Mulanje and Lilongwe, Malawi — Ireen Makata sits in her white nursing uniform on a weathered bench at a health post in Malawi’s southern Mulanje district.

The facility is one of 13 in the district, located within a seminomadic, predominantly agricultural community 65km (40 miles) east of Blantyre, Malawi’s commercial capital, near the Mulanje mountain range.

The beige-painted facility stands out from the dozens of huts around it made of red bricks, with straw roofs. To the right of the main entrance is a supply room with diminishing medical supplies. On the other side is an ambulance that Makata says is now rarely used.

Health posts like this were set up to serve remote communities and alleviate pressure on district hospitals. They were crucial in providing communities with basic healthcare, antenatal care, family planning and vaccines.

The clinic in Mulanje used to see dozens of women a day, providing maternal care, including helping women give birth, dispensing medicines and, when needed, transport to the hospital. But now, since funds were cut, it is open only around once every two weeks, stretching its supplies for as long as it can and unable to regularly transport visiting healthcare workers.

Health posts like this are facing closure – 20 have already shuttered in the country – due to the Trump administration cutting United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding in February. This is forcing the country’s health system to withdraw critical services, placing further stress on hospitals, and leaving thousands of women and children without needed care in a region burdened by poverty and long distances to hospitals.

Makata, a nursing officer specialising in maternal and newborn care, usually based at the district hospital, says she used to visit the post two or three times a week. Now she rarely comes and no longer sees most of the patients she used to care for.

“Most of the women who relied on this post now find the distance to access a district hospital too far,” she tells Al Jazeera.

It would take a large chunk of a day, travelling on the bumpy dirt roads of Mulanje district, to reach one. That long visit “takes them away from their day-to-day activities, which bring income or food to their table,” she explains.

Many cannot afford to do that and now go without care.

“They are failing to get the ideal treatment for antenatal care services, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy,” Makata says.

‘Baby and mother in jeopardy’

USAID funding was all-encompassing. It funded remote medical outposts, covering everything from the training of new staff and the provision of drugs and supplies for pregnant women to petrol for ambulances.

The US government provided close to 32 percent of Malawi’s total health budget before the cuts.

USAID funded the health posts through a programme called MOMENTUM in 14 of Malawi’s 28 districts, starting in 2022, helping strengthen existing clinics and set up new ones. As of 2024, there were 249 posts. The programme also provided medical outreach to communities and equipment. About $80m was being invested in the programme by Washington.

Early this year, US President Donald Trump issued stop-work orders on USAID-funded programmes as part of an executive order to pause and re-evaluate foreign aid.

With that move, MOMENTUM was shelved, and the two dozen mobile posts were shuttered as a result. Medical trainees were left in limbo, and life-saving equipment was sold off in fire sales by Washington.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) still provides technical and financial support to several remote districts for maternal and newborn health, but the available resources are not enough to cover the sites funded by MOMENTUM. There are fears that the UNFPA sites will run out of resources and supplies in the coming months.

In the wake of Trump’s funding cuts, health experts in Malawi have raised urgent concerns that new mothers and children will face the greatest impact, with many lives potentially lost as a result.

Makata has set up a WhatsApp group for women to contact her with concerns and questions, but she is frustrated that she cannot work as she used to.

“We would go to where people resided and give them permanent and long-term care,” she says, referring to the posts. “It’s not easy for me to see this. We can’t help those who need the services the most.”

Massitive Matekenya, a community leader for the Musa community in Mulanje district, dressed in a black blazer and oversized chequered-green tie, is at the vacant Mulanje health post.

These days, he says, it is hard to put on a brave face for the people he represents.

“Women in our community are now giving birth on the way to the district hospital since it’s such a long distance away,” says Matekenya. “That puts baby and mother in jeopardy with the potential of the mother bleeding out.”

Matekenya struggles to boost morale as he is constantly faced with community anger over the fact that medical outreach has ended.

He says a 40-year-old woman from his community recently died from malaria. “She had no quick referral to the nearest health facility due to issues of transport,” Matekenya says, noting that the community reached out to a politician but that his assistance came too late.

“I’m worried,” he says. “With family planning services not being offered any more, we are expecting to see a spike in pregnancies, and we are anticipating a possible rise in maternal deaths.”

Impact on fistula care

In a health clinic in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, a woman dressed in black with a golden brooch shuffles from hall to hall. Margaret Moyo is tending to her daily responsibilities as head coordinator at the Bwaila Fistula Centre.

Obstetric fistula occurs when a hole between the birth canal and bladder or rectum is formed during an obstructed and extended labour. Women who do not receive medical treatment can be left incontinent.

Beyond the physical pain, women suffering from obstetric fistula also face social stigma due to the constant leaking and are often ostracised from their communities.

The Bwaila Fistula Centre receives more than 400 patients a year from all over the country, as well as from districts in neighbouring Mozambique. It has 45 beds, one doctor and 14 specialised nurses, and some 30 patients were at the centre when Al Jazeera visited in August.

With fewer resources, individuals will not be seen as often during pregnancy, which could lead to undetected maternal health issues, including more cases of fistula, Moyo argues. She is also concerned that conversations around prevention and education will take a backseat.

“The focus should be on training midwives, access to care and education to delay pregnancy in younger women since they are often most at risk of fistula,” says Moyo.

Before the USAID cuts, Malawi’s government had already forecast a $23m shortfall for reproductive, maternal, and newborn health funding for 2025 owing to drops in foreign aid.

‘I am able to help them’

For the past five years, Moyo has been running what she calls an “ambassador” programme at her facility. Patients who undergo successful fistula repair and are reintegrated into their communities are trained and sent out into their communities.

So far, 120 fistula survivors have become patient ambassadors who educate through community outreach to bring in new patients for treatment.

One such ambassador is Alefa Jeffrey. Wearing a grey “Freedom from Fistula Foundation” T-shirt, the 36-year-old mother of four crosses her arms and gazes towards the floor as she talks about being ostracised after she gave birth and developed a fistula.

“I wasn’t allowed to go to church because the other girls made fun of me and said I smelled bad because I was leaking urine and stool,” she says. “My family told me to go to a traditional healer, but he wasn’t able to help.”

Jeffrey could deal with the physical pain, but she was tormented by the negative interactions with friends and family.

“I got used to dealing with fistula, but it was what people were saying that was giving me the most pain,” recounts Jeffrey, who says she even contemplated suicide.

But she also started looking for answers, asking the traditional healer and then eventually meeting an ambassador who came to her community to speak to women.

Having successfully undergone treatment, involving surgery and follow-up patient and educational care, Jeffrey now advocates for fistula education.

She has set up a WhatsApp group for people to chat with her for information about the condition. She has also brought in 39 mothers from her community to the clinic.

“I’m an expert now. I’m able to convince people to come, which isn’t easy,” says Jeffrey. “Some women have lived with a fistula for so long they don’t believe they can be repaired, and they have already given up, but I am able to help them.”

Lessons from the past: ‘We didn’t panic’

Although health experts are worried about the future of a system without USAID in a country where more than 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, government leaders say they have been there before.

Back in 2017, during his first presidency, Trump halted funding for the UNFPA and several groups that provided family planning. Malawi’s government approached NGOs and other countries to alleviate the gaps in funding.

Through community and grassroots innovations, they believe they can weather the storm again.

“We didn’t panic when we heard about the USAID cuts,” says Dr Samson Mndolo, Malawi’s secretary of health. “Instead, we looked at how to be more efficient and get more services for our money.

“We looked at areas where we could maximise resources, so for example if an officer goes to a community to do immunisations, they can now provide family planning services in the same trip too.”

Sitting in his office in the Lilongwe City Council building behind an organised desk, Mndolo discusses the challenges.

“As soon as the stop-work orders came out, we lost close to 5,000 health workers. The majority of these are what we call HIV diagnostic assistants,” he says, referring to the fallout from the USAID cuts. “We are looking now to push towards a health system that is more community-based and not necessarily hospital-based.” In such a system, doctors and health workers from central hospitals would be dispatched more to remote communities, and regular community outreach would become part of their remit, requiring them to perform a wider array of services.

Mndolo and his colleagues are setting up online initiatives and WhatsApp chat groups to field questions from remote patients. He remains optimistic about Malawi’s health system and says the worst thing the country can do now is to lose hope.

“Each crisis is an opportunity. This gives us a chance to strengthen the system and retrain our workforce and digital health systems,” he says.

“We are not naive. This will take some time, but once we get a hold of that as a nation, we can be better with time; that is the opportunity that is there for us.”

Despite such reassurance, those in remote communities say they feel isolated.

Tendai Kausi, a 22-year-old mother from the Musa community in the Mulanje district, still goes to the remote health post for help with her four-year-old son, Saxton. But because of the cuts and closures, many women from her community do not, and she has seen new mothers carry pregnancies in their isolated villages – far from healthcare and without routine checks.

“This is not good for the development of our country,” she says.

“My child will be affected because the services here will not get better,” Kausi says. “I feel very sad for my community.”

RYANAIR is scrapping more flights across Europe, with more than one million passengers affected.

