaotic” ICE enforcement.

The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the state of Minnesota have filed a federal lawsuit to stop the federal action in their cities and state.

Minneapolis native Kimberly Chase, 64, protested the Vance speech Thursday and told The Washington Post that her niece and her classmates had talked about digging a hole on school property to hide from ICE agents if they came to their school.

“We’re being invaded at all levels of society from kids to old people,” Chase told The Post. “But it’s not working. If anything, it’s making our community tighter.”

Many local businesses in the Twin Cities were closed on Friday.

“There’s a time to stand up for things, and this is it,” Alison Kirwin, the owner of Al’s Breakfast, told The New York Times. Her restaurant in Minneapolis closed on Friday. “If it takes away from a day of our income, that is worthwhile.”

In an email on Thursday, a Department of Homeland Security official told The Times that the strike was “beyond insane.” He asked, “Why would these labor bosses not want these public safety threats out of their communities?”

“What we have experienced and are experiencing in the state of Minnesota is not normal,” said JaNaé Bates Imari, auxiliary minister at Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Paul, at a Jan. 13 news conference, The Post reported. “We have witnessed violence over and over again, families being ripped apart, loved ones being torn from their hospital beds, from their workplaces, from their homes.

“We cannot allow this to continue,” Bates Imari said. “If you ever wondered for yourself, when is the time that we do something different, when is the time that we stand up … the time is now.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said on X Monday that the agency had arrested more than 10,000 undocumented immigrants in Minneapolis. She provided no evidence of that number.

Christa Sarrack, president of a labor union that represents about 6,000 of Minnesota’s hospitality workers, said the one-day strike might be the largest worker action in Minnesota history. She told The Times that some of the union members’ employers had decided to close for the day, and others were allowing employees to not come to work.

“We cannot simply sit by and allow this to continue,” Sarrack said. “We must use every tool that we have to fight back.”

Some coffee shops planned to close but open their doors for people to come inside and warm up, offering free coffee and sign-making materials, The Post said. A brewery planned to offer free hot dogs. Other businesses said they would stay open to help employees who needed the wages but would donate some revenue to local nonprofits.

Hundreds of businesses are closing their doors in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the midwestern United States, as anti-ICE protesters continue to call for the federal agency to leave the city as part of a large-scale economic protest that has been named The Day of Truth and Freedom.

Friday’s walkout includes small businesses, unions, faith groups, and educators across the city, which has become a focal point of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency’s aggressive actions. The call, organised by a coalition of community groups, also urges a suspension of consumer spending.

“It is time to suspend the normal order of business to demand immediate cessation of ICE actions in MN,” the group organising the protest wrote on its website.

There are solidarity marches in cities across the US, including New York City, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Seattle, among others.

At the Minneapolis protest, the group is also planning a march that begins at 2pm local time (20:00 GMT) and ends at the Target Center — an arena in downtown Minneapolis.

Eyes on Target

The big-box retailer, in particular, has been in the crosshairs of organisers because of the company’s close ties to Minneapolis, where its headquarters are located, and it is the state’s fourth-largest employer.

The group is calling for Target stores to exercise protections under the Fourth Amendment, which would mean federal agents do not have the legal authority to enter a residence or place of business without a warrant signed by a judge.

In a document shared with organisers, the group pointed to two incidents of concern. One on January 8, when Customs and Border Patrol aggressively forced two US citizens onto the ground and subsequently detained them while working at a store in Richfield, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, and another three days later in nearby St Paul, where Customs and Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino entered a store with other agents.

“Where Target leads, others follow. Our state is under occupation from federal agents, and they are attacking Minnesotans quite literally inside of Target stores. We need Target to stand with Minnesotans against these attacks,” the document said.

Target has been quiet about the protests and calls from its workers to take a stance. The company sent a memo to staff, according to Bloomberg News, warning of potential disruptions.

The pressure by anti-ICE protesters is the latest in a wave of pushback against the retail giant by progressives in the past year. There was a call for boycotts after the company rolled back its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which the company later attributed to a reason for a downturn in sales in early 2025.

The looming tensions have not made a dent on Wall Street, as the company’s stock is up 1.3 percent in midday trading.

Target did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

The political response

“The Trump Administration’s immigration enforcement operations have resulted in countless dangerous criminal illegals being removed from the streets – including rapists, murderers, burglars, drunk drivers, and more. Making American communities safer will create an environment in which all businesses can thrive in the long term and their customers can feel safe. Joe Biden and Democrat leaders should’ve never let countless dangerous criminal illegals enter our country to begin with. And now the Trump Administration is cleaning up the Democrats’ mess,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Al Jazeera in a statement.

When pressed for a response to this reasoning and asked whether ICE would commit to holding accountable agents who break the law, the White House declined to provide additional comment.

The allegations concerning the agency’s conduct have led to the protests, including claims that ICE’s actions violated First and Fourth Amendment protections and threats towards protesters.

Among them are the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a case that has drawn scrutiny from civil liberties advocates, and the Department of Justice’s decision not to investigate the agent behind the shooting, which has invoked further outrage. One of the economic blackout’s calls is to hold Jonathan Ross, the agent who shot and killed Renee Good, legally accountable.

“I understand why people are choosing to participate in the January 23 blackout, and I support those decisions. At the same time, our small businesses, especially immigrant-owned businesses, are under a lot of pressure right now, and they could really use our support. However you choose to show up, I hope we keep our neighbours and local businesses in mind,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement provided to Al Jazeera.

Representatives for Governor Tim Walz did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

HE is already one of the most famous men in Britain, with a record 18 Brit Awards and record sales exceeding 80million.

And today, Robbie Williams has made history once again when his latest album Britpop soared to the top of the charts – meaning he has now surpassed The Beatles to become the act with the most No1 albums in UK history, with a total of 16.

In an exclusive chat after finding out the news, he said: “It’s absolutely insane.

“I’m still trying to take it all in and figure out what it all means.“I can just tell you that I’m glad that it’s happened to me.”

It comes a week after it was revealed he has quit the UK and is now splitting his time between the Bahamas and Miami, having only moved back to London from Los Angeles in 2022.

Revealing why he left the UK, he said of his new life in the sun: “Not going to lie, it’s not s**t. I’m done with bad weather.“

HE’S THE ONE

Inside Robbie Williams’ wild career as he looks set to eclipse The Beatles

BRIT OF A SHOCK

Robbie Williams surprises fans by dropping new Britpop album

“I was out of the UK for like 24 years and then I was in the UK, and I know what I prefer.

“Unfortunately it goes dark and grey at the end of September. And if you’re lucky, it doesn’t stop being dark and grey until the end of May.

“So I’m doing away with that bit and just being in the sunshine. And if you can, why not? Why wouldn’t you?”

And maybe he’ll come back here in the summer?

“Yeah. I mean, everybody’s heading to the Cotswolds, aren’t they? I’d like to do that.”

I’m bigger than the Beatles and Jesus. There you go, there’s your headline.

