Kobie Turner makes his living as a pass rusher and run defender for the Rams, not a defensive back.

But the last time the Rams played the Seattle Seahawks, the third-year defensive lineman snatched a Sam Darnold pass near the goal line for his first career interception.

“It was like time almost stopped,” Turner recalled Thursday. “It was a perfect spiral. It was beautiful.”

Turner’s turnover was one of seven the Rams forced in two games this season against the Seahawks, including six interceptions.

Of the Rams’ 16 interceptions this season, more than a third came against the Seahawks.

The Rams aim to continue their torrent of takeaways Sunday when they play Seattle in the NFC Championship game at Lumen Field.

Four of second-year safety Kam Kinchens’ six career interceptions came against the Seahawks, including two in the first matchup between the teams this season.

“Usually, you hope a guy doesn’t make the same mistake twice,” Kinchens said of Darnold. “In my case, I’m hoping he makes the same mistake twice, because that’s more picks for me.”

Are the Seahawks his favorite team to play against?

“Yes,” Kinchens said, “Because they like to test the secondary. They have good receivers and Sam Darnold wants to throw the ball down the field and push it down the field. That’s a lot of opportunities, and I love when I get to show people my receiver skills.”

Rams cornerback Cobie Durant runs with the ball after intercepting a pass against the Chicago Bears in the divisional playoffs on Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Cornerback Cobie Durant, nicknamed “The Land Shark,” intercepted three passes during the regular season, including one against the Seahawks.

Durant intercepted a pass in a wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers, and he picked off two passes in last Sunday’s divisional-round victory over the Chicago Bears.

“The Land Shark shows up when you need him the most,” coach Sean McVay said.

The key, Durant said, is the combination of pressure from the Rams’ front and ball-hawking skills of the secondary.

“No rush,” Durant said. “No picks.”

Turner, edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young and linemen Braden Fiske and Poona Ford will be on the spot Sunday as they attempt to slow down Darnold, running back Kenneth Walker III and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba among others.

If the front can get to Darnold, whether for a pressure, quarterback hit or sack, “he knows that we’re coming,” Verse said. “He knows that he’s going to feel us, and that makes any quarterback cautions, no matter who you are.”

Rams defensive end Braden Fiske (55) and linebacker Byron Young (0) close in on Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold during a Rams win in November.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

In a Week 11 game against the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium, the Rams intercepted four passes in a 21-19 victory that was not assured until Jason Myers’ 61-yard field-goal attempt on the final play fell short.

Kinchens intercepted two passes, and Durant and cornerback Darious Williams each intercepted one.

Five weeks later at Lumen Field, the Seahawks defeated the Rams, 38-37, in overtime.

The Rams led by 16 points in the fourth quarter but could not hold off the Seahawks. Turner and cornerback Josh Wallace intercepted passes, but Darnold completed 22 of 34 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns and also converted on a pair of two-point conversion passes.

Now comes the third game between the NFC West rivals.

“I don’t think either of us are going to be tricking each other,” Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula said.

The Rams must slow down a Seahawks offense that was at full throttle in Sunday’s 41-6 divisional-round victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Walker ran for 116 yards and three touchdowns. But Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Darnold completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Smith-Njigba caught three passes, one for a touchdown.

Crowds at Lumen Field are among the NFL’s loudest, so the Rams are expecting another one at full volume Sunday.

Safety Kam Curl, whose interception in overtime against the Bears set up the winning field goal, noted that the crowd in Seattle quiets when the Seahawks offense is on the field.

“It’s good for us,” he said. “We get to make all our checks and our communication. They think they’re helping the offense but they’re really helping us too.”

Turner said Darnold showed his mettle by directing the winning drive against the Rams the last time they visited Lumen Field.

“He’s a tough quarterback,” he said. “A veteran experienced guy.”

Turner would like to experience another interception.

“If Sam wants to throw me another pass,” he quipped, “I would recommend throwing another spiral just like that one because it was beautiful.”

Etc.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is a finalist for NFL most valuable player and receiver Puka Nacus is a finalist for offensive player of the year. Stafford led the league with 46 touchdown passes and 4,707 yards passing. Nacua led the NFL with 129 receptions. MVP finalists: Stafford, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence, New England quarterback Drake Maye and San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey. Offensive player of the year finalists: Nacua, Maye, McCaffrey, Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson and Smith-Njigba. … The Rams designated offensive lineman Rob Havenstein to return from injured reserve. Havenstein has not played since the Nov. 16 game against the Seahawks.

The Ellison-owned media giant will now give investors until February 20 to consider its bid.

Paramount Skydance has extended the deadline for its hostile tender offer for Warner Bros Discovery by a month, buying time to persuade investors that its bid is superior to one from Netflix.

The Ellison-owned media company on Thursday moved the deadline to February 20 to consider its $77.9bn offer to buy Warner shares for $30 apiece in cash. The bid has a total enterprise value of more than $108bn, including debt.

The extension marks the second time Paramount has pushed out the deadline since challenging Warner’s merger agreement with Netflix last month.

Earlier this month, Warner’s board rejected an amended Paramount bid that included $40bn in equity personally guaranteed by Larry Ellison, Oracle’s co-founder and father of Paramount CEO David Ellison. Larry Ellison is also a close ally of US President Donald Trump.

As of late Wednesday, Paramount said more than 168.5 million Warner shares had been tendered in support of its offer. That remains far below the 50 percent threshold needed to gain control of the company, which has about 2.48 billion shares outstanding in its Series A common stock.

“Once again, Paramount continues to make the same offer our Board has repeatedly and unanimously rejected in favor of a superior merger agreement with Netflix,” Warner said in an emailed statement on Thursday, adding that it is “clear our shareholders agree”, as more than 93 percent have so far rejected “Paramount’s inferior scheme”.

In December, Netflix agreed to buy Warner’s studio and streaming business for $72bn. This week, it switched its offer from a cash and stock combination to an all-cash deal that the companies say is more straightforward and will speed the path to a shareholder vote by April. Including debt, the enterprise value of that deal is about $83bn, or $27.75 per share.

Paramount, however, argues its offer is better and has accused Warner’s leadership of a lack of transparency with shareholders.

On Thursday, the company said Warner’s board was “rushing to solicit shareholder approval” for the Netflix merger, warning that debt from a previously announced spinoff of Warner’s networks business could reduce the eventual payout to shareholders.

The battle for Warner is complicated by the fact that Netflix and Paramount are seeking different assets.

A successful deal would reshape Hollywood by handing control of franchises from Friends to Batman, along with the HBO Max streaming service, to a single buyer.

Netflix deal lingers

Netflix’s bid covers only Warner’s studio and streaming business, including HBO Max and its TV and film production arms. Paramount’s offer, by contrast, is for the entire company, including its news and cable operations, potentially putting CNN under the same roof as CBS.

If Netflix prevails, Warner’s networks would be spun off into a separate company called Discovery Global under a previously announced plan.

A sale of Warner Bros Discovery is expected to be lengthy and face intense antitrust scrutiny. Politics are likely to play a role under Trump, who has made unprecedented suggestions about his personal involvement in the approval process.

The Ellisons have argued that their relationship with Trump gives them an easier regulatory path. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said on a post-earnings call on Tuesday that the company has made progress toward securing the necessary approvals.

On Wall Street, Paramount Skydance is up 1.9 percent, Warner Bros Discovery is down 0.4 percent. Netflix is tumbling down 2.5 percent in midday trading.

The United States has issued a warning to Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council, writing that it would consider action should the temporary governing body compromise the Caribbean nation’s security.

In a sternly worded social media post on Thursday, the US embassy in Haiti maintained that its goal was the “establishment of baseline security and stability”.

“The US would regard any effort to change the composition of the government by the non-elected Transitional Presidential Council at this late stage in its tenure (set to expire on February 7) to be an effort to undermine that objective,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote.