The budget airline confirmed that routes to and from Belgium will be the latest to be hit by their cancellations.

The one million seats will be scrapped to and from Brussels from the 2026/27 winter schedule next year, a reduction of 22 per cent.

This affects 20 flights routes with five aircraft based at the airport removed.

The airline said the cuts were due to the rise in air passenger tax being introduced in Belgium.

From 2027, the tax on all passenger flight will increase to €10 (£8.70).

PACK IT IN

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SKY’S LIMIT

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Not only that, but they have slammed Charleroi city council who is set introduce a a €3 (£2.60) passenger tax on all departures.

Ryanair said in a statement: “Ryanair calls again on Prime Minister (Bart) De Wever and his Govt to abolish the aviation tax or Belgian traffic will collapse and fares will soar.

“Should the Charleroi city council proceed with its ill-judged proposal to introduce further taxes on passengers departing from Charleroi next year, these cuts will deepen as Ryanair will be forced to reduce flights, routes and based aircraft at Charleroi from as early as April 2026 with thousands of local jobs at risk.

“These repeated increases to this harmful aviation tax make Belgium completely uncompetitive compared to the many other EU countries, like Sweden, Hungary, Italy, and Slovakia, where Govts are abolishing aviation taxes to drive traffic, tourism, and jobs.”

Ryanair has already axed millions of seats across Europe in recent months.

Back in September, the airline confirmed that they would cancel all flights to three Spanish airports – Tenerife North, Vigo and Santiago.

This affected two million passengers.

Just a month later, another 1.2million seats were scrapped across Spain, affecting summer 2026 travel.

Rising airport tariffs were cited for the cancellations, with Michael O’Leary claiming he would “fly elsewhere […] if the costs in regional Spain are too high”.

He added: “We are better off flying at the same cost to places such as Palma [on the island of Majorca] than flying to Jerez.”

French airports Bergerac, Brive, and Strasbourg have also lost their Ryanair flights while airports in Germany including Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig won’t open for winter.

And next year, Ryanair will stop all its flights to and from the Azores, citing high ATC fares in Portugal.

We’ve rounded up all of the destination losing their Ryanair flights.

Japan and South Korea scrambled jets on Tuesday in response to a joint Chinese-Russian bomber patrol over international waters near both of those nations. Though part of an annual bilateral exercise, the flights come as tensions between China and Japan are heightened over the latter’s increasing signals of support for Taiwan.

Two Russian Tu-95 Bear turboprop bombers flew south from the Sea of Japan into the East China Sea, the Japanese Defense Ministry (MoD) said. After flying between west of Japan and southeast of South Korea, they joined two Chinese H-6 series bombers near Okinawa Japan.

“They then conducted a long-distance joint flight from the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Shikoku,” according to the ministry.

The bombers were joined by four Chinese J-16 Flanker multirole fighter derivatives “when these bombers flew back and forth between Okinawa Island and Miyako Island,” the Japanese MoD noted. The Bear bombers later flew back along the same route north into the Sea of Japan while the Chinese jets flew back toward China.

In addition to those flights, the Japanese said one Russian A-50 Mainstay early warning and control aircraft and two Russian Su-30 Flanker fighters were also spotted north of Japan in the Sea of Japan, the MoD stated.

“In response, fighter jets from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s Southwest Air Defense Command and other units were scrambled,” the MoD explained, without providing details about where jets flew.

South Korea also sent fighters aloft as the Chinese-Russian joint flight briefly flew into its Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ), according to the Yonhap News Agency.

“Two Chinese military planes and seven Russian aircraft successively entered the KADIZ at around 10 a.m. prompting the military to dispatch Air Force fighter jets in preparation for a possible accidental situation,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The JCS did not identify what kind of aircraft took part in the joint Chinese-Russian flight, but bombers and fighters “intermittently entered and left the KADIZ for about an hour before completely retreating from the air defense zone.”

Joint Chinese-Russian flights in this area are not new. Since 2019, the two countries have sent their military planes into the KADIZ once or twice a year during joint exercises, without prior notice, Yonhap explained.

The last such flight took place in November 2024 when “11 military planes from both China and Russia entered the KADIZ together,” Yonhap noted.

As we previously reported, the first such flight took place in June 2019 and resulted in South Korean jets firing about 360 20mm cannon shells in a series of warning shots after a Russian Mainstay violated airspace South Korea claims above a small group of islets, which it refers to as Dokdo. Japan also claims these as its national territory, calling them collectively Takeshima, and registered its own complaint at the time that the Mainstay had violated Japanese national airspace.

While this was the 10th joint flight, it came as China and Japan are locked in an intensifying dispute over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments that any Chinese attack on Taiwan would be considered an existential threat to Tokyo. Beijing considers the breakaway island nation to be part of China and has made it clear that it will take back Taiwan peacefully or through military means. Meanwhile, it sees growing militancy from Japan, whose armed forces are designed for self-protection in the wake of World War II, as an increasing threat.

The flareup manifested itself on Saturday, when Chinese J-15 fighters launched from the aircraft carrier Liaoning near Okinawa and locked radar on two Japanese F-15 Eagle fighters. While both sides acknowledge the incident took place, there is a dispute about who caused it and how it was handled.

Japan claims its fighters were targeted while flying a safe distance from the Liaoning and its escorts, which were conducting training missions in the area. China claims that the Japanese fighters were interfering with the training, which sparked the incident.

The issue carried into Tuesday, when China released what it says was a call between its carrier group and the Japanese warning them away. Japan had previously complained China did not answer a deconfliction hotline.

All this comes amid growing Chinese consternation about Japan’s plans to place additional weaponry on Yonaguni Island, located about 70 miles from Taiwan.

Last week, the Japanese MoD announced plans “to deploy an electronic warfare [EW] air-defense unit capable of disrupting aircraft communications on the island of Yonaguni in Okinawa prefecture,” the Japanese Nikkei news outlet reported. The publication did not identify what type of EW system. 

In November, we noted that Japan wanted to install an air defense system on Yonaguni that was likely the beginning of an increasing militarization of the island given its proximity to Taiwan. You can read more about that in our initial story here.

These flights are part of an increasing level of military cooperation between China and Russia. Last year, two Chinese H-6-series aircraft flew with a pair of Russian Bear bombers through a portion of the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) around Alaska. It marked the first time Chinese H-6s of any kind have operated in this part of the world. Similar maritime flotillas have occurred at an increasing rate, as well.

While the joint Chinese-Russian bomber patrol near Japan and South Korea has become routine and is planned to continue, the growing tensions between Beijing and Tokyo show no signs of abating.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

HELEN Flanagan offered up some festive sizzle for her Instagram fans as she stripped to a plunging bra, thong and suspender stockings.

The former Coronation Street actress, 35, flashed a smile while modelling her racy black and red lace lingerie which clung to her curves.

She opted for high-waisted knickers with lace up detail and sexy semi-sheer tights from Ann Summers for her at-home photoshoot.

Ever the stylish star, mum of three Helen perfectly matched her red lippie to the shade of her garments and styled her platinum blonde hair into a bouncy blow dry.

For one snap she posed on a grey sofa positioned next to a Christmas wreath spiralled around a staircase.

The ITV actress then stood for a full-length snap before sprawling around under a pretty white tree.

ROSIE RETURN

Helen Flanagan says she’s ready for shock Corrie comeback & sets career target

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS

Helen Flanagan strips to plunging red lingerie and flashes bum in thong

Other images saw her perched on her staircase while her final saucy snap captured her from behind, giving a glimpse of her derriere as she walked up the stairs.

In her caption, the Rosie Webster actress joked: “On the naughty list.”

A fan then wrote: “Dream woman,” as another gushed: “Just fabulous.”

A third posted: “Wow Helen you look absolutely incredible.”

The beauty, who will soon be back on screen after The Sun exclusively revealed she had signed up for Ex On The Beach, 

The snaps came after she recently posed in a plunging black corset after her new telly role came to light.

Last week, she also stripped to further festive lingerie – and clapped back at trolls who slammed her saucy snaps.

SCREEN RETURN

The star recently took a swipe at her ex Scott Sinclair, a former footballer with whom she shares her children.

The TV star who split from the sports star in 2022, has continued to co-parent their brood, and took a dig at him in reference to their arrangement.

And she may well spill more secrets on their tricky relationship after signing up to wild MTV series, Ex On The Beach.

Coronation Street’s 2024 shock exits

Corrie has said goodbye to several cast members this year. Let’s break down who’s left the famous soap:

Eliza Woodrow (Savannah Kunyo) has said farewell to Corrie to start a new life in Germany.

The youngster moved to live with her dad Dom Everett, who went back on the £10,000 bribe Eliza’s grandfather Stu had offered to keep him out of her life.

Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) will bow out of the soap this summer when he loses his fight with motor neurone disease (MND) in tragic scenes.

After being diagnosed last year, the fan favourite was devastated to learn he only had months left to live.

Viewers know he is planning to take his own life to end his suffering.

Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) departed the cobbles after being offered the opportunity of a lifetime to study in America.