Robbie Williams

Robbie’s incredible new chart feat was unveiled this afternoon, although neither of the surviving Beatles members Sir Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr had been in touch… yet.

He quipped: “No, but I’m bigger than the Beatles and Jesus. There you go, there’s your headline.

‘I’m a more monster’

“It doesn’t make any sense. The Beatles, the best band to ever exist. They did everything before they split up and then achieved what they achieved with their solo careers and stuff.

“And here’s this daft [bloke] from Stoke, wandering into the party and claiming some sort of record that overthrows them for five minutes.

“In my life and in my mind, I’ll have that mean happiness for me.

“But I also realise that the Beatles are the Beatles. Elvis is Elvis. And I should be stacking some shelves in an Asda in Stoke-on-Trent, so I’m just very, very lucky.”

It’s an astonishing feat, having landed his first solo No1 album in 1997 with Life Thru A Lens after leaving Take That – and also scoring seven No1 singles along the way.

Ayda’s coming in tomorrow and a few of the kids are coming in tomorrow too. I guess I’ll be celebrating by buying Ayda a handbag. She doesn’t do cheap handbags.”

Robbie Williams

Joining on a Zoom call from a lavish hotel suite in Paris, he said he will be celebrating there this weekend – and his wife Ayda Field will be reaping the rewards.

He admitted: “Ayda’s coming in tomorrow and a few of the kids are coming in tomorrow too. I guess I’ll be celebrating by buying Ayda a handbag.

“She doesn’t do cheap handbags.”

At only 51, there’s plenty of life in Robbie yet, and I won’t be surprised if he has loads more No1s in the future.

Asked if he has a total he wants to hit, he said: “I think this could be an end to want and need in this particular field…”

But then he conceded: “Oh, who am I kidding?

“I always want more. I’ve got a more problem. I’m a more monster. The hole is unfillable. So, yeah, f**k, scrap everything I’ve just said. I want more.”

And he is relishing the success.

On whether he knows where his other No1 awards are, he panned the camera over to a table featuring all 16.

“Why would I?” he chuckled.

“They’re coming everywhere with me now.

“There’s nothing in my house that would suggest I am me and I do what I do for a living.

“Those should be somewhere. Maybe in the garage where I could, if I’m just showing people around, go, ‘Oh, yeah, those. Oh, who put those there?’”

During the chat, he also let slip that he has “five albums ready to go”, so there will be more music to come in the next few years.

He explained: “They’re all demos right now. But I don’t think I will be writing, I don’t think I have to write for a long time. I’ve already done it all. There’s a vault full of stuff.”

But self-deprecating as always, he added: “Whether great swathes of the general public will want it from me, who knows and who cares? But I’ve got stuff to deliver.”

Robbie’s 16 chart-topping albums

How do you know what you know?

Did you learn it in school, read it in a newspaper? Did you get your information on social media or though chatter with friends?

Even in an age of misinformation and disinformation — which we really need to start clearly calling propaganda — we continue to rely on old ways of knowing. We take it for granted that if we really need to get to the truth, there’s a way to do it, even if it means cracking the pages of one of those ancient conveyors of wisdom, a book.

But we are entering an era in America when knowledge is about to be hard to come by. It would be easy to shrug off this escalation of the war on truth as just more Trump nonsense, but it is much more than that. Authoritarians take power in the short term by fear and maybe force. In the long term, they rely on ignorance — an erasure of knowledge to leave people believing that there was ever anything different than what is.

This is how our kids, future generations, come to be controlled. They simply don’t know what was, and therefore are at a great disadvantage in imagining what could be.

This week, the White House altered a photo of Nekima Levy Armstrong, the civil rights lawyer arrested in Minneapolis for protesting inside a church.

The original photo shows Armstrong in handcuffs being led away by a federal officer with his face blurred out. Armstrong is composed and steady in this image. A veteran of social justice movements and a trained attorney, she appears as one might expect, her expression troubled but calm.

In the photo released by the White House, Armstrong is sobbing, her mouth hanging open in despair. In what is clearly nothing more than overt racism, it appears her skin has been darkened. Her braided hair, neatly styled in the original picture, is disheveled in the Trump image.

On the left, a photograph from the X (formerly Twitter) account of U.S. Secretary Kristi Noem, showing Nekima Levy Armstrong being arrested. On the right, the photo has been altered before being posted to the White House’s X (formerly Twitter) account.

(@Sec_Noem via X/@WhiteHouse via X)

A strong, composed resister is turned into a weeping, weak failure.

“YET AGAIN to the people who feel the need to reflexively defend perpetrators of heinous crimes in our country I share with you this message: Enforcement of the law will continue. The memes will continue. Thank you for your attention to this matter,”

That was the official White House response to inquiries about the photo, posted on social media.

The same week, the Trump administration began ripping down exhibits at the President’s House in Philadelphia that told the story of the nine Black people held in bondage there by George Washington. I’ve been to that exhibit and had planned to take my kids this summer to learn about Joe Richardson, Christopher Sheels, Austin, Hercules, Giles, Moll, Oney Judge, Paris and Richmond.

They are names that barely made it into American history. Many have never heard of them. Now, this administration is attempting to erase them.

How do you know what you know? I learned most of what I knew about these folks from that signage, which is probably in a dump somewhere by now.

The information we once took for granted on government websites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is gone. Climate change information; LGBTQ+ information; even agricultural information. Gone (though courts have ordered some restored).

The National Law Enforcement Accountability Database, which tracked federal police misconduct, has been shut down.

The Smithsonian is undergoing an ideological review.

And now, our government is telling us it will alter in real time images of dissenters to create its own narrative, demand we believe not our own eyes, our own knowledge, but the narrative they create.

“I’ll end with this, we’re being told one story which is totally different than what’s occurring,” said Cumberland County, Me., Sheriff Kevin Joyce.

He was speaking specifically about an incident in his town in which a corrections officer recruit was detained by ICE this week. In video taken by a bystander, about five agents pull the man from his car as he drives home after work. They then leave the car running in the street as they take him away.

Joyce told reporters the man had a clean background check before being hired, had no criminal record, and was working legally in the country. The sheriff has no idea where the man is being held.

Joyce’s sentiment, that what we are being told isn’t what’s happening, applies to nearly everything we are seeing with our own eyes.

A woman shot through her temple, through the side window of her car? You don’t understand what you are seeing. It was justified, our vice president has told us, without even the need for an investigation.

Goodbye Renee Good. They are attempting in real time to erase her reality and instead morph her into a domestic terrorist committing “heinous” crimes, and maybe even worse.

“You have a small band of very far left people who are doing everything they can … to try to make ICE out to be the ultimate enemy, and engage in this weird, small-scale civil war,” Vice President JD Vance said this week.

Protesting turned into civil war.

Next up, artificial intelligence is getting into the erasure game. Scientists are warning that those who wish to destroy truth will soon unleash AI-run operations in which thousands if not millions of social media posts will offer up whatever alternative reality those in control of it wish. Under the pressure of that avalanche of lies, many will believe.