He added that the US would respond if such changes to the council were to occur. His statement, however, failed to identify the precise circumstances that prompted the warning.

“The US would consider anyone supporting such a disruptive step favoring the gangs to be acting contrary to the interests of the United States, the region, and the Haitian people and will act accordingly,” Landau said.

Haiti continues to struggle with the ravages of widespread gang violence, instability and corruption in its government.

But the US threat is likely to send shudders throughout the region, particularly in the aftermath of the January 3 attack on Venezuela.

The administration of President Donald Trump has repeatedly advanced the notion that the entire Western Hemisphere falls under its sphere of influence, as part of a policy it dubbed the “Donroe Doctrine”, a riff on the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine.

Trump has referenced that premise to justify the use of US military force to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as well as to claim the US needs to control Greenland.

A political crisis

Located some 11,000 kilometres (800 miles) southeast of the US, Haiti has long struggled with instability. It is considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, as it continues to suffer from the legacy of foreign intervention, dictatorship and natural disasters.

But in 2021, the country faced a new crisis when President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in his home in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Federal elections have not been held since, leading to a crisis of confidence in the government. The last federally elected officials saw their terms expire in 2023.

Experts say the lack of leadership has allowed Haiti’s gangs to flourish, and since the Moise assassination, they have taken control of vast stretches of the territory, including up to 90 percent of the capital.

The resulting violence has forced more than 1.4 million Haitians from their homes. Millions more suffer from food insecurity, as thoroughfares are often restricted by gang-led roadblocks.

This week, a United Nations report found that, between January and November of last year, an estimated 8,100 people were killed in the violence. That marks an escalation from 2024, when the yearly total was 5,600.

But efforts have been made to restore the country’s stability. The Transitional Presidential Council was designed as a temporary governing structure to set the framework for new federal elections. Established in 2024, it has nine members who rotate to serve as chair.

Very quickly, however, the council faced criticism for its membership – largely selected from the country’s business and political elite – and allegations of corruption swirled. Infighting has also broken out among the members.

The US too has added to the tensions on the council. In November, it announced visa restrictions against an unnamed government official, later identified in the media as one of the council’s members, economist Fritz Alphonse Jean.

While the council had been slated to hold tiered elections starting last November, it failed to meet that benchmark, and the first vote has been postponed to August.

In the meantime, the council’s mandate is set to dissolve on February 7, and the panel’s future remains unclear.

UN calls for action

In this week’s report on Haiti, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres linked Haiti’s ongoing humanitarian crisis to the vacuum in its government.

“Violence has intensified and expanded geographically, exacerbating food insecurity and instability, as transitional governance arrangements near expiry and overdue elections remain urgent,” Guterres said.

Another UN representative – Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, who leads the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) – was also emphatic about the immediate need for transparent democratic processes and unified governance.

“Let us be clear: the country no longer has time to waste on prolonged internal struggles,” he said.

Still, in a speech on Wednesday to the UN Security Council, Ruiz-Massieu added that there have been “encouraging” signs ahead of this year’s scheduled elections. He applauded efforts to increase voter registration, including in Haiti’s diaspora, and encourage political participation among women.

But Ruiz-Massieu underscored that security concerns, including gang violence, could impede the democratic process, and that there was more work to be done before elections could be held.

“Achieving this goal will require sustained coordination among relevant institutions, predictable financing of the electoral process and security conditions that allow all voters and candidates to participate without fear,” he said.

The UN also signalled it would bolster its multinational security support mission in Haiti with more troops later this year.

It’s mid-December and Jurin, Maya, Chisa, Hinata, Juria, Cocona and Harvey, the seven members of XG, catch their breath after vogueing, breaking and duck-walking their way through “Gala,” a tribute to ballroom culture and the lead single from their upcoming first full-length album.

Soon, they are surrounded. A cluster of makeup artists, PR reps, translators and crew members huddle about while some members steal a smile and exchange hand hearts with giddy fans in the audience.

Sienna Lalau is part of the team assembled on the Universal Studios soundstage for XG’s taping of “The Voice” season finale. Choreographer and movement director for the downtown L.A.-based Lab Studios, Lalau, 25, works frequently with Jennifer Lopez and has created and performed with Ciara, Missy Elliott, BTS and Ozuna, among others. She has choreographed for XG, since before the group’s 2022 debut.

For Lalau, XG stood out from the beginning.

“Carrie, my manager, she had told me, ‘Oh, there’s this new Japanese group that wants you to choreograph for them,’ ” she says over the phone during a break in rehearsals for Lopez’s Las Vegas residency.

In the past, Lalau had minimal interaction with labels regarding K-pop submissions — “send in the thing, and then that’s pretty much it,” she says. By contrast, XG’s company, XGALX, sent over a detailed brief of its young members, each of whom had spent the previous five years honing their nascent rap, vocal and dance skills.

Lalau jumped at the prospect of working with a group from the ground floor. “I remember I had sent in videos to choreograph for “Mascara” and “Tippy Toes,” which were the first two songs I think they were planning on coming out with. And you know, I’m here five years later, still working with them which is so crazy to say.”

Transcending barriers

For K-pop enthusiasts, XG’s flawlessly executed choreography is familiar territory. But scratch the surface and the identity of the group is a fluid blend of cultures. While all the members are Japanese, Hinata has Korean heritage and Harvey is Japanese-Australian. Their music, however, is firmly rooted in the golden age of American ‘90s R&B and hip-hop. Then there’s their out-of-this-world visual identity referencing everything from anime to streetwear to space aliens.

In 2022, “Galz Xypher,” a stand-alone YouTube single, brought XG worldwide attention. Main rappers Jurin, Harvey, Cocona and Maya trade bars in three languages over samples from Ty Dolla Sign, Rosalía, Dreamville, JID, Jack Harlow and 24kGoldn (the JID track, in turn, samples Aretha Franklin’s legendary sped-up sample of “One Step Ahead”).

What surprises many is the group’s ability to transcend language barriers. XGALX executive producer and CEO Simon Junho-Park, who goes by JAKOPS, explained what language shifting means to him and the group musically.

“When we rap in multiple languages, we don’t think of it as simply switching languages,” he said by email. “It’s closer to switching the shape of the rhythm and the energy. Each language is completely different in terms of things like the length of pronunciation — the attack of consonants and vowels and its natural intonation. So, if you take the exact same flow and just drop it in another language, it won’t sound natural.”

JAKOPS, 39, is comfortable moving between cultures. He was born in Seattle to Korean-Japanese parents. He spent 10 years as a member of the boy group DMTN and later expanded into songwriting and producing. He learned first-hand both the power, and limitations, of the K-pop training culture.

“As an artist, what I want to do with XGALX is create this environment where growth is encouraged in a way I don’t necessarily think it was in the old systems,” he says.

“I think it’s more about a mindset … the relationships between team members, the staff, the culture we’ve built, the attitude we have towards a lot of things,” he says. “It almost feels woven into our DNA that we’ve built together. … But I think that’s why we don’t associate with the existing status quo and are very attracted to aliens and [the] unknown, so that kind of translates into our global mindset, global attitude.”

Part of developing that global mindset means carefully choosing collaborators like Chancellor, a producer and artist in his late 30s who grew up in L.A.’s Koreatown learning from acts like the Neptunes. Upon moving to Korea, Chancellor bonded with JAKOPS over shared musical interests and passion. Not unlike Lalau, he has been with the XG members from the beginning, helping to shape their output, including their upcoming album.

Chancellor, over a Zoom call from Korea, is quick to point out that when it comes to creative input with XG, it’s a two-way street. “From their training days up until today, they’ve already been listening to the ‘8701’ Usher album,” he says of the members. They’ve been listening to the Omarion album. Like, these girls are already so in love with music, even before I met them.”