Though she struggled to decide with her stepdad Paul’s impending death from MND, she was convinced she had to live her life to the full.

Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) has struggled with the sudden departure of his father Peter from the cobbles.

The Weatherfield legend left his family and loved ones behind on Boxing Day, 2023, when his wife Carla Connor encouraged him to travel around the world with a friend.

Simon’s been on a downward spiral ever since and his exit could end in tragedy.

Alya Nazir is set to leave the cobbles as actress Sair Khan prepares to go on maternity leave ahead of the birth of her first child.

It looks likely she’ll be heading to Dublin after securing a lucrative new job, leaving her colleague and fling Adam Barlow behind.

Show stalwart Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, is taking a break to star in the Sister Act The Musical UK tour. She will be back filming in May once her dates on the tour come to an end.

Her character left the Street after her son Jason broke his back after falling off a moped in Asia.

Sources have told us she is planning on causing fireworks with her stint on the show.

She has been single since splitting with her boyfriend Robbie Talbot in May.

A source said: “Helen was so excited to take part on Celebrity Ex On The Beach.

“She is a massive signing for MTV and they know what she can bring to the table.

“Helen is sexy, feisty, and won’t hold back on the show and she wants to cause some fireworks.

“This is a big show for her because it’s opening her up to a whole new audience who might not be familiar with what she’s done before.

“Helen is going to give Ex On The Beach her all and is out there now filming for the show.”

The Sun previously revealed Towie star Ella Rae Wise and Love Islander Anton Danyluk were taking part.

Helen, who has also previously appeared on I’m A Celebrity and Celebrity Super Spa, was last on screen on Celebs Go Dating last year.

She exclusively told The Sun she was “ready” for a Corrie comeback too – but bosses haven’t called.

ROME — If anyone doubts that self-interest, not the national interest, is the coin of the realm in Washington, Whitewater is ample confirmation. It is the inevitable culmination of a quarter-century of hypocrisy, lying and posturing by Presidents, press and partisan hacks alike. This time, the result may be tragic: to take a seemingly insignificant series of questions that should have been settled in the 1992 campaign–and turn them into the diminution and possible ruin of the first presidency in a generation to deal seriously with the nation’s problems.

On Whitewater, I have read far too much and learned far too little from the effort. But failing a whole new conspiracy unearthed by the special prosecutor or Congress or the press, Whitewater is not Watergate–or anything like it.

Bill Clinton hasn’t abused his presiden- tial authority, as Richard M. Nixon–or even Ronald Reagan–did. He has not promulgated illegal, unconstitutional schemes to bring about desired political goals, judging from the facts thus far revealed. But the distinction may be meaningless in today’s atmosphere of rabid partisanship and media stampede.

The most significant fact known about Whitewater to date is that it occurred 15 years ago. Clinton, as President, is being prosecuted for his ethical standards as governor. Moreover, he is being judged wanting by members of a congressional political class who, in many cases, fed at the same statehouse troughs that he apparently fattened at and who, according to PAC reports, have continued their bottom-feeding on the Potomac.

But it is Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton’s own lack of candor that has ensured this sordid story is going to go on, and on. Congressional hearings begin on July 26; the special prosecutor will be at work for at least another year. The Clintons’ truth trimming has guaranteed that the press and Congress will continue down predictable paths–reducing the whole sorry business to a high-stakes game of liar’s poker, where only the Clintons can lose. They are heading toward a credibility problem that, in today’s talk-show nation, could achieve Nixonian and Johnsonian proportions. Worse, unlike Reagan, who had his own troubles with the truth, Clinton is now perceived as a less-than-strong leader.

This is something quite apart from obstruction of justice, as practiced by Nixon and documented on his tapes, or the Iran-Contra cover-up. George Stephanopoulus sounding off at the Treasury Department about the appointment of an official investigator who is an acknowledged political opponent of the President would seem, under the circumstances, reasonable. And, indeed, the special prosecutor reported June 30 that White House aides had not acted illegally in their contacts with investigators.

If Clinton has conspired with his aides to lie to grand juries or pay off colleagues for their silence (“I don’t give a shit what you do. Lie, stonewall, whatever you have to do to get past the grand jury,” Nixon said into his microphones), the press has uncovered no shred of evidence.

But the Clintons and this presidency have a special burden. Unlike Nixon, the Clintons came to Washington riding the engine of political reform and change. Indeed, they have brought substantive change to the swamp of inertia and indifference that is Washington.

But it is impossible to accomplish genuine political reform while practicing the same old tricks without bringing new values–some might say spiritual or moral values–to Washington. That was the promise of this Administration, that the breeze of truth–about our politics, our national condition, ourselves–would blow through the denial and pathology about America’s difficulties. The “new politics” would be reality-based.

For that to happen, our President could not be a part-time truth teller. He had to break the pattern of deception that for a generation has informed what passes for political debate in Washington: a pattern in which posture passes for principle, process is valued more highly than policy and the most urgent national business goes untended.

Thus, for the Clinton presidency to succeed on the terms it aspired to office–honesty about our problems and the means available for their solution, beginning with the country’s economic health–a new pattern of presidential candor had to be established, especially after Lyndon B. Johnson’s falsehoods on Vietnam, Nixon’s on Watergate, Reagan and George Bush’s disingenuousness on Iran-Contra and the arming of Iraq.

The conundrum of the 1992 campaign was always that Clinton promised us the truth, and we bought the promise–because he told the truth about almost everything except himself. His judgment was right that, ultimately, people cared less about the assertions of Gennifer Flowers than about health care. But he was wrong to believe most people bought his self-serving answers to tough personal questions in the campaign; any more than most people are buying the Clintons’ tortured explanations about cattle futures and chicken lobbyists. Let’s face it: The Clintons sleazed some back in Arkansas. It is time to fess up: To acknowledge the glaring conflicts of interest–and whatever else untoward may have occurred.

Clinton ran for President under a new-age banner: The courage to change. The difficulty is that Clinton implicitly promised not only change for the country–but change in himself. Perhaps that is why he is politically vulnerable in Whitewater: He appears not to have changed. The truth shaving, the lack of candor, that came to be known as the “character” issue in the campaign are now attached to his presidency. Surprisingly, the issue of candor–and character–now extends to Hillary Clinton.

Worse, the Administration’s responses to its substantive failings and inconsistencies, to the differences between principle and practice from Bosnia to Haiti, are increasingly described in the same kind of defensive, half-truthful context as the Clintons’ answers on Whitewater.

The Clinton presidency is in danger of becoming marginalized by temporizing. Clinton no longer commands the political high ground–though, substantively, the facts and public opinion remain on his side of the issues. (“When Whitewater hearings are televised, it will be Clinton’s turn in the bucket,” Nixon told a trusted friend shortly before his death–remembering that his own polls remained relatively high until the Watergate hearings.) Today, Clinton is much less an inspiring presence in the thought life of the nation than in the days following his election or his masterful State of the Union–even as his eloquence and daring in confronting some of the true problems of our civil society have become more apparent.

His explanations of inconsistencies between his campaign rhetoric and policies–on gays in the military, the abandonment of nominees when they got into trouble, his waffling on campaign-finance reform–all fit the same pattern as the Clintons’ answers on Whitewater. These are the old patterns of presidential prevarication, not the new politics he promised. Clinton’s problems–with the press, the Congress and the people–are due to a growing perception that we are in danger of moving back to business-as-usual.

I write this as a believer in the potential of the Clinton presidency. Clinton shifted the terms of debate, just as Reagan moved the terms of debate and reference roughly 180 degrees early in his tenure. Clinton is the best-informed President of our lifetime. Today, imaginative ideas are being discussed–in Washington and the country–to address national problems.

Clinton is articulate, and clearly relishes the job and its opportunities. He has the political instincts to be a great leader. Moreover, like Reagan, he is prevailing: His basic economic program is being implemented. Some health-care reform will be accomplished, though in what form is still to be determined. As promised, he has undone 12 years of Reagan-Bush antipathy to abortion rights. He speaks sensibly and compassionately–not in code–about crime and family values and race. He was elected to change the country and the way things get done in Washington, and his agenda still reflects the promise.

But all this could disappear in the flotsam of Whitewater.

If Clinton succumbs to that part of himself that plays fast with the truth, that doesn’t inhale–he is finished. If he thinks the lesson of the campaign is that he was helped by his equivocations, that he got away with it–on the draft, on his personal life–he is courting disaster. The press will, inevitably, make this the central issue of his presidency–regardless of all the substance and programs.

Clinton has been besieged by partisan enemies and thoughtless journalism since his tenure began. With some justification, he disdains the press. The press would be more interested in the truth if it were easier to obtain and did not require attention to context. Hence, the wild and loopy coverage in Whitewater. But the underlying questions raised in a handful of legitimate stories deserve honest, expeditious answers. Those haven’t been forthcoming.

Lying and dissembling, once the press pack is on to it, is an easy story to cover–and contributes mightily to the devastation of presidencies. Witness the final chapters of Johnson in Vietnam, of Watergate, Iran-Contra. The GOP and the press are on the lookout for “Slick Willie,” and any time they sense his presence, the truthfulness of the President–not the worthiness of his programs–will become the issue.