The message the White House is sending with Armstrong’s photo is that they control the truth, they decide what it is.

Our job is to fight for truth, know it when we see it, and demand it not be erased.

Freshmen have played a big role in UCLA‘s strong start to the gymnastics season, accounting for roughly 37% of its routines ahead of Sunday’s meet against Michigan State.

Leading the way has been Ashlee Sullivan, who was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after fifth-ranked UCLA swept the conference’s weekly honors for the second time this season.

Against Nebraska last week, Sullivan recorded career-highs in three events and tied for first on uneven bars (9.9) and floor exercise (9.875).

“We’re really relying on our freshmen and the experience that they had previously in their elite careers and things like that,” UCLA coach Janelle McDonald said.

Three meets into the season, Tiana Sumanasekera is the only freshman to compete in every event, with Nola Matthews and Sullivan making appearances in three.

“We always make the decision that’s best for the team, and so we’re gonna make our lineups not necessarily based on who gets to do all-around, but who are the best six for each event,” McDonald said.

Matthews and Sullivan are practicing for all events, with the latter close to participating on beam.

UCLA gymnast Ashlee Sullivan performs her floor routine during a quad meet in Utah on Jan. 10.

(Tyler Tate / Associated Press)

“We kind of restructured [Ashlee’s] beam routine about a week and a half ago, just to be a little bit cleaner,” McDonald said, “but she’s known as a beamer.”

McDonald is excited to see her freshman go up against a challenging adversary like No. 21 Michigan State.

“So far this season, they’ve showed up and just really delivered,” McDonald said. “I’m excited to see them get to have this opportunity against a great, great team.”

A Big Ten rivalry in the making

Michigan State, the 2024 Big Ten champion, will offer a big test for the Bruins as the two teams renew their budding rivalry.

“Some of our favorite memories were against Michigan State last year, I know the dual meet we had was just incredible [with] us coming back,” McDonald said.

During a dual meet in February, UCLA came back from 0.7 points down in the last rotation to win. They met again in the Big Ten championship, and Michigan State led after two rotations, 99.1-98.9. After an incredible floor rotation — highlighted by a perfect 10 from Jordan Chiles — and a school-record 49.75 on beam, the Bruins took the title.

This year’s meet will be shown live on Fox at 10 a.m. PST, marking the second time this season the Bruins have been on national television.

“It’s just a very cool opportunity to get to be a representative of our sport and get some different eyes on our sport,” McDonald said. “It’s not something we take lightly and it’s definitely something we want to show up for.”

Balancing NCAA success with Olympic dreams

With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, McDonald and her coaching staff understand the importance of maintaining and developing the elite skills in their gymnasts that will carry them in national and international competition.

Sumanasekera has been working with UCLA coaches to improve her NCAA routines while also bolstering the elite skills that could improve her chances of making the U.S. Olympic team.

“It’s really about maintaining elite skills, making sure she has them in her pocket so that we can just pull on them when it’s time to build those elite routines back up,” McDonald said. “There’s so many different people that have a hand in our program to help them continue to feel good and to be as strong as possible in all of those things.”

Philip Young admits to 48 offences committed between 2010 and 2023 ‍against ex-wife Joanne Young.

A former British town councillor has admitted to drugging and raping his ex-wife over the course of more than a decade, alongside five other men also charged with sexual offences against her.

Philip Young, 49, who served on Swindon borough council in the south of England, pleaded guilty on Friday to ​48 offences committed between 2010 and 2023 ‍against ex-wife Joanne Young, who prosecutors previously said had waived her legal right to anonymity.

Appearing at Winchester Crown Court, the former Conservative Party local politician pleaded guilty to 11 ‍counts of ⁠rape, 11 counts of administering a substance with intent to stupefy to allow sexual activity, seven counts of assault by penetration and four counts of sexual assault.

He also pleaded guilty to ‌14 counts of voyeurism, including one count which stated Young recorded his ex-wife “on no fewer than 200 occasions”, and a charge of publishing obscene articles by publishing ‌photos and images of her “on ⁠no fewer than 500 occasions”.

Five other men also appeared in the court, charged with sexual offences against Joanne Young, the Press Association news agency reported.

Norman Macksoni, 47, and Richard Wilkins, 61, both pleaded not guilty to one count of rape.

Wilkins also pleaded not guilty to one charge of assault by penetration.

Connor Sanderson Doyle, 31, pleaded not guilty to sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching.

Dean Hamilton, 47, is yet to enter a plea to one count of rape, as well as two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration.

Mohammed Hassan, 37, pleaded not guilty to sexual touching.

The five men were all granted bail and are due to stand trial on October 5, said PA.

Joanne Young, 48, was present in court with her sister and a member of witness support.

Last year, Wiltshire Police detective superintendent Geoff Smith described the case as a “complex and extensive investigation”, noting that the victim had waived her “automatic legal right to anonymity”.

Dozens of people rescued in Lampedusa after vessel crossed from Tunisia in dangerous conditions, Save the Children says.

One-year-old twin girls are missing at sea after a boat carrying dozens of migrants and refugees reached the Italian island of Lampedusa this week, nonprofit group Save the Children has said.

The organisation said on Friday that 61 people, including the missing twins’ mother and 22 unaccompanied minors, were rescued from the vessel a day earlier after crossing to Lampedusa in “extremely difficult conditions” made worse by Cyclone Harry.

“They described having departed from Tunisia, braving stormy seas for at least three days, and arriving in a state of great physical and psychological distress,” Save the Children said in a statement.

A man died after disembarking the boat, the group added.

The Central Mediterranean is the deadliest known migration route in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Forty-nine people, including 12 children under age five, died last October when their boat capsized after leaving the Tunisian coastal village of Salakta.

“Nearly 1,000 deaths and disappearances have been recorded in the Central Mediterranean this year [2025], with the death toll since 2014 reaching more than 25,000,” the IOM said at the time.

“At least 30 children have lost their lives off the coast of Tunisia already this year [2025], compared to 22 in all of 2024.”

Tunisia has seen an increase in departures in recent years, according to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, which tracks crossings.

And in 2020, Tunisian nationals made up more than 60 percent of the Central Mediterranean crossings, the IOM said, as the country faced high unemployment rates as well as deepening socioeconomic and political hardships.

On Friday, Save the Children said people continued to risk their lives “on dangerous and often deadly journeys” due to an absence of safe migration routes.

Giorgia D’Errico, the group’s director of institutional relations, said the European Union has responsibility for every decision that puts those fleeing poverty, violence and persecution at risk.

“We cannot silently watch the loss of human lives, including so many children, that has continued for years, making the sea, once again, a deadly border: this unacceptable massacre must end,” she said.

The eight-part Netflix series from the writer behind Mad Men is coming soon.

A star of the Mission Impossible film franchise and HBO series The White Lotus has been confirmed to appear in Netflix’s ‘answer to Heated Rivalry’.

Michelle Monaghan has been cast in an upcoming, eight-part series set to be released on the streamer. The new drama has yet to confirm its title but filming is currently underway.