Xtraordinary Genes

A couple of days after taping “The Voice” performance, XG files into a Koreatown hotel conference room. It’s Harvey’s birthday, and promoting an album or performing on a holiday isn’t anything new. The disco-meets-space-cowboy stage outfits that the members wore for “The Voice” taping are swapped out for Gen Z streetwear. Chatting together, they could easily be mistaken for a pack of young friends hanging out instead of the Coachella-headlining superstars they’ve become.

XG used to stand for Xtraordinary Girls, but with the new year came a name change: Now XG stands for Xtraordinary Genes. This came on the heels of an even bigger change, which had been announced in early December.

Choosing the auspicious date of their 20th birthday, which in Japan marks the official transition to adulthood, Cocona, writing on XG’s official Instagram account, shared they are AFAB (assigned female at birth) transmasculine nonbinary and had earlier in the year undergone top surgery. As the news spread, making headlines around the world, JAKOPS followed up with a statement of support from his personal account.

“Simon and all the members are a huge part of my identity in a way. And Chisa, my roommate, knew how I felt,” Cocona shares from across a conference table in the Koreatown hotel conference room. “Breaking this news to them was a huge moment. I questioned it a lot too. ‘Is this good?’ ‘Is this really a part of me?’ … But when I told the members, they said, ‘Wow, Cocona, we still love you,’ and they listened and took what I was trying to say very seriously,” the rapper said. “Because it is hard to put something like that into words. And that’s when I first realized what I’m doing is OK and isn’t wrong. … That’s when I wanted the members to be involved in this process from a very early stage, because I think it gave me a lot of reason to love me for myself and going on this path together, I think they were able to see it from a vantage point that not a lot of others really could.”

Jurin took the softly lit photos of Cocona accompanying their announcement while Hinata did their makeup. Surgery scar peeking from behind a black blazer, their gaze is both soft and firm. They hold a large, red dahlia.

“I didn’t want to completely lose my old self, but I wanted to let it wilt in a way,” they say, explaining how they saw themselves reflected in the dahlia. “It looks very strong and powerful, but at the same time, knowing that one day it is going to wither and die, I think this captures almost like this smothered passion … or this love that is right beneath the surface. I think a lot of the meaning was representative of both XG and myself.”

The journey to ‘The Core’

Released in late 2024, XG’s second EP, “Awe,” earned a first entry on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart. Shortly after, they embarked on a world tour, their first chance to see the North American fans who form their biggest audience outside of Japan.

“Howling” — the fierce yet honeyed lead track on “Awe” — saw the group transformed into a futuristic wolf pack. It’s an analogy Chisa likens to their evolving relationship with fans they call “Alphaz.”

“Even the name Alphaz comes from this idea of the leader of a wolf pack,” she says. “In some ways the Alphaz are the alpha: They lead us to the next stage and vice versa. We’ve been on this journey together, and that hasn’t changed, but what has changed is the depth of that bond.”

In October, “Gala” entered the Top 40 on U.S. radio while its spacy couture music video reached No. 1 on YouTube’s trending worldwide chart. Later this year, XG embarks on a second world tour in support of the new album (North American dates haven’t been released yet).

Called “The Core,” the album cover features a large kanji character that translates to “core” or “nucleus.” Jurin, XG’s doe-eyed leader, confesses the title is hard to translate.

“We’ve hit a lot of these big goals that we’ve always had from a long time ago, and we wanted to capture a lot of that emotion in the album,” she says. “And I think it’s what was at our core that helped us to get where we were. … The whole album has a very diverse set of genres, and all of them are different elements of our core.”

XG’s first full-length release builds on its signature sound with a couple of twists. “Gala” moves in a dance/house direction, while “Take My Breath” expands and softens on that theme. “Hypnotize,” the next single to release, brings in a dreamy element, relaxing into the Doja Cat-esque “Up Now.” “4 Seasons,” a soulful, ode to loss featuring Juria, Hinata and Chisa, came out right before the holidays, while PS 118 is classic hip-hop (Jurin released a stand-alone version with Rapsody in November). Things take an abrupt turn on “O.R.B. (Obviously Reads Bro).”

The emo pop-punk track is a favorite of Harvey, whose distinctive Betty Boop tone is integral to XG’s edge.

“It’s the first time we swore in our lyrics, and in a way, we didn’t want to be afraid to capture that feeling we have inside and express it in music,” she says. “I think there’s a lot of this inner energy that we are trying to bring to the surface, not being concerned about how others see us … enjoying life on our own terms and in our own way.”

“We want to keep going as we are right now,” adds Maya before XG heads out. “Not trying to aim too high but just being true to ourselves, doing what we love to do, keeping this passion. That is our goal forever.”

President Trump’s budget office this week ordered most government agencies to compile data on the federal money that is sent to 14 mostly Democratic-controlled states and the District of Columbia in what it describes as a tool to “reduce the improper and fraudulent use of those funds.”

The order comes a week after Trump said he intended to cut off federal funding that goes to states that are home to “sanctuary cities” that resist his immigration policies. He said that would start Feb. 1, but hasn’t unveiled further details.

A memo to federal departments and agencies did not explain why those states were targeted. All but one — Virginia — were either included last year on the administration’s list of sanctuary places or were home to at least one jurisdiction that was. In Virginia, one of Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s first acts after taking office Saturday was to rescind a directive by Republican former Gov. Glenn Youngkin that required law enforcement cooperation with immigration officials.

There is no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The memo, while unusual, stops far short of suspending money.

“This is a data-gathering exercise only,” it said. “It does not involve withholding funds.”

Trump said at a White House news conference Tuesday — the same day the memo went to federal departments — that he still intended to cut off funding.

“We’re not going to pay them anymore. They are sanctuary for criminals,” he said. “They can sue us and maybe they’ll win, but we’re not giving money to sanctuary cities anymore.”

Latest way Trump has targeted Democratic-controlled states

The memo, obtained by the Associated Press, directs federal agencies to submit information by Jan. 28 to the president’s budget office.

It asks for a swath of information about money flowing to California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia. All but Minnesota are controlled by Democratic legislatures and all but Vermont have Democratic governors.

The list of targets includes all fully Democratic-controlled states except Hawaii, Maryland and New Mexico. And it includes all the states with nearly all the sanctuary jurisdictions. But it does not include some other states that are home to cities or counties on the list: Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico and Pennsylvania.

Trump’s administration has been focused deeply in recent weeks on the idea that federal money is being used fraudulently in blue states.

Earlier this month, the administration tried to put on hold funds for childcare subsidies and other aid for low-income families in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, citing the possibility of fraud. A judge paused that effort.

Request is for information on most government funding streams

The memo applies to all federal departments and agencies except the Department of Defense, which the administration now refers to as the Department of War, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

It asks for details about grants, loans and other federal funds provided to the states and local governments in those states, along with institutions of higher education and nonprofits in the states.

The agencies are being told not to report on the use of at least some money that goes directly to individuals, such as federal student aid.

Mulvihill writes for the Associated Press. AP reporters Olivia Diaz and Ali Swenson contributed to this report.

A lawsuit that named decorated St. John Bosco High School football coach Jason Negro as a defendant was ruled by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge Thursday to have little legal basis.

The civil suit filed a year ago by recently fired St. John Bosco president and CEO Brian Wickstrom and two other former school administrators seeks damages from Negro, the school and the Salesian Society — a Catholic religious order that oversees the school — claiming retaliation, harassment and defamation.

“Anyone can file a complaint, but when it gets to court, it has to have a legal basis and facts,” said Brian Panish, Negro’s lawyer and a longtime St. John Bosco booster.

The plaintiffs — St. John Bosco CFO Melanie Marcaurel, chief technology officer Derek Barraza and Wickstrom — also want their jobs back, according to the lawsuit. They were fired in 2024 after alleging that Negro embezzled money from the school for years and had assistant coaches pay the tuition for prized players in cash, saying the payments were from “anonymous donors.”