In electing Clinton, the country summoned the courage to change that he called for. Now he must summon that same courage to change. The fate of his presidency may be at stake.*

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

Animo Venice 63, Burton 15

Animo Watts 46, New Designs Watts 30

CALS Early College 52, Alliance Levine 30

Canoga Park 52, Vaughn 36

East Valley 50, Central City Value 40

Sotomayor 58, Rise Kohyang 35

WISH Academy 72, Animo Pat Brown 21

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura 47, Royal 42

Alta Loma 52, Claremont 46

Ambassador 51, Compton Early College 18

Animo Leadership 59, Summit View West 44

Artesia 76, Tarbut V’ Torah 68

Ayala 77, Don Lugo 64

Beckman 56, Godinez 50

Bishop Amat 70, Charter Oak 44

Bishop Diego 60, Cate 27

California 81, Ocean View 48

Camarillo 89, Hillcrest Christian 42

Capistrano Valley Christian 61, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel

Cerritos Valley Christian 57, Oxford Academy 53

Chaffey 57, Colton 39

Corona 65, Yucaipa 48

Corona del Mar 83, Villa Park 59

Corona Santiago 68, Riverside North 39

Cypress 75, Quartz Hill 54

Dana Hills 38, Western 32

Desert Chapel 69, Palm Valley 19

Desert Christian Academy 53, San Jacinto Valley Academy 42

Esperanza 63, Peninsula 51

Fairmont Prep 70, Palos Verdes 55

Fillmore 61, Channel Islands 56

Fountain Valley 70, Los Altos 47

Hesperia 60, Saddleback 59

Huntington Beach 74, Westminster 16

Indian Springs 57, Adelanto 47

La Serna 42, Aquinas 39

Legacy Christian Academy 79, Buckley 55

Linfield Christian 66, Perris 56

Lucerne Valley 55, Trona 29

Monrovia 68, El Monte 22

Moreno Valley 81, Twentynine Palms 54

Mountain View 61, Azusa 43

Newport Harbor 73, Placentia Valencia 55

Norte Vista 85, Colony 74

Norwalk 46, Samueli Academy 32

Oakwood 78, de Toledo 31

Ontario 56, San Gorgonio 14

Ontario Christian 62, San Dimas 39

Orange 56, Sunny Hills 48

Orange Lutheran 92, Sonora 83

Packinghouse Christian 66, Crossroads Christian 53

Palm Desert 81, Redlands 49

Palm Springs 52, Rialto 46

Pioneer 74, Rosemead 36

Ramona 79, Bloomington 55

Redlands East Valley 69, Canyon Springs 56

Rim of the World 64, Pacific 61

San Bernardino 92, Arroyo Valley 58

Santa Fe 56, Mesrobian 15

Saugus 54, Valencia 50

Servite 62, Trabuco Hills 37

Shadow Hills 59, Norco 42

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 90, Village Christian 49

South Torrance 52, Valley View 49

Summit Leadership Academy 79, Lakeview Leadership 59

Tahquitz 46, Rubidoux 40

Tesoro 75, Northwood 45

Temecula Prep 70, Santa Rosa Academy 58

Temple City 53, Patriot 28

Torrance 61, Santa Monica 54

Ventura 66, Buena 57

INTERSECTIONAL

Brio College Prep 48, Southwestern Academy 45

Moorpark 74, LA Marshall 59

Oaks Christian 67, Oak Park 31

Rancho Cucamonga 72, Rancho Dominguez 62

Rolling Hills Prep 83, LA Hamilton 49

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Animo Venice 45, Burton 3

Animo Watts 55, New Designs Watts 7

Sotomayor 41, Rise Kohyang 7

SOUTHERN SECTION

Anaheim Canyon 53, Godinez 46

Arroyo Valley 35, Rim of the World 20

Azusa 41, Mountain View 28

California Military Institute 52, SJDLCS 13

Calvary Baptist 58, Muir 22

Campbell Hall 59, YULA 37

Canyon Country Canyon 56, West Ranch 33

Carter 45, Jurupa Valley 31

CIMSA 46, University Prep 38

Costa Mesa 49, Saddleback 23

Crescenta Valley 69, Hoover 15

CSDR 47, Hillcrest 33

Dos Pueblos 50, Oxnard 41

Downey 58, Alta Loma 26

El Modena 56, Dana Hills 34

Esperanza 61, Cypress 35

Excelsior Charter 64, Downey Calvary Chapel 15

Glendora 68, Woodcrest Christian 23

Highland 43, Littlerock 18

Indian Springs 52, Adelanto 51

Knight 89, Palmdale 29

Laguna Beach 62, Magnolia 21

La Quinta 37, Indio 12

La Serna 62, Diamond Bar 21

Loara 54, Tustin 36

Los Altos 54, Corona del Mar 48

Los Amigos 37, Santa Ana Valley 28

Los Osos 58, Summit 35

Lucerne Valley 47, Trona 15

Marlborough 61, Windward 54

Mary Star of the Sea 45, San Gabriel Mission 22

Mira Costa 66, Heritage Christian 29

Mission Viejo 32, Western 27

Monrovia 36, Burbank Providence 25

Murrieta Valley 55, Hemet 39

Northwood 38, Garden Grove 32

Oaks Christian 69, Moorpark 16

Ocean View 29, Bell Gardens 24

Palm Desert 52, Twentynine Palms 42

Palm Springs 53, Cathedral City 7

Paloma Vallet 71, Rancho Mirage 13

Pasadena Poly 48, Chadwick 32

Paramount 58, Hesperia 49

Pilibos 63, La Habra 56

Quartz Hill 51, Lancaster 50

Rancho Cucamonga 69, Irvine University 7

Riverside Notre Dame 50, Pacific 24

Rosary Academy 72, Westminster 15

San Jacinto Valley Academy 53, Desert Christian Academy 46

Santa Ana Foothill 50, Irvine 35

Shalhevet 56, Notre Dame Academy 38

South Hills 39, Chino Hills 36

St. Anthony 85, Mayfair 12

St. Bernard 64, Pomona Catholic 15

St. Monica Academy 58, Palmdale Aerospace Academy 51

Sultana 41, Jurupa Hills 21

Valencia 77, Saugus 36

Village Christian 50, Hart 35

Walnut 48, Maranatha 38

Western Christian 43, La Mirada 25

Whittier 39, Cerritos Valley Christian 34

Whittier Christian 59, Arrowhead Christian 46

Woodbridge 33, Rancho Alamitos 30

INTERSECTIONAL

Anza Hamilton 33, Borrego Springs 10

Birmingham 47, Corona Santiago 36

Brio College Prep 33, Southwestern Academy 20

Granada Hills 55, Trinity Classical Academy 52

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was joined by 12-year-old campaigner Florence Brodribb at an event to welcome the start of Australia’s world-first ban on social media for under-16s.

The Yorkshire town is renowned for its foodie credentials, with independent shops and eateries producing unique and acclaimed products – all sourced locally from the area

Food lovers travel from far and wide to sample the culinary delights of this market town, renowned for its locally sourced produce and skilled artisan makers.

Throughout Malton, you’ll find an abundance of independent shops and eateries crafting distinctive and sometimes award-winning products. Numerous local restaurants and pubs serve up mouth-watering dishes prepared with ingredients sourced from the surrounding area – including seafood from the nearby coast, meat from the moorlands and organic vegetables.

Experience it all at Malton’s Monthly Food Market, where visitors can sample everything from artisan breads to locally crafted beers. Beyond the food, the town also hosts a vibrant marketplace brimming with gifts, homeware, clothing and antiques, ideal for a leisurely browse. The market runs every Saturday from 9am until 4pm, making for a perfect day trip.

The town offers restaurants serving nearly every type of cuisine, from Italian to Indian and classic English pub fare, but topping TripAdvisor’s rankings in Malton is the welcoming pub, The Royal Oak. One recent guest described their visit, saying: “Visited on a very dark, rainy evening and found a lovely, cosy pub with great food and fantastic service.

“The friendly pub atmosphere was made by a great landlord and happy local clientele. Wish we lived closer; would definitely recommend.”

Another highly praised establishment in the town is Forty Six, offering an array of small plates and delectable cocktails. One satisfied diner raved: “This is by far the best place to eat in Malton. The food is great; the staff are first class. I have visited a few times over the last few months and will be visiting again soon.”

For those with an insatiable appetite for culinary exploration, Malton Food Tours provides guided tours allowing you to savour a variety of flavours. You’ll get the chance to meet the passionate individuals behind the food, pop into artisan shops and eateries, and sample the produce firsthand on the second Saturday of every month.

Beyond its beloved gastronomic scene, Malton serves as an ideal base for exploring the breathtaking Yorkshire coastline and the nearby North York Moors National Park. History buffs will also enjoy a trip to the Eden Camp Modern History Theme Museum, a former prisoner of war camp that offers a fascinating journey back in time.