It comes from creator Nick Naveda, while Bridget Bedard acts as showrunner. Naveda has previously penned indie movies Say You Will and Words on Bathroom Walls. Meanwhile, Bedard’s credits include Grosse Point Garden Society, Transparent and has worked as a writer on Mad Men episodes.

Netflix have confirmed some plot details and the series will takes place in the small working-class town of South Dorothy, Minnesota, where the high school hockey team has been churning out state championships and NHL stars for decades. This is primarily down to their legendary Coach “Sully” Sullivan being at the helm.

However, a bus crash claims the lives of several players and Sully himself. This tragic loss knocks the legs out from under the high school’s legendary team.

The town looks to Harper Sullivan, Coach Sully’s widow, to coach a new team of battered and broken young men. She is tasked with resurrecting the team from the brink of defeat, and bringing South Dorothy back to life.

What unfolds is the hopeful and unforgettable story of an underdog team who comes together to galvanize their town, reclaim their way of life, and turn their shared grief into an unstoppable superpower.

Michelle Monaghan leads the cast in the role of Harper Sullivan. Viewers will recognise her from the most recent series of The White Lotus as well as Tom Cruise’s love interest in multiple Mission Impossible films. She has also starred in season one of True Detective as well as The Family Plan.

She will be joined by and ensemble cast which includes:

• Emilie Bierre (Teacup, A Colony) as Riley Sullivan
• Shai Chase (Diary of a Muslim Cynic, ANINO) as Henry Sullivan
• Josh Macqueen (Motorheads, Black Snow) as Rhett Nelson
• Costa D’Angelo (Tell Me Lies, the upcoming East of Eden) as Owen Boone
• Carter Shimp (Best Medicine, Curse of the Sin Eater) as Austin Ryder
• Ethan Holder (Ballard) as Cooper Cunningham
• Isaac Arellanes (My Life with the Walter Boys, Reservation Dogs) as Manny Rodriguez
• Chloe Avakian (Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, This Is Not a Test) as Izzy Miller
• Caleb Baumann (It’s Not Like That, Grey’s Anatomy) as Elu
• River Codack (Happy Face, Earth Abides) as Tyler Walker
• Angus Albinati as Jack McGrath
• Callum Orchison (The Best Is Yet to Come) as Derek Marchbanks

Production has not long got underway on the new series and there is yet to be a release date confirmed. However, the streamer is expected to issue further updates in the near future.

Fans have already shared their anticipation after the update of the show was shared on social media. Many have made the connection that the storyline seems inspired by the tragic 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash in Canada.

Although direct inspiration of this to the show is unconfirmed by makers of the show. One fan shared heir excitement and posted online: “Anyone else getting Friday Night Lights vibes but on ice? Okay Netflix… this has potential.”

Another added: “Netflix’s response to Heated Rivalry.” While someone else admitted: “Didn’t expect a hockey drama from Netflix.”

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

TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded to President Trump’s comment that “Canada lives because of the United States” on Thursday by saying Canada thrives because of Canadian values.

Carney said Canada can show the world that the future doesn’t have to be autocratic after returning from Davos where he gave a speech that garnered widespread attention.

In Davos at the World Economic Forum, Carney condemned coercion by great powers on smaller countries without mentioning Trump’s name.

Upon returning home to Canada, Carney responded to Trump directly by referencing Trump’s remarks in Davos.

“Canada lives because of the United States,” Trump said. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

“Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian,” Carney responded Thursday.

Carney said Canada and the U.S. have built a remarkable partnership in the areas of economy, security and rich cultural exchange, but said “we are masters in our home, this is our own country, it’s our future, the choice is up to us.”

Trump later revoked his invitation to Carney to join his Board of Peace.

“Dear Prime Minister Carney: Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time,” Trump posted on social media.

Carney left Davos before Trump inaugurated his Board of Peace to lead efforts at maintaining a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas.

Trump has talked about making Canada the 51st state and posted this week an altered image of a map of the U.S. that includes Canada, Greenland, Venezuela and Cuba as part of its territory.

Trump said in Davos that Canada gets many “freebies” from the U.S. and “should be grateful.” He said Carney’s Davos speech showed he “wasn’t so grateful.”

Trump said Canada wants to participate in “Golden Dome” — a multibillion-dollar missile defense system that he says will be operational before his term ends in 2029.

In a speech before a cabinet retreat in Quebec City, Carney said staying true to Canada’s values is key to maintaining its sovereignty.

“We can show that another way is possible, that the arc of history isn’t destined to be warped toward authoritarianism and exclusion; it can still bend toward progress and justice,” Carney said.

Carney said “Canada must be a beacon — an example to a world at sea.”

Carney said in a time of rising populism and ethnic nationalism, Canada can show how diversity is a strength, not a weakness.

“There are billions of people who aspire to what we have built: a pluralistic society that works,” Carney said.

He said Canada delivers shared prosperity and has a democracy that chooses to protect the vulnerable against the powerful.

“It’s a great country for everyone. It is the greatest country in the world to be a regular person. You don’t have to be born rich, or to a landed family. You don’t have to be a certain color or worship a certain god,” he said.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick earlier complained about Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum.

“Give me a break,” Lutnick said on Bloomberg TV. “They have the second-best deal in the world and all I got to do is listen to this guy whine and complain.”

Canada has been shielded from the worst impacts of Trump’s tariffs by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known as USMCA, but the agreement is up for a mandatory review this year.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, told the forum that multiple leaders in the United States sent him transcripts of Carney’s speech.

“I respect what Carney did because he had courage of convictions. He stood up and I think we need to stand up in America and call this out with clarity,” Newsom said.

“We can lose our republic as we know it. Our country can become unrecognizable.”

Newsom said the fact that Carney came back from China with a deal to introduce low-cost, high-quality electric vehicles into Canada, not made from Michigan, but from overseas shows how reckless Trump’s foreign policy is.

“It’s a remarkable thing to break down 80-plus years of alliances,” he said.

Gillies writes for the Associated Press.

Kevin Johnson, a former NFL defensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders, was found dead at a homeless encampment Wednesday, authorities said.

Officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the death as a possible homicide after the former football player was found with stab wounds and blunt head trauma, according to the county medical examiner.

Johnson, 55, was found dead after deputies received a call of an unconscious man in the 1300 block of East 120th Street in Willowbrook, according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Department. Officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department were called, and Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene.

No arrests have been made in connection with the death, and officials are asking anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau.

Johnson was a fourth-round draft pick of the New England Patriots in 1993 after playing at L.A. Harbor College, Texas Southern and helping Westchester High to the 1987 2-A City Section championship. At Texas Southern, a HBCU school, he played alongside future NFL Hall of Fame defensive lineman Michael Strahan.

Johnson was cut by the Patriots and Minnesota Vikings before catching on with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995 and 1996, playing in 23 games and registering 43 tackles and seven sacks. He returned a fumble for a touchdown in a 1995 game against Washington.