The lawsuit also alleged that Negro conducted all financial transactions associated with his powerhouse program in cash that he keeps in a safe in his office, with no accounting or accountability by the school.

A cross-complaint filed in June by Negro, St. John Bosco and the Salesians fired back, saying that “the school uncovered information that Wickstrom obtained loans without authorization, received excessive compensation and benefits to which he was not entitled, and breached his fiduciary duties.”

In his ruling Thursday, Judge Tony L. Richardson determined that St. John Bosco — not Negro or the Salesian Society — employed the plaintiffs, making only the school a proper target for most of the claims. Richardson said that the plaintiffs have 20 days to amend their lawsuit to focus on St. John Bosco as a defendant.

The judge also shot down an argument that Negro is responsible for punitive damages, writing “the plaintiffs have not alleged a viable cause of action against Negro and therefore have not alleged facts to support punitive damages.”

A message left with the lawyer representing Wickstrom, Marcaurel and Barraza was not returned.

Negro has twice been named national coach of the year by Max Preps, leading the Bellflower parochial school to a record of 177-30 in 16 seasons, winning four CIF State championships and two national titles.

Press rights campaigners slammed the case against Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi as “legal persecution”.

‍A Tunisian court has handed new prison terms to two well-known media figures in what critics say is the government’s latest attempt to punish dissent.

The criminal chamber of the Tunis Court of First Instance sentenced radio journalists Bohran Bssaies and Mourad Zghidi to three and a half years in prison on Thursday for “money laundering”, a judicial source told Tunisia’s state TAP news agency.

The conviction adds to a growing list of cases against opposition figures, journalists, and other perceived critics of President Kais Saied, who rights groups say has overseen a wide-reaching rollback on freedoms since taking office in 2019.

Bssaies and Zghidi were first jailed in May 2024 on charges of “spreading false news” under Tunisia’s controversial Decree Law 54 against cybercrime. Press rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said the journalists’ “only ‘crime’ was to comment on and criticise political decisions” by Saied.

Before serving their eight-month sentence, Tunisia’s judiciary brought additional tax-related charges, which the journalists’ defence says are based on routine tax matters.

RSF described the case as “legal persecution” and urged Tunisian authorities to immediately release Bssaies and Zghidi.

“So long as journalists are put behind bars for their work, the Tunisian public’s right to information will remain seriously threatened, along with their legitimate expectation to be properly informed,” said RSF’s North Africa director, Oussama Bouagila.

The case follows the arrest in December of the country’s top opposition figure, Ahmed Nejib Chebbi.

Chebii, 81, was sentenced to 12 years for plotting against the state, in a trial denounced by rights groups as a politically motivated “sham”.

The month prior, dozens more opposition figures were sentenced to as many as 45 years in prison in a so-called “conspiracy case”.

Tunisian courts have also ordered the release of several high-profile detainees in recent months – including lawyer and Saied critic Sonia Dahmani and journalist Chatha Belhaj Mubarak.

“Chadha Hadj Mbarek’s release must not remain an isolated act. On the contrary, it should pave the way towards respect for press freedom,” said RSF’s Bouagila.

In 2025, Tunisia fell 11 places in media watchdog RSF’s World Press Freedom Index, dropping from 118th to 129th out of 180 countries.

Rafael Tudares Bracho, who is married to Gonzalez’s daughter, was imprisoned shortly before ex-President Nicolas Maduro’s third inauguration.

The son-in-law of Venezuelan opposition leader and former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez has been released from prison in the South American country.

The release of Rafael Tudares Bracho on Thursday comes as the government of interim President Delcy Rodriguez gradually reduces the number of political prisoners held in Venezuela’s prisons.

The move has been widely seen as a concession to the administration of United States President Donald Trump, which has kept military assets deployed off the country’s coast and threatened Venezuelan officials if they do not comply with US demands.

Rodriguez was sworn into office shortly after Trump authorised the abduction of her predecessor, former President Nicolas Maduro, on January 3. Members of the opposition coalition expressed joy at the news of Tudares Bracho’s release.

“After 380 days of unjust and arbitrary detention — having endured more than a year of the inhumane reality of enforced disappearance — my husband Rafael Tudares Bracho returned home this morning,” Edmundo Gonzalez’s daughter, Mariana Gonzalez, wrote on the social media platform X.

“It has been a stoic and profoundly difficult struggle.”

The elder Gonzalez stood against Maduro in the 2024 presidential election after the opposition’s elected nominee, Maria Corina Machado, was barred from running. Election tallies released by the opposition and verified by independent observers showed Gonzalez winning the race, despite Maduro’s claims of victory.

Tudares Bracho was arrested in January 2025, just days before Maduro’s inauguration for a third term, following what his wife has called a “sham” 12-hour trial on charges of “conspiracy, terrorism and criminal association”.

His release comes as the families of Venezuelan prisoners hold vigils at prisons across the country, demanding the release of their loved ones.

Venezuela’s leading prisoner rights organisation, Foro Penal, has verified the release of 145 people it considers to be political prisoners, though at least 775 more remain in detention.

Edmundo Gonzalez, who has remained in exile since the 2024 election, posted a video on social media hailing his son-in-law’s freedom and calling for the release of other Venezuelans who he said remain unjustly detained.

“It would be a mistake to reduce this event to a personal story,” he said. “There are still men and women who remain deprived of their liberty for political reasons, without guarantees, without due process, and in many cases, without truth.”

The Trump administration has so far avoided backing opposition figures to lead Venezuela after Maduro’s abduction.

The US has instead emphasised working with Rodriguez and other officials from Maduro’s government to ensure stability, while it pursues extraction from Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, has walked a careful line since her boss’s abduction, initially striking a defiant tone with her domestic audience that has gradually morphed into more conciliatory messaging.

She and Trump held their first call last week, when she also met CIA director John Ratcliff. Shortly after, Rodriguez called for the government to open its state-run oil industry to more foreign development, a key Trump demand.

Roxy Wilson has spoken out after she was brutally ‘murdered’ on Thursday night’s edition of The Traitors and missed out on a place in the grand finale of the hit BBC show

The Traitors star Roxy Wilson has admitted she is “happy” to have left the show. The recruitment worker, 32, was “murdered” just ahead of the final in Thursday’s edition of Claudia Winkleman’s hit BBC show.

Despite just missing out on the chance to potentially win part of the six-figure prize pot, the reality star admitted in her first interview after leaving the castle that, whilst she would have “loved” to have gone just that extra bit further, she is still pleased with all she achieved as a contestant.

She said: “To be honest, I’m kind of happy, because it only gets so much harder. I think I’ve got as far as I could. I would have loved to have got to the final, but it was just always my aim to get as far as possible, so I’m really proud.”

READ MORE: The Traitors star backs Ashley Tisdale amidst ‘toxic mum group’ dramaREAD MORE: Alan Carr’s heartbreaking reason for wanting to live in a castle after Traitors win

Early on in the series, Roxy revealed to viewers that fellow contestant Judy was her mother, but the pair kept this all a secret, and she had to keep it that way once Judy had been murdered. She added: “Yes, to have that moment [to tell them] and see the shock on their faces would have been great, 100%. I was happy because I had managed to get one over on the Traitors, as they hadn’t established and figured out that relationship.

“No, no, no, for sure. Especially because after Mum went, she was confirmed a Faithful, so they would have definitely thought the other one has got to be a Traitor. I just decided that under no circumstances will I tell them. Even if I was a Traitor, I wouldn’t have told the other Traitors.”

In the end, Roxy has insisted she wouldn’t have changed a thing about her experience in the famous castle. She added: “No, to be honest, because I was just my full self. I feel like maybe I could have got a little bit further if I was a bit wiser to the Traitors, but I’m really happy with how I was, because I wouldn’t want to change me.