Visitors have praised it as “educational” and “interesting”, with one individual describing it as a “brilliant place full of history and knowledge of what happened in the war”. They added: “Another place we visited on our week in Yorkshire and another great place of history of the war.

“Each hut had so much insight into what happened during the war – a place I would highly recommend to visit.” Spanning 33 huts, visitors can gain a sense of life during the Second World War and appreciate its historical significance, all thanks to the family who made the decision to open this site to the public three decades ago.

Over the next eighteen months, Morocco aims to strengthen its strategic partnerships with Chinese counterparts in two main fields: artificial intelligence and electric vehicles, including batteries and components. This document examines the current factors driving cooperation, predicts the development of technology transfer and industrial growth, and highlights the promising prospects for Moroccan industries to expand into global markets by 2026. The analysis presents recent developments, such as plans for battery factories, the entry of Chinese electric vehicle brands, and increased AI initiatives, and offers policy suggestions to maximize benefits while reducing potential risks. 

Morocco’s industrial strategy over the past decade has been primarily focused on exports and anchored by major firms. Large assembly plants such as Renault and Stellantis, along with upgrades to ports and logistics networks like those in Tangier, have helped establish the country as a key auto hub serving Europe and Africa. At the same time, Morocco is actively advancing its digital and artificial intelligence capabilities through government conferences, initiatives to support startups, and collaborations between the public and private sectors. On the Chinese side, policies and corporate strategies aim to position battery and electric vehicle value-chain assets near Europe. They are also working to diversify manufacturing locations and secure supplies of rare earth elements and other upstream materials. Recent announcements, including plans for a significant Chinese gigafactory and several upstream projects around Tangier and Jorf Lasfar, suggest a strong potential for collaboration. Morocco’s strategic location, combined with China’s manufacturing ambitions, makes their partnership highly promising.

1.⁠ ⁠Two Pillars of Cooperation: What to Expect

 Electric vehicles and batteries.

Chinese companies are investing heavily in Morocco’s battery and component plants, including a gigafactory, while Chinese EV brands enter the local market through distributors. Meanwhile, global vehicle makers are expanding EV production, increasing demand for batteries and parts.

Likely near-term developments up to 2026:

1. Battery production will broaden, with final outputs (tens of GWh) from Chinese investments coming online or under construction. This will enable local assembly and some exports to Europe and Africa, transitioning Morocco from an assembly hub to also producing cells, cathodes, and anodes.

2. The local parts ecosystem will strengthen. Chinese upstream investments like copper and electrode factories will strengthen Moroccan suppliers in metal stamping, wiring harnesses, and thermal systems, enabling them to elevate and compete for supply contracts.

3. Chinese EV brands like BYD are expected to expand sales and may establish CKD (complete knock-down) assembly operations in Morocco or North Africa. This would reduce logistics costs and tariffs while serving regional markets.

Why this is likely to occur: Morocco’s strategic location near the EU, favorable trade agreements, and rising local content rates at key plants, combined with competitive labor and logistics costs, make it an attractive hub for Chinese firms aiming to serve Europe and Africa. These factors also help mitigate risks related to geopolitical trade tensions.

2. Technological Innovation

What is the current status? Morocco has initiated national projects focused on technological development, hosted numerous industry conferences, and is fostering innovation hubs in Casablanca and Rabat, supported by active universities and startups. Meanwhile, Chinese technology companies and research institutions are becoming increasingly engaged across Africa, especially in areas such as cloud computing, surveillance, smart cities, and industrial automation.

Short-term outlook to 2026:

1. Manufacturing technology: Chinese original equipment manufacturers and battery producers are likely to develop or collaborate on new systems for predictive maintenance, quality assurance via vision technology, and automation within factories. Moroccan suppliers and engineering companies are predicted to serve as key local partners, opening up opportunities to export services and software.

2. Data infrastructure and edge computing: Investments are expected in launching data centers or edge computing resources near ports and industrial areas. These will support electric vehicle telematics, smart logistics, and training systems, allowing Moroccan companies to offer combined telematics services across the region.

3. Skills and research partnerships: Agreements between Chinese and Moroccan organizations, including training programs and joint laboratories, will help develop expertise in areas such as machine learning, data management, and implanted systems—laying the footing for a domestic technology industry capable of exporting software and solutions.

By 2026, the combination of Chinese industrial commitments and Morocco’s own policy momentum is expected to bring several tangible benefits to the Moroccan industry in international markets:

First, the composition of exports will become more sophisticated, moving beyond a narrow range of assembled chassis or low-value parts. Instead, Morocco will export higher-value items such as battery modules, electric vehicle (EV) subassemblies, and software or telemetry services. Early shipments of these battery modules and vehicles with higher content will boost the average export value and enhance trade balances. The establishment of a battery gigafactory shifts the focus of value creation within vehicle exports.

Second, Morocco’s strategic geographic location and trade advantages—including proximity to the European Union and its role as an African gateway—combined with Chinese manufacturing capacity, will allow Moroccan producers to better serve markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Chinese firms may use the Kingdom as a hub for assembly, battery-pack finishing, and software services, thereby generating re-export opportunities and local production credits, strengthening Morocco’s position as an electromobility export hub.

Finally, new factories and the adoption of artificial intelligence will generate employment opportunities not only in manufacturing but also in engineering, data management, and quality assurance. Local suppliers securing tier-1 contracts will be compelled to meet international standards such as ISO, IATF, and environmental requirements, thereby increasing their competitiveness for foreign contracts. Additionally, vocational training programs—both public and private—will develop a skilled technician workforce that is enticing to foreign original equipment manufacturers.

This part highlights the development of new exportable service lines, including software, telematics, and analytics. The adoption of industrial AI systems has increased demand for these technologies, including predictive maintenance platforms, battery management software, and analytics dashboards. Moroccan IT companies and startups that collaborate on or adapt these systems for French-speaking and African markets will gain a competitive edge as early movers. This approach broadens Moroccan exports into higher-margin digital services.

Additionally, branding around green initiatives and regulatory standards creates opportunities. Manufacturing electric vehicle (EV) components, especially alongside renewable energy sources, enables Morocco to position itself as an environmentally friendly supplier to European buyers, who are increasingly concerned about carbon footprints and ESG compliance. This strategy could open doors to premium markets and green procurement contracts. Recent government focus on renewable energy and desalination further supports a narrative of sustainable industrial growth.

However, some risks and constraints must be managed. These include overreliance on a limited number of foreign partners, particularly Chinese firms, which could lead to dependence issues. Morocco needs to diversify its investor base and contain clauses on technology transfer and local value creation. Another challenge is the country’s limited capacity to absorb rapid industrialization, calling for the expansion of vocational training and university-industry R&D partnerships. Environmental and social standards are also critical, especially in battery production and chemical manufacturing, requiring strict regulation and the integration of green energy to prevent reputational damage. Geopolitical tensions, especially with shifting trade policies in Europe and the U.S., may complicate export access, so transparency and strategic alignment are essential.

To cope with these challenges, Morocco should implement local-content requirements with phased incentives, establish joint R&D centers and training quotas, conduct thorough environmental impact assessments, and negotiate trade frameworks with EU partners that safeguard tariff protections.

3. Policy recommendations to redouble 2026 outcomes

            1. Conditional incentives: Connect tax breaks and land allocation to measurable local content, technology transfer, and training objectives.

            2. National AI+Industry platform: Fund applied AI labs that link Moroccan engineering institutions with Chinese corporate R&D to adapt industrial AI use cases for local SMEs.

            3. Export facilitation for services: Start up fast-track export credit and soft-landing programs for Moroccan software companies to pilot resolutions in francophone Africa and the EU.

            4. Green manufacturing mandate: Require or incentivize renewable energy sourcing (PPA) for battery and chemical plants to sustain green branding.

            5. Standards & accreditation push: Large testing/certification labs (battery safety, automotive standards, software security) to enhance compliance for global markets.

To that end, the strategic partnership between China and Morocco in AI and electric vehicles offers Morocco a valuable opportunity to advance along the automotive and digital value chains. This shift could transform its export model from solely assembly to one that also emphasizes battery production and software development. Suppose policies focus on increasing local content, developing skills, setting standards, and ensuring environmental responsibility. In that case, the partnership is likely to lead to greater export diversity, the creation of more high-value industrial jobs, and a more substantial Moroccan footprint in European, African, and Middle Eastern markets by 2026. Recent investments and industrial growth offer a timely opportunity; however, the real test will be how swiftly Morocco can establish effective technology transfer, training programs, and regulatory frameworks, turning these opportunities into a sustained strategic alliance.

Busta Rhymes got a young TikTok creator all in check over the weekend after he boldly and incorrectly identified the rapper as “Saturday Night Live” alum Tracy Morgan.

The “Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check” and “Calm Down” rap veteran, 53, sternly set the record straight for the social media troll during an exchange Sunday at Art Basel in Miami Beach. In video of the interaction, published Monday by TMZ, the musician poses with a supposed fan for a photo op. “Get the video of this, it’s Tracy Morgan out here,” the jokester, wearing a black hoodie and baggy jeans, seems to say as he points to Rhymes.