He played in 15 games for the Oakland Raiders in 1997, his last NFL season. He played both defensive and offensive line positions in 1998 with Orlando of the Arena Football League, helping the Predators to the Arena Bowl championship.

The Pakistani military is forcing thousands of families to evacuate from Khyber District’s Tirah Valley ahead of a security operation it says will target Pakistani Taliban fighters who now control parts of the region. Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder filed this report.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has deployed a military radar in the Somali region of Puntland as part of a secret deal, amid Abu Dhabi’s ongoing entrenchment of its influence over the region’s security affairs.

According to the London-based news outlet Middle East Eye, sources familiar with the matter told it that the UAE had installed a military radar near Bosaso airport in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region earlier this year, with one unnamed source saying that the “radar’s purpose is to detect and provide early warning against drone or missile threats, particularly those potentially launched by the Houthis, targeting Bosaso from outside”.

The radar’s presence was reportedly confirmed by satellite imagery from early March, which found that an Israeli-made ELM-2084 3D Active Electronically Scanned Array Multi-Mission Radar had indeed been installed near Bosaso airport.

READ: UAE: The scramble for the Horn of Africa

Not only does the radar have the purpose of defending Puntland and its airport from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, but air traffic data reportedly indicates it also serves to facilitate the transport of weapons, ammunition, and supplies to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), further fuelling the ongoing civil war in Sudan.

“The UAE installed the radar shortly after the RSF lost control of most of Khartoum in early March”, one source said. Another source was cited as claiming that the radar was deployed at the airport late last year and that Abu Dhabi has used it on a daily basis to supply the RSF, particularly through large cargo planes that frequently carry weapons and ammunition, and which sometimes amount to up to five major shipments at a time.

According to two other Somali sources cited by the report, Puntland’s president Said Abdullahi Deni did not seek approval from Somalia’s federal government nor even the Puntland parliament for the installation of the radar, with one of those sources stressing that it was “a secret deal, and even the highest levels of Puntland’s government, including the cabinet, are unaware of it”.

READ: UAE under scrutiny over alleged arms shipments to Sudan

KATIE Price has shared a series of engagement snaps on Instagram – sending fans into a frenzy.

The star, 47, shared a picture of rose petals arranged to read ‘will you marry me’, before showing off a huge diamond engagement ring.

Katie then posted a picture of the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, with the caption “My Richard Gear [sic] swept off my feet. Manifesting does work”.

One of the pictures shows her holding hands with a mystery man boasting a tattoo of her name.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.

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PARIS — In a hypothetical nuclear war involving Russia, China and the United States, the island of Greenland would be in the middle of Armageddon.

The strategic importance of the Arctic territory — under the flight paths that nuclear-armed missiles from China and Russia could take on their way to incinerating targets in the United States, and vice versa — is one of the reasons President Trump has cited in his disruptive campaign to wrest control of Greenland from Denmark, alarming Greenlanders and longtime allies in Europe alike.

Trump has argued that U.S. ownership of Greenland is vital for his “Golden Dome” — a multibillion dollar missile defense system that he says will be operational before his term ends in 2029.

“Because of The Golden Dome, and Modern Day Weapons Systems, both Offensive and Defensive, the need to ACQUIRE is especially important,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Saturday.

That ushered in another roller-coaster week involving the semiautonomous Danish territory, where Trump again pushed for U.S. ownership before seemingly backing off, announcing Wednesday the “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security that’s unlikely to be the final word.

Here’s a closer look at Greenland’s position at a crossroads for nuclear defense.

ICBM flight paths

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, or ICBMs, that nuclear adversaries would fire at each other — if it ever came to that — tend to take the shortest direct route, on a ballistic trajectory into space and down again, from their silos or launchers to targets. The shortest flight paths from China or Russia to the United States — and the other way — would take many of them over the Arctic region.

Russian Topol-M missiles fired, for example, from the Tatishchevo silo complex southeast of Moscow would fly high over Greenland, if targeted at the U.S. ICBM force of 400 Minuteman III missiles, housed at the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana and the Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.

Chinese Dong Feng-31 missiles, if fired from new silo fields that the U.S. Defense Department says have been built in China, also could overfly Greenland should they be targeted at the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.

“If there is a war, much of the action will take place on that piece of ice. Think of it: those missiles would be flying right over the center,” Trump said Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Pituffik Space Base

An array of farseeing early warning radars act as the Pentagon’s eyes against any missile attack. The northernmost of them is in Greenland, at the Pituffik Space Base. Pronounced “bee-doo-FEEK,” it used to be called Thule Air Base, but was renamed in 2023 using the remote location’s Greenlandic name, recognizing the Indigenous community that was forcibly displaced by the U.S. outpost’s construction in 1951.

Its location above the Arctic Circle, and roughly halfway between Washington and Moscow, enables it to peer with its radar over the Arctic region, into Russia and at potential flight paths of U.S.-targeted Chinese missiles.

“That gives the United States more time to think about what to do,” said Pavel Podvig, a Geneva-based analyst who specializes in Russia’s nuclear arsenal. “Greenland is a good location for that.”

The two-sided, solid-state AN/FPS-132 radar is designed to quickly detect and track ballistic missile launches, including from submarines, to help inform the U.S. commander in chief’s response and provide data for interceptors to try and destroy warheads.

The radar beams out for nearly 3,450 miles in a 240-degree arc and, even at its furthest range, can detect objects no larger than a small car, the U.S. Air Force says.

Expert sees holes in Trump’s arguments

Pitching the “Golden Dome” in Davos, Trump said that the U.S. needs ownership of Greenland to defend it.

“You can’t defend it on a lease,” he said.

But defense specialists struggle to comprehend that logic given that the U.S. has operated at Pituffik for decades without owning Greenland.

French nuclear defense specialist Etienne Marcuz points out that Trump has never spoken of also needing to take control of the United Kingdom — even though it, like Greenland, also plays an important role in U.S. missile defense.

An early warning radar operated by the U.K.’s Royal Air Force at Fylingdales, in northern England, serves both the U.K. and U.S governments, scanning for missiles from Russia and elsewhere and northward to the polar region. The unit’s motto is “Vigilamus” — Latin for “We are watching.”

Trump’s envisioned multilayered “Golden Dome” could include space-based sensors to detect missiles. They could reduce the U.S. need for its Greenland-based radar station, said Marcuz, a former nuclear defense worker for France’s Defense Ministry, now with the Foundation for Strategic Research think tank in Paris.

“Trump’s argument that Greenland is vital for the Golden Dome — and therefore that it has to be invaded, well, acquired — is false for several reasons,” Marcuz said.

“One of them is that there is, for example, a radar in the United Kingdom, and to my knowledge there is no question of invading the U.K. And, above all, there are new sensors that are already being tested, in the process of being deployed, which will in fact reduce Greenland’s importance.”

‘Golden Dome’ interceptors

Because of its location, Greenland could be a useful place to station “Golden Dome” interceptors to try to destroy warheads before they reach the continental U.S.

The “highly complex system can only work at its maximum potential and efficiency … if this Land is included in it,” Trump wrote in his post last weekend.