“It was just so good, the whole experience! Meeting all these people that you may never have crossed paths with in life, and just doing it with mum as well. That’s like an extra experience. The whole thing still blows my mind!”

But fans may have noticed one thing that was slightly different about Roxy’s exit compared to all the others that have come before her. Usually, Faithfuls banished or murdered are filmed finding out who the actual Traitors are on the spin-off show Uncloaked, but in Thursday night’s episode, such a scene with Roxy made it to air.

This is because the programme instead teased the dreaded Chests of Chance. Only when the programme kicks off tomorrow will fans discover whether Stephen is a lone traitor in the end-game, or whether he and Rachel have actually managed to make it through as planned. The reveal would have been filmed just after the Rountable, meaning that viewers can’t see who was banished just yet as makers strive to protect the cliffhanger.

But this did not stop some fans complaining, with one writing on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I can’t WAIT to see Roxy’s reaction on Uncloaked when she learns who the Traitors are. Truly one of the worst players ever bless her,” and another said: “Uncloaked you better get the footage of Roxy finding out Rachel and Stephen are traitors on my screen RIGHT NOW. I’ve already been robbed of seeing her face in the final!”

A third raged: “Where is the footage of Roxy finding out who the Traitors are, are you kidding me?” And a fourth said: “Why didn’t they show Roxy’s reaction to who the traitors were?? Was she utterly embarrassed finding out it was her besties? Cos she should be!”

The Traitors continues tomorrow at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

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WASHINGTON — Former special counsel Jack Smith on Thursday defended his findings that President Trump “willfully broke the law” in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, telling lawmakers that Republican efforts to discredit the probe are “false and misleading.”

“No one should be above the law in our country, and the law required that [Trump] be held to account. So that is what I did,” Smith said during a frequently heated five-hour hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.

Smith appeared at the request of Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who accused him of pursuing a politically driven investigation and “muzzling a candidate for a high office.”

“It was always about politics and to get President Trump, they were willing to do just about anything,” Jordan said.

Jordan called investigations into the Jan. 6 insurrection “staged and choreographed,” and said Smith would have “blown a hole in the 1st Amendment” if his charges against Trump had been allowed to proceed.

Trump has repeatedly called for Smith to face prosecution over the probe, demanding he be disbarred and suggesting that Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi look into his conduct.

“I believe they will do everything in their power to [indict me] because they have been ordered to do so by the president,” Smith said at the hearing.

Smith’s 2023 investigation found that following Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, Trump led a months-long disinformation campaign to discredit the results, evidenced by audio from a call in which he pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes.”

Trump’s attempt to sow election discord culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, Smith said. The president caused and exploited rioters who attempted to halt the certification of the election results, he added.

In closed-door testimony to the committee last month, Smith said the Department of Justice had built a strong base of evidence of Trump’s criminal schemes to overturn the election.

A separate case alleged that the president unlawfully kept classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago club after the loss.

Trump was indicted in the documents case in June 2023, and later for the alleged election conspiracy and fraud claims. Both cases were abandoned after his victory in the 2024 election on the basis of presidential immunity.

In his opening remarks, Smith reiterated his findings.

“President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the law, the very laws he took an oath to uphold,” he said. “Rather than accept his defeat, President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent the lawful transfer of power. “

Republicans asserted that Justice Department subpoenas of phone records were an abuse of prosecutorial power and constituted surveillance of top government officials.

Smith replied that obtaining such data was “common” in conspiracy investigations and that the records showed call dates and times — not content — encompassing the days around Jan. 6, 2021.

Jordan questioned the special counsel’s judgment in personnel selections, which included Department of Justice investigators who probed the Trump campaign over alleged collusion with Russia in the 2016 presidential election.

“Democrats have been going after President Trump for 10 years — a decade — and we should never forget what they’ve done,” he said.

Smith, who has since left the Justice Department to open a private firm with his former deputies, was quick to defend the integrity of his team, adding that Trump has since sought to seek revenge against career prosecutors, FBI agents and support staff for their involvement in the cases.

“Those dedicated public servants are the best of us,” he said. “My fear is that we have seen the rule of law function in our country for so long that many of us have come to take it for granted.”

The hearing routinely devolved into disputes between party adversaries, with Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) lodging scathing accusations against Smith, butting heads with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) over procedure and yielding his time “in disgust” of the witness.

GOP committee members attempted to poke holes in Smith’s findings about the events of Jan. 6. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) accused Republicans on the committee of trying to “rewrite the history” of Jan. 6.

Midway through the hearing, Trump called Smith a “deranged animal” in a Truth Social post where he once again suggested his Department of Justice investigate the former special counsel.

“I will not be intimidated,” Smith said. “We followed the facts and we followed the law. That process resulted in proof beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed serious crimes. I’m not going to pretend that didn’t happen because he threatened me.”

The hearing came as Trump continues to repeat false claims that he had won in 2020.

“It was a rigged election. Everybody knows that now. And by the way, numbers are coming out that show it even more plainly,” Trump said Tuesday at a White House news briefing.

In an address to a global audience in Davos, Switzerland, the following day, he said that “people will soon be prosecuted for what they did.”

Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper, one of three netminders on Canada’s upcoming Olympic hockey roster, has been cleared to return after suffering a neck injury against the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

Kuemper said after returning to practice Thursday that he lost feeling in his arm when Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski ran into him in the first period of the game. He said he tried to shake it off, but had to be replaced by Anton Forsberg.

“Yeah, kind of got hit on the side of my neck, and it pinched my neck and pinched the nerves, and my arm went dead,” Kuemper said. “So, yeah, wasn’t allowed to come back in until we did some further testing yesterday.”

Kuemper felt better when he woke up Wednesday, and additional examinations confirmed he would be available for an upcoming road trip, which starts at the St. Louis Blues on Saturday and runs six games while the Grammy Awards are hosted at Crypto.com Arena.

Kuemper was named alongside St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington and Washington’s Logan Thompson to the 25-man squad for Canada that will play in the Milan Cortina Olympics next month.

The 35-year-old is a first-time Olympian for Canada, which has won the past two goal medals with NHL players participating. Kuemper is expected to be the third keeper behind Binnington and Thompson.

Kuemper, a 14-year NHL veteran from Saskatchewan and Stanley Cup winner with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, is 12-9-9 with a 2.52 goals against average and .904 save percentage in 32 games for the Kings this season. He missed six games in December because of an upper-body injury sustained Dec. 15 when Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen hit him in the head.

Jan. 22 (UPI) — Securing mineral rights in Greenland could be part of a future deal being negotiated regarding Greenland and the entire Arctic region, President Donald Trump said.

The president told a CNBC on Wednesday that he met with NATO Secretary Gen. Mark Rutte, who helped to draft the framework of a potential deal involving Greenland, while both were attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Mineral rights and a Golden Dome aerial defense system in Greenland were among issues being discussed that could become part of a future agreement, he said.

“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America and all NATO nations,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

“Additional discussions are being held concerning the Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland,” the president added. “Further information will be made available as discussions progress.”

He also said he will not move forward with tariffs on European nations that oppose Trump’s proposed U.S. annexation of Greenland, which remains a territory of Denmark.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Danish officials “cannot negotiate on our sovereignty,” which Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen seconded, the BBC reported.

Trump said any deal that is made will be permanent and is focused on national security, but he did not provide additional details.

While mineral rights are a potential part of any agreement, experts told The Hill that Greenland’s icy landscape greatly complicates potential mining operations there.

Greenland’s distance from U.S. supply chains further hinders potential mining and distribution of minerals, and many U.S. firms already have secured mining agreements in Greenland.

The world’s rules-based order is ruptured, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said, in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that avoided mentioning United States President Donald Trump.

While Trump hit back at Carney, the Canadian leader’s words have been widely praised and analysed.