The remark immediately elicited confusion from the rapper and the surrounding crowd. “Wait, what’d you say?,” the Grammy-nominated musician asks, according to the video. “What did you just say?”

For reference, Rhymes is a longtime hip-hop star who first rose to prominence in the late 1980s and is also known for songs “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” and Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now.” Over the years he has collaborated with Notorious B.I.G., Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Pharrell, T-Pain, Missy Elliott and Ye (formerly Kanye West), among others. Morgan, on the other hand, is an Emmy-nominated comedy veteran who was part of the “Saturday Night Live” cast from 1996 to 2003 before pivoting to comedy series including “30 Rock”, “The Last O.G.” and most recently, “Crutch.”

Both Rhymes and Morgan are Black men.

The video continues with Rhymes — real name Trevor Smith Jr. — requesting an onlooker put down their camera and asking the alleged fan to explain himself. “I’m trying to understand,” he can be heard saying, patting the Tiktoker on the shoulder.

“I’m asking you a question, I ain’t calling you out,” he says, later adding, “I was taking a picture to show you love, but you trying to be funny?”

“I’m not trying to be funny at all,” the young man replied.

“What [do] you mean, ‘Tracy, my boy?’”

As Busta Rhymes continues scolding the troll, the TMZ video pans over to the crowd and identifies Kenny Brooks, an internet personality known as Funny Salesman. While it’s unclear if Brooks played a part in the viral interaction, he shared videos and coverage of the exchange to his Instagram stories on Monday.

“You don’t play with a grown man, little boy — that’s how people get f— up,” Rhymes reportedly told the young man, who can be seen walking away from the scene alongside Funny Salesman at the end of the video. Brooks attempted to distance himself from the exchange, calling out TMZ in a TikTok posted Monday: “I don’t know what happened. I wasn’t there,” he said, despite video evidence pointing to the contrary.

“I’m not Shaggy, it wasn’t me. I don’t know what’s going on. I was like Stevie Wonder, I ain’t see nothing,” Brooks said, adding he was trying to get his own video with Rhymes.

He ended his post with a nod to Rhymes’ music: “I’m trying to put my hands where my eyes can see.”

Just as a president is entitled to pardon anyone convicted or accused of a crime, he is free to dismiss any petitions for clemency without offering an explanation. Indeed, he can choose never to issue any pardons or commutations of sentences at all. Still, it’s disappointing that President Obama so far hasn’t approved even one request for a pardon or other form of clemency.

It’s not that there is a shortage of claimants. Earlier this month, Obama formally denied 605 petitions for commutation of sentences and 71 pardon requests. It’s hard to believe that none of those was deserving of approval.

In the public mind, the president’s authority to grant clemency tends to be associated with high-profile and politically motivated grants of clemency, such as President Gerald R. Ford’s pardon of Richard M. Nixon for Watergate crimes, President Clinton’s scandalous pardon of the fugitive financier Marc Rich or President George W. Bush’s commutation of the sentence of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney who was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice.

But presidents also have used the pardon authority to right wrongs and reward rehabilitation in much less prominent cases. They are aided in such decisions by the Office of the Pardon Attorney in the Justice Department, which scrutinizes claims for clemency and passes them along to the White House with recommendations. There are strict standards for clemency petitions submitted through the pardon attorney. For example, no petition for a pardon may be submitted until five years after a prisoner is released or, if no prison sentence was imposed, five years after conviction. Petitions for a commutation of a sentence are usually entertained only when no other form of relief is available.

Ideally, presidents would give great deference to the pardon attorney’s recommendations and take a liberal view of the clemency power, exercising it often and on the basis of clear standards. Their reluctance to do so likely reflects not the merits or demerits of particular petitions but the political liability of appearing soft on crime. That reality has led some advocates of more pardons to hope that Obama is waiting to announce grants of clemency until after next week’s election. If so, we hope his first exercise of his clemency power won’t be his last.

British Ironman star and triathlete Lucy Charles-Barclay speaks to BBC Sport about dealing with coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition whereby consuming gluten causes the body’s immune system to attack internal organs, including the small intestine.

READ MORE: ‘I was poisoning myself before endurance events’

Dec. 10 (UPI) — The United States has blacklisted a network of four Colombians and four entities accused of recruiting former Colombian military personnel to fight in Sudan’s civil war.

The sanctions were announced Tuesday by the U.S. Treasury, which said the network was aiding the Rapid Support Forces, a breakaway paramilitary unit that has been accused of committing ethnic cleansing and genocide in the nearly 1,000-day-old conflict.

The RSF has been waging war against the Sudanese Armed Forces since April 2023. According to the Treasury, the RSF has recruited hundreds of former Colombian military personnel since September 2024.

The Colombian soldiers provide the RSF with tactical and technical expertise. They serve as infantry, artillerymen, drone pilots, vehicle operators and instructors, with some even training children, according to the Treasury.

“The RSF has shown again and again that it is willing to target civilians — including infants and young children. Its brutality has deepened the conflict and destabilized the region, creating the conditions for terrorist groups to grow,” John Hurley, undersecretary for the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement.

Colombian soldiers have aided the RSF in its late October capture of El Fasher in North Darfur following an 18-month assault, while committing alleged war crimes along the way, including mass killings, sexual violence and ethnically targeted torture.

The Treasury identified and sanctioned Alvaro Andrew Quijano Becerra, a 58-year-old retired Colombian military officer, who is accused by the United States of playing a leading role in the network from the United Arab Emirates. His Bogota-founded International Services Agency was also sanctioned for seeking to fill drone operator, sniper and translator roles for the RSF via its website, group chats and town halls.

Colombia-based employment agency Maine Global Corp., Colombia-based Comercializadora San Bendito and Panama-based Global Staffing S.A. were the other three entities sanctioned.

The other three individuals blacklisted were Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, Quijano’s 52-year-old wife; Mateo Andres Duque Botero, 50, the manager of Maine Global; and Monica Munoz Ucros, 49, Maine Global’s alternate manager and manager of Comercializadora San Bendito.

“Today’s sanctions disrupt an important source of external support to the RSF, degrading its ability to use skilled Colombian fighters to prosecute violence against civilians,” State Department spokesperson Thomas Pigott said in a statement.

Sanctions freeze U.S.-based assets of those named while barring U.S. persons from doing business with them.

The idea of the sea that I grew up with was associated with sundowners and souped-up cars and skipping classes to sunbathe with the models who took over Cape Town’s beaches each summer. As a student, long nights would end, not infrequently, with a swim at sunrise (until, one morning, the police arrived to remind us that sharks feed at dawn). So it’s hardly surprising that, after moving to Norwich to study in my 20s, the British seaside trips I made felt tepid. Cromer, with its swathe of beige sand sloping into water an almost identical colour, seemed to suggest that over here, land and sea were really not that different from one another. That the sea as I’d known it – with all its ecstatic, annihilating energy – was an unruly part of the Earth whose existence was best disavowed.

It was only several years later, burnt out from a soul-destroying job, that I took a week off and boarded a train to Cornwall. I was 25, poor and suffering from the kind of gastric complaints that often accompany misery. With a pair of shorts, two T-shirts and a raincoat in my backpack, I arrived in St Ives and set off to walk the Cornish coastal path.

On my second day, to my surprise, I was joined by an Iranian philosophy student I’d met at my local cafe – perhaps he was lonely and ill at ease too – and we skirted the cliffs in single file talking Hegel and subsisting almost entirely on the blackberries which burst from the verges demanding to be eaten. Beneath us, the sea shifted between being darkly rageful and a blue so pure that, if you squinted, could be the Mediterranean. By day three, we were sleeping together, and by day five, having suddenly become allergic to each other, I carried on alone.

I didn’t discover Portscatho on that trip, but I did discover the pleasures of tracing the Cornish coastline on foot. Which is how, a decade later, coming round the headland of the Roseland peninsula while hulkingly pregnant, I laid eyes – in the next bay – on a group of oddly gentle-looking Georgian houses surrounding a small harbour.

The feeling I had, coming into that village, reminds me of a passage in a Nabokov story, Cloud, Castle, Lake. A bachelor, who’s been forced to go on a communal holiday by the “Bureau of Pleasantrips”, unexpectedly comes upon a configuration of elements – a dark castle overlooking a lake on which a cloud is reflected in its entirety – whose particular arrangement simultaneously reveals and fulfils a longing so deeply buried in himself that, until then, he hadn’t known it existed.

It was late autumn. As the narrow path dropped from the cliffs, the landscape became almost tropical: dry grasses turned into passionflowers. Crepey pink rhododendrons peered from the front gardens of the houses on the outskirts of the village. I remember the clouds that had brooded over the landscape for days suddenly clearing, giving way not to a half-hearted sunshine, but to the kind that makes you want to strip off your clothes and inhibitions and become your true self. In the village square, above a pier, off which a group of children were throwing themselves into the sea, was a pub that spilled on to the pavement, where a group of men sang sea shanties watched by people leaning against the low walls of houses over the road, sipping pints.