But the U.S. already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement. Before Trump ratcheted up the heat on the territory and Denmark, its owner, their governments likely would have readily accepted any American military request for an expanded footprint there, experts say. It used to have multiple bases and installations, but later abandoned them, leaving just Pituffik.

“Denmark was the most compliant ally of the United States,” Marcuz said. “Now, it’s very different. I don’t know whether authorization would be granted, but in any case, before, the answer was ‘Yes.’”

Leicester writes for the Associated Press.

Fernando Mendoza will enter the NFL Draft after leading Indiana to a 16-0 season and its first College Football Playoff national championship, he announced on social media Friday. The quarterback was awarded the Heisman Trophy and is expected to be taken by the Las Vegas Raiders with the first pick of the draft.

As impressive as those accomplishments were, the moment Mendoza will best be remembered by Hoosiers fans came with 9:18 to play in the title game against Miami. He took off on a designed running play from the 12-yard line, accelerated and bounced off several defenders before diving into the end zone, thrusting the ball over his head to score.

Now there’s a bobblehead to commemorate that historic moment. And there may be no one happier than Josh Rawitch, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Rawitch doesn’t get excited by any old bobblehead. He sees so much sports memorabilia that it takes something special to grace his desk.

But he’ll make room for the “Fernando Mendoza Diving Touchdown Bobblehead,” issued this week by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum. Rawitch, you see, is an Indiana graduate, even though he grew up in Northridge and covered high school football games for The Times while in high school.

“In my office I only have really unique, random bobbleheads like Dave Matthews and Jack Kerouac,” he said. “And this definitely qualifies.”

Phil Sklar, CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, said Hoosiers bobbleheads are on pace to shatter records for college championship sales.

“We anticipate the Fernando Mendoza Diving Touchdown Bobblehead to be one of the most popular that we have ever offered,” he said.

Rawitch also can appreciate a timely bobblehead. The MLB Hall of Fame and Museum features an exhibit on the history of baseball bobbleheads called “Getting the Nod.”

“We have more than 1,000 in our museum collection and it’s clear how popular they are among fans as a way of commemorating big moments,” said Rawitch, who plans to purchase the one of Mendoza. “Unfortunately, the Mendoza one won’t quite fit there, but it will look great in my office!”

Mendoza described the touchdown run on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Thursday night, saying the play was designed for him to run to his left but that he saw daylight to the right and improvised.

“It’s like when you miss your exit on maps, and you’re like, ‘Oh shoot, here we go,’” he told Fallon. “But luckily it was an exit to a touchdown. I saw these huge football players in front of me and I was like a human pinball machine. I was like, boom, boom, bang, getting banged up and all of a sudden I’m in the air and I was like ‘I might as well reach for the touchdown.’”

To which Fallon replied, “Legendary!”

Mendoza spent two seasons at Cal before transferring to Indiana, where he completed 72% of his passes for 3,535 yards with an FBS-leading 41 touchdowns. He rushed for 276 yards and seven more scores.

If he goes to the Raiders, Mendoza would join fellow quarterbacks Cam Newton and Joe Burrow as the only players to be the No. 1 overall pick after having won a national title and the Heisman Trophy.

This town in Norfolk is the longest-established ‘Cittaslow’ in the UK and has fully embraced a slower pace of life with a focus on sustainable living and local produce and businesses

For people sick of the fast-paced frenzy of a lot of busy areas, this ‘unspoilt’ town in Norfolk could be perfect for you.

Aylsham is the oldest established ‘Cittaslow’ town in the UK, having qualified as one in November 2004. The term ‘Cittaslow’ is Italian for ‘slow city’ and is an accredited place with a population of under 50,000 people that focuses on improving the quality of life for its residents by adopting a slower, more community-focused pace of life.

The turning point for the residents of Aylsham came over 20 years ago when the loss of the town’s livestock market, followed by the opening of a supermarket and planned residential growth all became too much.

The community became desperate to change its focus and started by supporting local businesses and maintain high street shops, as well as protecting the environment, conserving local traditions and creating a people-friendly urban fabric.

Now Aylsham is a popular place to visit because of its slow movement, alongside its weekly markets, local produce and historic buildings.

One of the major features of the town is the Blickling Estate which has been the site of a medieval manor house owned by the last Anglo-Saxon King and late became home to the family of Anne Boleyn, the second queen of Henry VIII. Today, Blickling has one of the most significant libraries across the country and boasts significant and rare interior Jacobean plaster ceilings.

Away from the history of the town, Aylsham town centre boasts a traditional market square with independent shops, local food and a strong community feel. The ‘traditional, unspoilt’ market place is surrounded by 18 ^th century houses that reflect the town’s prosperity from the cloth trade from that era.

Today, the picturesque area holds markets on Mondays and Fridays and many people who visit also take in the wealth of shops, pubs and tearooms along its quaint streets. One Aylsham reviewer wrote of the town: “Aylsham is a thriving market town with good bus kink to Norwich and the coast. Lots of lovely independent shops and places to eat.”

Is there a town you think we should be shouting about? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

HAVE YOU ever watched a TV series or film and thought ‘I want to go to where they filmed this’? Well, one historic market town used in major TV productions is the ideal staycation getaway spot.

Found in Wiltshire, Corsham is widely known for its picturesque, honey-coloured houses which have led to its high street being named one of the prettiest in the UK.

According to The Telegraph, “Corsham’s High Street, a handsome run of Bath stone and bunting, hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“[F]ilm crews have flocked in: productions such as Remains of the Day, Poldark and Rivals have been made here.

“The street has many award-winning independents, from bookshops to jewellers to delis (try Woody’s for fresh salads and cheeses).”

The Telegraph added how in the spring of this year, the team at Bath’s Beckford Bottle Shop will also open Corsham House at No 13 – a wine-led bar and restaurant with accommodation upstairs.

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But there is so much more to Corsham than just its high street…

The town is set right on the edge of the Cotswolds, meaning it is the perfect base to explore the area that is capturing the hearts of so many celebrities.

In fact, famous drummer and founder of Pink Floyd, Nick Mason, lives near Corsham.

And famous faces tend to appear in the town quite often thanks to it being a popular filming spot.

In October, the town’s high street was transformed for the filming of the second series of Disney series Rivals, originally created by the late Dame Jilly Cooper.

Celebs spotted include David Tennant.

The town has featured in other productions too, including Poldark.

If you want to explore one of the spots used for the filming of Poldark, head to St Bartholomew’s Church.

Known locally as St Bart’s, the Grade-I listed church features a large churchyard, tower and spire.

And if you aren’t tempted to visit already, Corsham also has a number of very special residents….roaming peacocks.

They are long-term residents of the town, having been introduced by the Methuen family from Corsham Court in the 1920s.

They can often be seen strutting the streets and causing traffic chaos.

You can head to Corsham Court itself as well.

The historic manor is home to a number of art collections, with over 160 pieces of art on display.

The public can visit the house and gardens for £12.50 per adult or £6 per child and explore the state rooms, cabinet room, picture gallery and state bedchamber, which were all designed by Capability Brown and John Nash.