So, is he right?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Lionel Barber – Former editor of The Financial Times

Bessma Momani – Professor of political science at the University of Waterloo

Donnacha O Beachain – Professor of politics at Dublin City University

Dylan Efron, who was best known as the brother of High School Musical star Zac Efron before winning The Traitors in the US, has weighed in on Ashley Tisdale’s mom group drama

Dylan Efron has thrown support at Ashley Tisdale amid her “toxic mom group” drama. The reality star, 33, whose older brother Zac Efron famously starred opposite Ashley in the Disney Channel’s runaway hit High School Musical, spoke out after the actress published an essay in which she alleged that she had fallen out with a group of celebrity moms she once considered close friends.

In the essay, Ashley, who has daughters Jupiter, four, and fourth-month-old Emmerson with her husband Christopher French, wrote in The Cut that she initially thought she had “found her village” with the group before it all went wrong and she started to feel left out when she found out on Instagram that they had been meeting up without her.

She said: “Another time, at one of the mom’s dinner parties, I realized where I sat with her — which was at the end of the table, far from the rest of the women. I was starting to feel frozen out of the group, noticing every way that they seemed to exclude me.

READ MORE: The Traitors US makes huge change to copy UK show after casting backlashREAD MORE: High School Musical cast 20 years on – devastating break-up, very different career and marriage

“At first, I tried not to take things personally. It’s not like people aren’t allowed to get together without me — and maybe there were perfectly good reasons that I hadn’t been invited.”

Now, Traitors star Dylan, who would have been in his early teens when his brother found fame, has insisted that he just tries to “stay out” of it all, but because he has known Ashley for so long, he simply cannot imagine her “doing anything malicious” to warrant this kind of fallout.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Dylan told Andy Cohen: “I try to stay out of that, so I don’t know too much. All I know is Ashley, since I was a kid, she’s been so sweet to me. So I can’t envision her doing anything malicious to the mom group. Hopefully, it’s just a misunderstanding? I honestly don’t know what’s going on, though.”

Andy replied: “It seems, like, maybe more than a misunderstanding,” before Dylan added: ” honestly don’t know what happened. All I can say is she’s been so sweet.” In High School Musical, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary, Ashley starred as drama club queen Sharpay Evans, whilst Zac starred as basketball captain Troy Bolton.

They reprised their roles for two more films, and the format was then retooled into High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which made stars out of Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett over the course of its four-season run.

In the 2000s, Ashley was also known for starring as Maddie Fitzpatrick on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, around the same time Miley Cyrus found global success with fellow Disney sitcom Hannah Montana, and Raven-Symone headed up That’s So Raven for the network.

Meanwhile, Dylan has found fame in his own right in recent years, mostly in the field of reality television, having won the third season of the US version of The Traitors and then gone on to compete on Dancing with the Stars.

Ashley, who had previously spoken of her friendship with Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff and pop star Meghan Trainor, amongst others, wrote in her essay: “Here’s the thing nobody prepared me for: Mom groups can turn toxic. Not because the moms themselves are toxic people, but because the dynamic shifts into an ugly place with mean-girl behaviour. I know this from personal experience.

“I remember being left out of a couple of group hangs, and I knew about them because Instagram made sure it fed me every single photo and Instagram Story..

“Another time, at one of the mom’s dinner parties, I realised where I sat with her, which was at the end of the table, far from the rest of the women. I was starting to feel frozen out of the group, noticing every way that they seemed to exclude me.”

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In his years-long pursuit to build a great defense at USC, Lincoln Riley first entrusted the job to a familiar face from his Oklahoma days. When that failed, Riley handed the reins of his defense — and a massive paycheck — to the crosstown rival’s rising star … who then left two years later.

Now, in his third try at finding a leader for USC’s defense, Riley is working to lure a Hall of Famer to Hollywood.

USC is closing in on a deal to hire Gary Patterson, the longtime Texas Christian coach, as its defensive coordinator, a person familiar with the decision but not authorized to speak publicly told The Times.

Patterson, who hasn’t been a full-time coach since 2021, would come to USC just weeks after being voted into the College Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot. Patterson spent 24 seasons at Texas Christian, where he developed his reputation as a preeminent defensive mind and masterful evaluator of talent. His 4-2-5 scheme led the Horned Frogs to finish No. 1 in total defense five times in his 21 years as coach, while he was twice named coach of the year by the Associated Press.

Patterson was the winningest coach in TCU history and the second-longest-tenured coach in Division I, behind only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, when he resigned in October 2021 after being told he wouldn’t be back the following season.

Riley, who was Oklahoma’s coach at the time, said he was “sick” when he heard the news of Patterson’s exit. The two coaches knew each other well, having crossed paths in the Big 12 for half a decade by that point.

Riley left for USC a month later, while Patterson floated around other Texas football programs in consultant roles. He worked as a defensive analyst on Steve Sarkisian’s staff at Texas in 2022 and was offered a chance to return in 2023 but opted to take a year off. Patterson then accepted a role as a “senior level strategic consultant” on Baylor’s staff in February 2024, only to leave six months later, on the doorstep of the season.

Riley, meanwhile, was struggling to find any sense of stability for his USC defense. Under Alex Grinch, who followed Riley from Oklahoma, the Trojans unraveled on that end. The nadir came in 2023 as the defense finished 121st in the nation in points per game, giving up 34.4, and 119th in yards per game, giving up 432.8. Grinch was fired the first week of November.

The next day Riley declared USC would build “a great defense” during his tenure.

“I have complete belief, conviction,” the coach said. “It is going to happen. There’s not a reason in the world why it can’t.”

That process has been slow in the Big Ten. In two seasons as defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn made substantial progress in building a unit that could withstand the conference’s more physical nature. After hitting rock bottom with Grinch, USC gave up 10 fewer points per game under Lynn and nearly 50 fewer yards per game on the ground.

But that progress hit some snags last season as injuries ravaged the Trojans’ depth on defense. Then, just before the bowl game, Lynn left for the same job at his alma mater, Penn State, after rejecting the school’s advances a year earlier.

Coincidentally, it was Patterson’s old program, TCU, that ended the Trojans’ season a few days later with a walk-off touchdown in the Alamo Bowl.

The search that led Riley to focus on Patterson lasted more than three weeks into the offseason, through the January transfer portal window. USC still managed to add five players on defense, including one of the top defensive backs available in Iowa State’s Jontez Williams.

Patterson would inherit a defense without many of its top contributors from a season ago, including linebacker Eric Gentry, safety Kamari Ramsey and defensive lineman Anthony Lucas. But the Trojans also welcomed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class to campus recently, a group that includes five top-100 prospects on defense, according to 247 Sports.

For Patterson, getting the best out of his defenders never proved to be a problem at TCU, where he was known for unearthing underrated prospects. But how the dynamic might look at USC with Patterson, a 21-year coach, stepping into a coordinator role remains unclear.

It’s also uncertain how Patterson’s hire would impact the Trojans’ remaining defensive staff. Secondary coach Doug Belk didn’t have his contract renewed, possibly to clear the way for Patterson to coach safeties. Mike Ekeler was hired from Nebraska to coach linebackers in addition to special teams, perhaps making linebackers coach Rob Ryan expendable.

The status of defensive line coach Shaun Nua also remains up in the air.

Traitors, agents of foreign powers, and hitmen with superior electronics and sophisticated weapons interfere with communications, murder dozens of our compatriots, kidnap the elected president, defame him, and prepare for the transition by dividing up the country behind closed doors. The spoils are not bad at all: the largest fossil fuel reserves on the planet, stolen without asking the opinion of their owner, the sovereign [Venezuelan] people.

A human avalanche interrupts the looting and reinstates the legitimate authorities. They brandish their secret weapon before the cameras: a little blue book called the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. We are, of course, talking about April, 2002. That Fundamental Law is still in force. Let us consult it.