Writers, in my experience, prefer disillusionment to transcendence. I, for one, suspected – even as it occurred – that my Cloud, Castle, Lake experience would, on repeat visits, turn out to be false: the product of novelty or pregnancy hormones. And yet, in the decade since – and not a year has passed when I’ve not gone back to Portscatho at least once – it hasn’t lost its sheen.

What does one picturesque seaside village, with its two pubs and its fish and chip shop, its Harbour Club hosting cover bands on Saturday nights, give that another does not? Sometimes, my love for it seems embarrassing. An indictment on my heart. As though, if I were less naive, less needing of tenderness or comfort, I’d give myself over to wilder, more difficult beaches – like Towan Beach, a mile or so further along the coast, whose crescent of empty sand resembles the beaches in New Yorker cartoons where a bearded man washes up to spend eternity eating coconuts.

I should be able to enjoy a wild sea surrounded by nothing but wilderness, rather than a sea, like Portscatho’s, in which one is always a few steps from humanity and the comforts of the low-ceilinged Plume of Feathers, or a chowder cooked by local celebrity chef Simon Stallard (whose latest venture, the Standard Inn, is up the road in Gerrans). Or a grocery shop selling artisanal cheeses and New World wines. Or a gallery with paintings in the style of Georges Braque, instead of the bits of driftwood bric-a-brac and watercolour paintings of boats that wash up in most coastal towns. I ought to join the local wild swimming group for its daily 8am dip without needing the comforts of an espresso from a beachfront coffee bar to warm me afterwards. But, just as ghost stories are best enjoyed from a cosy chair by the fire …

What redeems me, in my own eyes, is my preference for the winter months over the summer ones. I love being in Portscatho when the clocks change, and we’re meant to stay indoors watching whatever’s done well at the Emmys, but are often still on the beach at 5pm when the clear night sky brings out its wares. I love New Year, too, when Stallard cooks up a meal on the slipway – one year it was paella – and everyone gathers for the annual firework display.

I love, best of all, the moment when, turning down the steep road into the village at the end of the long drive from London, I see the Plume, and the two roads extending from either side of it like outstretched arms towards the bay. How the sea, every time I arrive, seems to say: “Here you are, at the edge of the world, you’ve arrived at the end of the place where you’ve carried out your labours, so you can finally relax.”

Katharine Kilalea is the author of OK, Mr Field, published by Faber at £8.99. To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Russian, Chinese planes entered its air defence zone during the joint exercise.

South Korea and Japan separately scrambled fighter jets after Russian and Chinese military aircraft conducted a joint air patrol near both countries.

Seven Russian and two Chinese aircraft entered South Korea’s Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) at approximately 10am local time (01:00 GMT) on Tuesday, according to the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul.

The planes, which included fighter jets and bombers, were spotted before they entered the KADIZ – which is not territorial airspace but where planes are expected to identify themselves – and South Korea deployed “fighter jets to take tactical measures in preparation for any contingencies”, according to reports.

The Russian and Chinese planes flew in and out of the South Korean air defence zone for an hour before leaving, the military said, according to South Korea’s official Yonhap news agency.

On Wednesday the defence ministry said that a diplomatic protest had been lodged with representatives of China and Russia over the entry of their warplanes into South Korea’s air defence zone.

“Our military will continue to respond actively to the activities of neighbouring countries’ aircraft within the KADIZ in compliance with international law,” said Lee Kwang-suk, director general of the International Policy Bureau at Seoul’s defence ministry.

Japan separately deployed military aircraft to “strictly implement” air defence measures “against potential airspace violations”, following the reported joint patrol of Russia and China, Japanese Minister of Defence Shinjiro Koizumi said.

In a statement posted on social media late on Tuesday, Koizumi said two Russian “nuclear-capable Tu-95 bombers” flew from the Sea of Japan to the Tsushima Strait, and met with two Chinese jets “capable of carrying long-range missiles”.

At least eight other Chinese J-16 fighter jets and a Russian A-50 aircraft also accompanied the bombers as they conducted a joint flight “around” Japan, travelling between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island, Koizumi said.

“The repeated joint flights of bombers by both countries signify an expansion and intensification of activities around our country, while clearly intending to demonstrate force against our nation, posing a serious concern for our national security,” he added.

9日（火）の午前から夕方にかけて、ロシアの核兵器搭載可能な爆撃機Tu-95×2機が日本海→対馬海峡を飛行し、中国の長射程ミサイルを搭載可能な爆撃機H-6×2機と東シナ海において合流したあと、沖縄本島・宮古島間→太平洋の四国沖まで我が国周辺を共同飛行しました。… pic.twitter.com/6RcWJbM99b

— 小泉進次郎 (@shinjirokoiz) December 9, 2025

Koizumi’s statement comes just days after he accused Chinese fighter jets on Sunday of directing their fire-control radar at Japanese aircraft in two separate incidents over international waters near Okinawa.

On Monday, Japan’s Ministry of Defence said that it had monitored the movements of the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and accompanying support vessels near Okinawa since Friday, adding that dozens of takeoffs and landings from Chinese aircraft on the carrier were monitored.

Japan said it was the “first time” that fighter jet operations on a Chinese aircraft carrier had been confirmed in waters between Okinawa’s main island and Minami-Daitojima island to the southeast.

China’s Ministry of National Defence said on Tuesday that it had organised the joint air drills with Russia’s military according to “annual cooperation plans”.

The air drills took place above the East China Sea and western Pacific Ocean, the ministry said, calling the exercises the “10th joint strategic air patrol” with Russia.

Moscow also confirmed the joint exercise with Beijing, saying that it had lasted eight hours and that some foreign fighter jets followed the Russian and Chinese aircraft.

“At certain stages of the route, the strategic bombers were followed by fighter jets from foreign states,” the Russian Defence Ministry said.

Since 2019, China and Russia have regularly flown military aircraft near South Korean and Japanese airspace without prior notice, citing joint military exercises.

In November 2024, Seoul scrambled jets as five Chinese and six Russian military planes flew through its air defence zone. In 2022, Japan also deployed jets after warplanes from Russia and China neared its airspace.

China and Russia have expanded military and defence ties since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago. Both countries are also allies of North Korea, which is seen as an adversary in both South Korea and Japan.

The Good Morning Britain presenter made a cheeky joke about legal action against his co-stars on The Celebrity Apprentice.

Good Morning Britain presenter Rob Rinder delivered a cheeky jibe at Lord Alan Sugar during his appearance on The Celebrity Apprentice.

The festive special is making a comeback with two episodes this Christmas, boasting a star-studded lineup including AJ Odudu, Angela Scanlon, Charlie Hedges, Eddie Kadi, Jake Wood, JB Gill, Kadeena Cox, Matt Morsia, Thomas Skinner, Sarah Hadland, and Shazia Mirza.

Competing to raise funds for BBC Children In Need, the celebrities have been challenged with creating their own gingerbread biscuits, with filming taking them to Lapland for the task.

Facing off against fellow TV personalities, a Gladiator, a former Apprentice contestant, and several actors, Rob stepped up as project manager for his squad.

Despite Lord Sugar’s reputation for reducing countless hopefuls to rubble over the years, the barrister showed no signs of intimidation, reports Wales Online.

Lord Sugar kicked things off by remarking: “It would be good if I knew any of you, I’ve got your CVs here.

“Rob, apart from guiding these people legally, what do you feel you might be able to bring in a business point of view?”

The GMB presenter shot back: “Well, I can feel the assets of the other team, I’m hoping.”

He subsequently confessed: “My strategy going into this is wit, and if that fails, I’ll be bringing legal action.”

Upon arriving at their destination, Rob’s banter became even sharper, delivering a pointed quip about Lord Sugar whilst maintaining his fearless approach.

Discussing his team, he remarked: “These are exceptional people, when you have a wealth of that talent and a wealth of that experience, the most important thing is to empower people to speak.”

He boldly declared: “We live or die together, but if we fail, I’ll be the first person to offer myself to be sacked to Lord Sugar.

“I’m not the least bit afraid of him, my grandma was more frightening than him.”

Lord Sugar, speaking about the return of The Celebrity Apprentice, previously revealed: “It’s the first ever time on The Celebrity Apprentice that the public can buy products that were created by the celebrity candidates. It’s added some real pressure to the process.

“I think the celebs thought they were in for an easy ride, but they were wrong! Raising money for BBC Children in Need is serious business, so the candidates really need to deliver if they want to avoid ending up on my naughty list.”

Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, also chimed in: “The celebrity candidates will be giving viewers a tasty treat or two this Christmas that viewers can literally sink their teeth into, all while supporting the incredible work of BBC Children in Need. Are viewers going to be Team Gary the Penguin or Team Jolly McTrouble? Let the festive boardroom battle begin!”

Paul Broadbent, Director of Programmes at Naked, commented: “We have taken The Apprentice out of the boardroom and straight onto the shelves. These special episodes bridge the gap between entertainment and real-world impact. It is a rare opportunity for audiences to buy, taste and enjoy something they’ve watched being created on screen and it has been great fun seeing the celebs’ ideas come to life, all in aid of a fantastic charity.”