The breakfast room and library are still used by the family living at the house, so are only open for two weeks of the year.

Just a short walk from Corsham Court, you will find The Pound, Corsham’s gallery, theatre, cinema and a cafe-bar.

The Pound often hosts a number of events and workshops, and if you are there in June, make sure to visit the Blue Sky Festival which celebrates the arts.

For another historic find, head to the Corsham Almshouses which were built back in the 17th century.

They were originally houses for the poor and elderly.

When it comes to grabbing a bite to eat, you won’t be short of options in Corsham.

One top spot is The Flemish Weaver with a traditional English pub vibe that dates to the 17th century.

Inside, the pub has a cosy atmosphere and even your furry friends won’t be left out as the pub is dog friendly.

The menu has lots of choice including fish and chips with tartare sauce and garden peas for £16 or the pie of the day with mash, vegetables and gravy for £17.

And if you are thirsty, try out the pub’s very own Flemish Ale.

Alternatively, you could head to the Methuen Arms – a Georgian coaching inn that serves, breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.

It even has rooms so you can stay there too from £88 per night.

Bath is just down the road as well, around 10 miles away, which is a great city to explore if you are a Bridgerton fan.

For more spots to explore in the UK, here’s the town with one of the most beautiful streets in the UK.

Plus, five pretty English villages that will make you feel like you’re in The Holiday with cosy pubs and cottages.

The confrontation between the United States and Iran has entered a more volatile phase, marked by direct military strikes, heightened rhetoric and the steady erosion of long-standing restraints. From attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities to Tehran’s calibrated retaliation across the region, the risk of escalation has become tangible rather than theoretical. For Gulf states, whose security and economic stability are directly exposed to any US–Iran conflict, the implications are immediate. It is within this environment that Qatar’s diplomacy between Washington and Tehran should be understood: not as neutrality for its own sake, but as a calculated effort to contain risks that escalation would only magnify.

Periods of heightened tension between the United States and Iran have long carried consequences well beyond Washington and Tehran. Following a wave of protests inside Iran that, according to varying estimates, resulted in the deaths of several thousand people, rhetoric between Tehran and Washington has hardened markedly. This included President Trump’s threat to intervene on behalf of the protesters, a development that further heightened the urgency of diplomacy in the Gulf. The Gulf’s geography, concentrated energy infrastructure and interlinked security environment mean that even limited confrontation risks rapid regional spillover. Against this backdrop, Qatar’s approach toward Washington and Tehran has consistently prioritised de-escalation, mediation and the maintenance of political channels at moments when such channels appeared increasingly fragile.

Qatar has emerged as an effective and credible mediator at moments of acute tension between the United States and Iran, offering practical avenues that have helped prevent crises from escalating further. Drawing on its sustained relations with Tehran and its strategic partnership with Washington, Doha has maintained discreet and trusted channels that allow both sides to communicate when direct engagement becomes politically constrained. This positioning has enabled Qatar to facilitate de-escalatory outcomes that have saved face for both parties, reinforcing its role as a mediator that creates political space for restraint rather than confrontation.

This role was most visibly demonstrated in September 2023, when Qatar helped facilitate a prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States, alongside the release of frozen Iranian funds for humanitarian purposes. The process required months of indirect negotiations, careful sequencing and political reassurance on both sides. While the agreement did not signal a broader rapprochement, it underscored an important point: even amid deep hostility, diplomacy remains possible when credible mediators are available.

For Doha, such mediation is not an end in itself. It reflects a broader conviction that the Iranian nuclear issue, and US–Iran tensions more generally, cannot be sustainably managed through coercion alone. Qatar has consistently aligned itself with the view that dialogue rather than military action offers the only viable path toward containing risks and preventing escalation. This position does not imply indifference to Iranian regional behaviour or to proliferation concerns; rather, it reflects an assessment of costs, uncertainty and unintended consequences for regional security. As such, even in the aftermath of Iran’s calibrated missile strike on the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar — a Qatari military facility hosting US forces — launched in June 2025 in response to US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, Doha moved swiftly to engage both sides and contain the crisis. Through urgent outreach and established communication channels, Qatar contributed to broader efforts that helped support a fragile ceasefire that has broadly held since, underscoring both its capacity to be effective in mediation and the trust placed in Qatari diplomacy.

A military confrontation aimed at overthrowing the Iranian regime would almost certainly generate effects that extend far beyond Iran’s borders. Internally, such a scenario risks producing state collapse, fragmentation of authority and the re-politicisation of ethnic and sectarian identities within a large and highly complex society. Externally, the spillover effects could include large-scale refugee movements toward neighbouring states, including across the Gulf, as well as severe disruptions to maritime security and energy markets. Taken together, these outcomes would pose immediate challenges to Gulf states whose own stability is closely tied to regional calm.

Recent developments in the region have already altered the strategic balance. Since the October 7 attacks and the subsequent regional confrontations, Iran’s network of allied non-state actors has come under sustained pressure. Several elements of the “axis of resistance” have been weakened militarily and politically, reducing Tehran’s ability to project influence in certain theatres. At the same time, the US attacks on Iran in June 2025 have dispelled any remaining misconception about Washington’s willingness to strike Iran directly and degrade its nuclear enrichment capacity.

From a Gulf perspective, however, further escalation offers diminishing returns. Weakening Iranian regional influence does not automatically translate into regional stability, particularly if pursued through strategies that risk state collapse. For Gulf states, the priority is not the dramatic remaking of Iran’s political system, but the avoidance of chaos that would be costly, unpredictable and difficult to contain. This assessment is not limited to Doha. In recent years, Qatar’s position has increasingly converged with those of Saudi Arabia and Oman, both of which have invested in reducing tensions with Tehran through dialogue and confidence-building measures. Their efforts to communicate the risks of military escalation to the Trump administration reflected a broader regional mood, one that favours containment and engagement over confrontation. This convergence is notable given the political differences that have historically separated Gulf capitals.

Qatar’s mediation efforts offer a pathway that helps prevent regional chaos at a moment when escalation increasingly offers diminishing returns. By keeping channels open, facilitating limited agreements and discouraging maximalist strategies, Doha seeks to reduce the likelihood of miscalculation. Such efforts rarely produce dramatic breakthroughs, and they are often invisible by design. Yet their absence would likely make escalation more probable, not less.

In an increasingly polarised regional environment, the value of de-escalation is easily overlooked. It lacks the clarity of deterrence and the euphoria of military action. Still, as Qatar’s engagement between Washington and Tehran illustrates, diplomacy, however incremental and imperfect, remains one of the few tools capable of preventing crises from spiralling into wider conflict. In a region where the costs of war are shared far beyond the battlefield, that contribution should not be dismissed lightly.

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

A new defense spending bill making its way through Congress would add $240 million to the U.S. Army’s budget for the purchase of more MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones. This is despite top Army leaders having declared last year that they would stop buying “obsolete” MQ-1Cs amid continued questions about the uncrewed aircraft’s relevance, especially in future high-end fights.