The question arises of whether a foreign leader, who does not even speak our language, can dictate policy to Venezuela and its authorities. In this regard, the Constitution states: “Article 1. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is irrevocably free and independent and founds its moral patrimony and values of liberty, equality, justice, and international peace on the doctrine of Simón Bolívar, the Liberator. Independence, liberty, sovereignty, immunity, territorial integrity, and national self-determination are inalienable rights of the Nation. Article 5. Sovereignty resides inalienably in the people, who exercise it directly in the manner provided for in this Constitution and in the law, and indirectly, through suffrage, through the organs that exercise public power. State organs emanate from popular sovereignty and are subject to it.”

The Constitution clarifies who owns the mineral wealth that a certain foreign leader considers we have “stolen” and which he will “take charge of” until he sees fit: “Article 12. Mining and hydrocarbon deposits, whatever their nature, existing in the national territory, under the territorial sea bed, in the exclusive economic zone, and on the continental shelf, belong to the Republic, are public property, and are therefore inalienable and imprescriptible. The sea coasts are public property.”

Let us ask ourselves whether the murder, without prior declaration of war, of nearly a hundred defenseless fishermen and another hundred of our brothers and sisters is sufficient grounds for the people or authorities to collaborate with the invaders in the destruction of the Republic. In this regard, our Constitution states: “Article 25. Any act carried out in the exercise of public power that violates or undermines the rights guaranteed by this Constitution and the law is null and void, and the public officials who order or execute it incur criminal, civil, and administrative liability, as the case may be, without the excuse of receiving orders from superiors.”

The foreign leader who ordered this series of mass murders declares that Venezuelan oil “belongs to him” and that he will “take charge of it,” as if the kidnapping of an official made him the owner of assets that belong only to the Republic, that is, to the Venezuelan people. In this regard, our Constitution states: “Article 156. The National Public Power has jurisdiction over: 16. The regime and administration of mines and hydrocarbons, the regime of uncultivated lands, and the conservation, promotion, and use of the country’s forests, soils, waters, and other natural resources. The National Executive may not grant mining concessions for an indefinite period (…)“. And for further clarification: ”Article 302. The State reserves, through the respective organic law and for reasons of national convenience, oil activity and other industries, exploitations, services, and assets of public interest and strategic nature. (…)”.

If foreign leaders and capitalists plunder such assets for their own personal gain, the social, economic, educational, welfare, and cultural rights of all Venezuelans recognized by the Constitution will be rendered inapplicable due to a lack of resources.

Does the bombing, massacre, and invasion of our territory grant the criminal the authority to impose measures contrary to our laws and the Constitution? In this regard, the Fundamental Law states: “Article 138. Any usurped authority is ineffective and its acts are null and void.”

Should we tolerate such usurpation? Our inviolable Fundamental Law answers us: “Article 130. Venezuelans have the duty to honor and defend their homeland, its symbols, and cultural values, and to safeguard and protect the sovereignty, nationality, territorial integrity, self-determination, and interests of the Nation. (…) Article 333. This Constitution shall not lose its validity if it ceases to be observed by an act of force or because it is repealed by any means other than those provided for therein. In such an event, every citizen, whether vested with authority or not, shall have the duty to assist in restoring its effective validity.”

We have been victims of an aggressive war. Until a peace treaty is signed, no diplomatic relations will be established, nor can any agreements of any kind be made with the aggressor.

[…] 

The only legal effect of the reprehensible and repudiated invasion, apart from the destruction of lives and property, is the illegitimate kidnapping of the Head of State, the massacre of more than two hundred compatriots, and the civil and criminal liability resulting from such crimes. Crime does not engender rights, only punishment.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Venezuelanalysis editorial staff.

Translated and slightly abridged by Venezuelanalysis.

Source: Rebelión

DJ Fat Tony, who played at Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding, is set to give a tell-all interview on This Morning about the now infamous ‘inappropriate’ dancing drama

The Beckhams face further embarrassment in the next 24 hours, with the DJ from Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding preparing to appear on This Morning on Friday/tomorrow to explain exactly what he saw.

DJ Fat Tony has already mocked Victoria Beckham this week on social media following Brooklyn’s bombshell statement about his family and her . And now to add insult to injury, he has been invited onto the This Morning sofa, where hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond are expected to get more details about the wedding and what really happened.

An ITV source said: “We have lined up DJ Fat Tony for Friday’s show and are hoping it will be an interview filled with bombshells after an extraordinary week. He can offer huge insight into what happened and may well add further evidence to what Brooklyn has said or provide a more independent version of events.

“It is brave of him to go on and speak out as most people are steering clear but it will be fascinating and he is not normally one to hold back. Whatever he says is only going to keep this story going so the Beckhams may not want to tune in – but millions of others will be discussing what he says on ITV afterwards.”

Brooklyn’s statement on Monday, which made it clear he had no interest in reconciling with his family, also criticised his mum. The 26-year-old alleged one of the reasons they fell out was because his mother “hijacked” his first dance with his bride Nicola, 31, at their 2022 wedding.

He wrote: “My mum hijacked my first dance with my wife, which had been planned weeks in advance to a romantic love song. In front of our 500 wedding guests, Marc Anthony called me to the stage, where in the schedule was planned to be my romantic dance with my wife but instead my mum was waiting to dance with me instead. She danced very inappropriately on me in front of everyone.

“I’ve never felt more uncomfortable or humiliated in my entire life. We wanted to renew our vows so we could create new memories of our wedding day that bring us joy and happiness, not anxiety and embarrassment.”

Wedding guest, Stavros Agapiou, the husband of DJ Fat Tony, seemingly confirmed Brooklyn’s version of events. On social media he wrote: “I was there, and she did; he’s telling the truth.” He then deleted the comment and said: “Good on him for finally speaking out!”

Fat Tony, who played tunes at Brooklyn’s wedding, then backed his husband’s version of events, sharing a clip from hit BBC sitcom Motherland, of Amanda Hughes (Lucy Punch) performs an OTT dance for parents at a school event which he compared to Victoria. The DJ then added: “Actual video footage, it’s true I was there!”

Brooklyn and Nicola have been hiding out in Malibu since he posted his statement on Monday but they broke cover today to spend time on the beach.

They were seen holding hands and hugging and sources close to them say they have “no regrets” over his decision to post his strongly worded message, which has made headlines around the world.

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NEW YORK — President Trump sued banking giant JPMorgan Chase and its CEO, Jamie Dimon, for $5 billion on Thursday over allegations that JPMorgan debanked him and his businesses for political reasons after he left office in January 2021.

The lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade County court in Florida, alleges that JPMorgan abruptly closed multiple accounts in February 2021 with just 60 days’ notice and no explanation. By doing so, Trump claims JPMorgan and Dimon cut off the president and his businesses from millions of dollars, disrupted their operations and forced Trump and the businesses to urgently open bank accounts elsewhere.

“JPMC debanked [Trump and his businesses] because it believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” the lawsuit alleges.

Debanking occurs when a bank closes the accounts of a customer or refuses to do business with a customer in the form of loans or other services. Once a relatively obscure issue in finance, debanking has become a politically charged issue in recent years, with conservative politicians arguing that banks have discriminated against them and their affiliated interests.

Debanking first became a national issue when conservatives accused the Obama administration of pressuring banks to stop extending services to gun stores and payday lenders under “Operation Choke Point.”

Trump and other conservative figures have alleged that banks cut them off from their accounts under the umbrella term of “reputational risk” after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Since Trump came back into office, the president’s banking regulators have moved to stop any banks from using “reputational risk” as a reason for denying service to customers.

“JPMC’s conduct … is a key indicator of a systemic, subversive industry practice that aims to coerce the public to shift and re-align their political views,” Trumps lawyers wrote in the lawsuit.

Trump accuses the bank of trade libel and accuses Dimon himself of violating Florida’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

In a statement, JPMorgan said that it “regrets” that Trump sued the bank but insisted it did not close the accounts for political reasons.

“We believe the suit has no merit,” a bank spokesperson said. “JPMC does not close accounts for political or religious reasons. We do close accounts because they create legal or regulatory risk for the company.”

Joe Sterling, one of the best three-point shooters in the country, tried to put up a three-point attempt from long range at the outset of the third quarter on Wednesday night at Sierra Canyon. He must have forgotten who was guarding him, because Brandon McCoy came flying like Superman to block the shot, then took the deflected ball, dribbled and delivered an uncontested dunk.

“I knew he was going to shoot it,” McCoy said.

McCoy’s athleticism was on display all night as No. 1-ranked Sierra Canyon put itself in position to be the No. 1 seed for next week’s Mission League tournament with a 55-47 home victory over Harvard-Westlake.

McCoy finished with 20 points, including back-to-back threes in the second quarter when he helped Sierra Canyon (19-1, 5-0) wipe away an early deficit. He had zero points in the first quarter and 20 points the rest of the way.

“I wanted him to be more aggressive,” Sierra Canyon coach Andre Chevalier said. “He went into attack mode.”

Not only was McCoy contributing on offense, but his defense helped the Trailblazers hold Harvard-Westlake’s leading scorer, Sterling, to a season-low five points. He made one of eight shots and got into foul trouble.

“The fact he’s playing defense at a high level is amazing,” Chevalier said. “That’s what college coaches are looking for.”

Sierra Canyon also received a strong performance from 6-foot-8 Brannon Martinsen, who had 16 points. “I found my role,” he said. “It was figuring out how to complement guys as good as me.”

Pierce Thompson led No. 3 Harvard-Westlake (21-3, 4-1) with 14 points. The Wolverines struggled against Sierra Canyon’s half-court trap and didn’t have enough offensive contributors with Sterling taken out of the game by the Trailblazers’ defense.

“They’re good,” Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo said. “I don’t think they’re invincible. They’re deep and versatile. That’s what makes them so dangerous.”

The Mission League will hold a tournament beginning Jan. 29. The first two teams in the regular-season standings are guaranteed Southern Section playoff berths. Harvard-Westlake closes with tough matchups against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Saturday and St. Francis at home next week. Sierra Canyon has a home game against Crespi and a road game against Chaminade.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 68, Crespi 56: NaVorro Bowman scored 33 points for the Knights.

Loyola 104, Bishop Alemany 70: Deuce Newt had 50 points and made 10 threes for Loyola. Austin Acy, a freshman, had 40 points for Alemany.

St. Francis 66, Chaminade 56: Cherif Millogo had 20 points and Luke Paulus 17 for St. Francis.

Santa Margarita 102, Servite 69: Drew Anderson finished with 35 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles.

St. John Bosco 56, JSerra 50: Christian Collins scored 30 points and Max Ellis and Tariq Iscandari had key threes to stay unbeaten in the Trinity League.

Mater Dei 81, Orange Lutheran 79: Zain Majeed scored with 1.5 seconds left for Mater Dei. Luke Barnett had 23 points and became Mater Dei’s career three-point leader with 373 moving past Taylor King.

Corona del Mar 76, Los Alamitos 54: Ryan Mansouri scored 23 points for 23-1 Corona del Mar.

Cleveland 56, Chatsworth 55: Aaron Krueger led Chatsworth with 17 points.

Birmingham 74, Granada Hills 53: Tekeio Phillips had 16 points and Christian Graham 15 to help the Patriots set up a showdown with Cleveland on Friday to decide first place in the West Valley League.

El Camino Real 44, Taft 43: The Royals made a three at the end to win.

Narbonne 63, San Pedro 62: Branden Key had 24 points to help Narbonne pull off the Marine League upset.

Jan. 22 (UPI) — President Donald Trump held a signing ceremony for his new Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, calling it one of the “most consequential bodies” ever created.

“As everyone can see today, the first steps toward a brighter day for the Middle East and a much safer future for the world are unfolding right before your very eyes,” Trump said. “Together we are in a position to have an incredible chance — I don’t even call it a chance, I think it’s going to happen — to end decades of suffering, stop generations of hatred and bloodshed and forge a beautiful, ever-lasting and glorious peace for that region.”

About 25 countries have accepted his invitation to join the board, but some of the United States’ closest allies have rejected it.

Some countries have asked whether an alternative to the United Nations is necessary.

Trump sent invitations over the weekend to more than 50 leaders around the world, U.S. officials have said. A White House official told ABC News that more than 30 countries are expected to join.

“I think the Board of Peace will be the most prestigious board ever, and it’s going to get a lot of work done that the United Nations should have done,” Trump said Wednesday. “And we’ll work with the United Nations. But the Board of Peace is going to be special. We’re going to have peace.”

Trump was asked by a reporter on Tuesday if the body would replace the United Nations, and Trump responded, “It might.”

France, Norway, Denmark, Slovenia and Sweden, have declined or expressed reservations about the board. Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy are noncommittal. There were 19 countries with him in Davos, but Hungary and Bulgaria were the only European countries by his side.

“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do, and we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations,” Trump said. “You know, I’ve always said the United Nations has got tremendous potential, has not used it, but there’s tremendous potential in the United Nations.”

On Jan. 7, Trump announced he would withdraw the United States from 66 international organizations, conventions and treaties deemed “contrary to the interests of the United States,” and many of them were United Nations-related agencies that focus on climate, labor, migration and other issues the administration has claimed were catering to diversity.

The initial scope of the board was to focus on peace in the Middle East, but the administration has since signaled it will have wider impact.

The White House’s list of members of the Board of Peace includes Belgium, but Maxime Prevot, deputy prime minister of Belgium, said on X Thursday that it wasn’t true.

“Belgium has NOT signed the Charter of the Board of Peace. This announcement is incorrect,” his post said. “We wish for a common and coordinated European response. As many European countries, we have reservations to the proposal.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been invited.

“Russia is our enemy. Belarus is their ally,” The Washington Post reported Zelensky said Tuesday. “It is very difficult for me to imagine how we and Russia can be together in this or that council.” Poland has expressed similar concerns.

Sunday services were halted in the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo over extensive looting by fighters from the M23/AFC group. On Jan. 18, violence erupted in the Uvira town, forcing churches to shut down and disrupting the sanity of locals.

The rebels invaded several buildings across various quarters of Uvira, making off with valuables, including household belongings and shop stocks. As the looting unfolded, the rebels and their supporters fired shots into the air, instilling an atmosphere of fear and panic among the residents. 

The Catholic churches in the town suspended mass services for the day, while other denominations urged their congregations to stay home for their safety. Administrative buildings also fell victim to the chaos, with office furniture and valuables, including important documents and archives, being looted, according to local sources.

“Right now, it is difficult to know who is in control on the ground in Uvira. Youths claiming to be Wazalendo were seen in some quarters of the town, while other youths identified with M23/AFC rebels were also seen in other quarters of Uvira. While the various armed groups have been spoiling the town, the DR Congo national army, FARDC, is nowhere to be found,” a civil society activist in the area told HumAngle.

These incidents came on the heels of the recent departure of some of the M23/AFC combatants from Uvira, where around 200 heavily armed men wearing military helmets were seen leaving the town on foot, while others were in trucks. The M23 group said those sighted included members of its observation and monitoring unit, stating that this departure signified the final phase of their withdrawal from Uvira. They further declared that they would no longer assume responsibility for the town and its inhabitants’ security.

In response to a request from the United States, the mediators in the conflict, the rebel group, claimed it had decided to withdraw its foot soldiers from Uvira in December 2025 to allow peace to reign. Bertrand Bisimwa, head of the M23’s political wing, said the movement of forces from the town was imminent.

“We call upon the civilian population to remain calm,” he said, adding that the group called on mediators and other partners to ensure the town was “protected from violence, retaliation, and re-militarisation”.