The Senate Appropriations Committee released details about the latest draft Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 Fiscal Year, which it had negotiated with its counterparts in the House of Representatives, earlier this week. The funding boost for MQ-1C contained therein is more specifically said to be for the procurement of Gray Eagle 25M variants for the Army National Guard. Prime contractor General Atomics has already been under contract to deliver examples of this version of the MQ-1C to National Guard units since 2024.

As noted, the Army had moved to halt any future purchases of MQ-1Cs last year. The service did not request any funding to buy more Gray Eagles in its proposed budget for the 2026 Fiscal Year, though it did ask for $3.444 million for continued upgrades for its existing fleet of the drones.

“We will cancel procurement of outdated crewed attack aircraft such as the AH-64D [Apache attack helicopter], excess ground vehicles like the HMMWV [the High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee] and JLTV [Joint Light Tactical Vehicle], and obsolete UAVs [uncrewed aerial vehicles] like the Gray Eagle,” Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George had written in a joint letter outlining a major shakeup in modernization priorities last May. “We will also continue to cancel programs that deliver dated, late-to-need, overpriced, or difficult-to-maintain capabilities. Yesterday’s weapons will not win tomorrow’s wars.”

“Our Army must transform now to a leaner, more lethal force by infusing technology, cutting obsolete systems, and reducing overhead to defeat any adversary on an ever-changing battlefield,” that letter added.

Originally known as the Warrior, versions of the MQ-1C have been in Army service since the late 2000s. The drones are very much a product of the Global War on Terror era. The design is derived from General Atomics’ iconic MQ-1 Predator, but with features more tailored to the Army’s operational and logistical needs. It notably still has a heavy-fuel piston engine, like the Predator, despite General Atomics having separately moved to a turboprop on the MQ-9 Reaper. The Gray Eagle is also designed to operate with a smaller logistical footprint and have lower crew training requirements than the MQ-1 or MQ-9.

Army units today use Gray Eagles to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and attack missions, both independently and as part of crewed-uncrewed teams with AH-64 Apaches. The drones each have a sensor turret under the nose with electro-optical and infrared cameras, and can carry munitions and other stores on up to four underwing pylons.

Over the years, General Atomics has worked to improve the endurance and other capabilities of the MQ-1C. The aforementioned Gray Eagle 25M is the most recent iteration of the design, and was unveiled in 2022. This latest version has an improved engine, increased onboard power, and a new flight computer offering a significant boost in processing power. General Atomics has said that the Gray Eagle 25M also brings an open-architecture systems backend to the MQ-1C family, opening new opportunities for the rapid integration of additional capabilities.

General Atomics Aeronautical – Gray Eagle 25M

Questions have been building for years now about the future relevance of MQ-1C, as well as its MQ-1 and MQ-9 cousins, especially in support of large-scale conflicts against adversaries with robust integrated air defense networks. The service careers of the Gray Eagle, as well as the Predator and Reaper, have been almost exclusively defined by operations in permissive or semi-permissive airspace. U.S. operations targeting Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen in recent years underscored the vulnerability of the MQ-9, in particular, even to opponents with relatively limited air defense capabilities.

The Army and General Atomics are not unaware of these realities, and there have been significant investments made over the past decade or so to try to ensure the relevance of the MQ-1 and MQ-9 families. Heavy emphasis has been put on air-launched loitering munitions and other uncrewed aerial systems – capabilities the U.S. military now refers collectively to as “launched effects” – as a way to both increase the capability of the Gray Eagle (and the Reaper) and help keep those drones further away from threats.

General Atomics also disclosed last year that the MQ-1C had demonstrated its ability to shoot down other drones using millimeter-wave radar-guided AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles, highlighting another potential role for the drones going forward.

General Atomics has also developed a self-protection pod that features threat warning sensors and a launcher for decoy flares that the MQ-1C and MQ-9 can carry. The Army had been working on a more capable podded electronic warfare system for the Gray Eagle called Multi-Function Electronic Warfare-Air Large (MFEW-AL), but indicated last year that it was backing away from that program.

Launched effects and new podded capabilities do still look key to the future of the MQ-1C in Army service.

“So, when we train on the West Coast, we’ll use an MQ-1 to lead the half [a group of helicopters] into the objective,” Col. Stephen Smith, head of the Army’s elite160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the Night Stalkers, said last year during a talk about how his unit is preparing for future operations in more contested airspace.

“We can hang different capabilities on that platform [the MQ-1C]. So that platform could look like a Black Hawk. It could look like a [MH-]47. It could look like a Little Bird,” Smith added. “So we’re using that as a decoy, [and there are] potentially other capabilities on [the] side of that aircraft.”

Night Stalker UAS Operations

Overall, the more central question has increasingly been how long the MQ-1C’s career with the Army will continue. Discussions in Ukraine about buying Gray Eagles in the months following Russia’s all-out invasion in 2022 highlight that there is still debate about the utility of armed drones in this general category in higher-end conflicts. At that time, Ukrainian forces were making heavy use of Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones, which offer a broadly similar array of capabilities to the MQ-1C. Growing air defense threats had largely pushed Ukraine’s TB2s out of the equation as the conflict dragged on, but they notably returned to use on a limited level last year.

The Army does still have a need for assets that can loiter for long periods of time and operate from austere areas, and ones that are not exquisite, particularly when operating across the broad expanses of the Pacific. Drones like the Gray Eagle could play useful supporting roles in areas further away from the front lines, such as providing more localized defense and situational awareness around island outposts.

Much about the Army’s vision for its future aviation capabilities, crewed and uncrewed, is still in flux. Even before the broader shakeup in modernization priorities last year, the service had moved to make major changes to its future aviation plans, heavily influenced by an ever-expanding threat ecosystem. The Army notably cancelled its Future Attack Recon Aircraft (FARA) high-speed helicopter program in 2024. The service also halted plans for a direct replacement for the now-retired RQ-7 Shadow drone last year.

Just last month, the Army issued a new contracting “challenge” to industry, calling for prospective short or vertical takeoff and landing (STOL/VTOL) capable drones to take over at least a portion of the roles currently being performed by Gray Eagles. TWZ regularly highlights the benefits of reduced runway dependence or complete runway independence in the context of expeditionary and distributed operations across an array of far-flung locales in a future major conflict. Not having to rely on established traditional runways opens the door to new operational possibilities and helps create targeting dilemmas for opponents that reduce vulnerability to friendly forces.

General Atomics has been working on a short-takeoff and landing-capable drone based in part on the MQ-1C, now referred to as Gray Eagle STOL, in recent years. There has already been extensive flight testing of a demonstrator, dubbed Mojave, from sites on land and ships at sea. Other companies in the United States are also working on STOL/VTOL-capable uncrewed aircraft designs that could be relevant to the Army’s future needs.

GA-ASI Mojave STOL UAS Completes First Dirt Operations

In the meantime, Congress looks set to keep the Army ordering more MQ-1Cs for at least a little while longer.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com