The Celebrity Apprentice airs on December 29 and 30 at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

SAN DIEGO — Chad Baker-Mazara scored a season-high 31 and Ezra Ausar scored 22 of his career-high 29 points in the second half before fouling out and USC used the second half to take control and beat San Diego 94-81 on Tuesday night.

Reserve Jaden Brownell scored 16 points for USC (9-1) who once it stopped committing turnovers separated itself from San Diego (3-6).

It was Baker-Mazara’s fourth-straight game scoring 20 or more points. USC shot 62% (29 of 47).

Dominique Ford scored 22 points, Ty-Laur Johnson 13 and reserve Juanse Gorosito 10 for San Diego.

After a tie at 38, Alejandro Aviles’ layup gave San Diego a 48-46 lead a little more than five minutes into the second half. From there, Ausar took over the game with a personal 7-0 run that started a 13-0 outburst and the Trojans were never challenged again.

Despite shooting 55% (11 of 20) in the first half, the Trojans committed 13 turnovers which led to 14 San Diego points. Entering Tuesday, USC averaged 12 turnovers per game. The first half featured eight ties and 10 lead changes.

USC moved its record against the Toreros to 7-0.

Up next

USC hosts former Pac-12 rival Washington State on Sunday.

San Diego hosts Northern Arizona on Saturday.

The catastrophic violence in Gaza has unfolded within an international system that was never designed to restrain the geopolitical ambitions of powerful states. Understanding why the United Nations has proved so limited in responding to what many regard as a genocidal assault requires returning to the foundations of the post–World War II order and examining how its structure has long enabled impunity rather than accountability.

After World War II, the architecture for a new international order based on respect for the UN Charter and international law was agreed upon as the normative foundation of a peaceful future. Above all, it was intended to prevent a third world war. These commitments emerged from the carnage of global conflict, the debasement of human dignity through the Nazi Holocaust, and public anxieties about nuclear weaponry.

Yet, the political imperative to accommodate the victorious states compromised these arrangements from the outset. Tensions over priorities for world order were papered over by granting the Security Council exclusive decisional authority and further limiting UN autonomy. Five states were made permanent members, each with veto power: the United States, the Soviet Union, France, the United Kingdom, and China.

In practice, this left global security largely in the hands of these states, preserving their dominance. It meant removing the strategic interests of geopolitical actors from any obligatory respect for legal constraints, with a corresponding weakening of UN capability. The Soviet Union had some justification for defending itself against a West-dominated voting majority, yet it too used the veto pragmatically and displayed a dismissive approach to international law and human rights, as did the three liberal democracies.

In 1945, these governments were understood as simply retaining the traditional freedoms of manoeuvre exercised by the so-called Great Powers. The UK and France, leading NATO members in a Euro-American alliance, interpreted the future through the lens of an emerging rivalry with the Soviet Union. China, meanwhile, was preoccupied with a civil war that continued until 1949.

Three aspects of this post-war arrangement shape our present understanding.

First, the historical aspect: Learning from the failures of the League of Nations, where the absence of influential states undermined the organisation’s relevance to questions of war and peace. In 1945, it was deemed better to acknowledge power differentials within the UN than to construct a global body based on democratic equality among sovereign states or population size.

Second, the ideological aspect: Political leaders of the more affluent and powerful states placed far greater trust in hard-power militarism than in soft-power legalism. Even nuclear weaponry was absorbed into the logic of deterrence rather than compliance with Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which required good-faith pursuit of disarmament. International law was set aside whenever it conflicted with geopolitical interests.

Third, the economistic aspect: The profitability of arms races and wars reinforced a pre–World War II pattern of lawless global politics, sustained by an alliance of geopolitical realism, corporate media, and private-sector militarism.

Why the UN could not protect Gaza

Against this background, it is unsurprising that the UN performed in a disappointing manner during the two-plus years of genocidal assault on Gaza.

In many respects, the UN did what it was designed to do in the turmoil after October 7, and only fundamental reforms driven by the Global South and transnational civil society can alter this structural limitation. What makes these events so disturbing is the extremes of Israeli disregard for international law, the Charter, and even basic morality.

At the same time, the UN did act more constructively than is often acknowledged in exposing Israel’s flagrant violations of international law and human rights. Yet, it fell short of what was legally possible, particularly when the General Assembly failed to explore its potential self-empowerment through the Uniting for Peace resolution or the Responsibility to Protect norm.

Among the UN’s strongest contributions were the near-unanimous judicial outcomes at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on genocide and occupation. On genocide, the ICJ granted South Africa’s request for provisional measures concerning genocidal violence and the obstruction of humanitarian aid in Gaza. A final decision is expected after further arguments in 2026.

On occupation, responding to a General Assembly request for clarification, the Court issued a historic advisory opinion on July 19, 2024, finding Israel in severe violation of its duties under international humanitarian law in administering Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. It ordered Israel’s withdrawal within a year. The General Assembly affirmed the opinion by a large majority.

Israel responded by repudiating or ignoring the Court’s authority, backed by the US government’s extraordinary claim that recourse to the ICJ lacked legal merit.

The UN also provided far more reliable coverage of the Gaza genocide than was available in corporate media, which tended to amplify Israeli rationalisations and suppress Palestinian perspectives. For those seeking a credible analysis of genocide allegations, the Human Rights Council offered the most convincing counter to pro-Israeli distortions. A Moon Will Arise from this Darkness: Reports on Genocide in Palestine, containing the publicly submitted reports of the special rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, documents and strongly supports the genocide findings.

A further unheralded contribution came from UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, whose services were essential to a civilian population facing acute insecurity, devastation, starvation, disease, and cruel combat tactics. Some 281 staff members were killed while providing shelter, education, healthcare, and psychological support to beleaguered Palestinians during the course of Israel’s actions over the past two years.

UNRWA, instead of receiving deserved praise, was irresponsibly condemned by Israel and accused, without credible evidence, of allowing staff participation in the October 7 attack. Liberal democracies compounded this by cutting funding, while Israel barred international staff from entering Gaza. Nevertheless, UNRWA has sought to continue its relief work to the best of its ability and with great courage.

In light of these institutional shortcomings and partial successes, the implications for global governance become even more stark, setting the stage for a broader assessment of legitimacy and accountability.

The moral and political costs of UN paralysis

The foregoing needs to be read in light of the continuing Palestinian ordeal, which persists despite numerous Israeli violations, resulting in more than 350 Palestinian deaths since the ceasefire was agreed upon on October 10, 2025.

International law seems to have no direct impact on the behaviour of the main governmental actors, but it does influence perceptions of legitimacy. In this sense, the ICJ outcomes and the reports of the special rapporteur that take the international law dimensions seriously have the indirect effect of legitimising various forms of civil society activism in support of true and just peace, which presupposes the realisation of Palestinian basic rights – above all, the inalienable right of self-determination.

The exclusion of Palestinian participation in the US-imposed Trump Plan for shaping Gaza’s political future is a sign that liberal democracies stubbornly adhere to their unsupportable positions of complicity with Israel.

Finally, the unanimous adoption of Security Council Resolution 2803 in unacceptably endorsing the Trump Plan aligns the UN fully with the US and Israel, a demoralising evasion and repudiation of its own truth-telling procedures. It also establishes a most unfortunate precedent for the enforcement of international law and the accountability of perpetrators of international crimes.

In doing so, it deepens the crisis of confidence in global governance and underscores the urgent need for meaningful UN reform if genuine peace and justice are ever to be realised.

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

Ukrainian leader responds to US President Trump’s suggestion that he is using the war as an excuse to avoid elections.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared that his government was prepared to hold elections within three months if the United States and Kyiv’s other allies can ensure the security of the voting process.

Zelenskyy issued his statement on Tuesday as he faced renewed pressure from US President Donald Trump, who suggested in an interview with a news outlet that the Ukrainian government was using Russia’s war on their country as an excuse to avoid elections.

Wartime elections are forbidden under Ukrainian law, and Zelenskyy’s term in office as the country’s elected president expired last year.

“I’m ready for elections, and moreover I ask… that the US help me, maybe together with European colleagues, to ensure the security of an election,” Zelenskyy said in comments to reporters.

“And then in the next 60-90 days, Ukraine will be ready to hold an election,” he said.

In a Politico news article published earlier on Tuesday, Trump was quoted as saying: “You know, they [Ukraine] talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy any more.”

Zelenskyy dismissed the suggestion that he was clinging to power as “totally inadequate”.

He then said that he would ask parliament to prepare proposals for new legislation that could allow for elections during martial law.

Earlier this year, Ukraine’s parliament overwhelmingly approved a resolution affirming the legitimacy of Zelenskyy’s wartime stay in office, asserting the constitutionality of deferring the presidential election while the country fights Russia’s invasion.

In February, Trump also accused Zelenskyy of being a “dictator”, echoing claims previously made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy and other officials have routinely dismissed the idea of holding elections while frequent Russian air strikes take place across the country, nearly a million troops are at the front and millions more Ukrainians are displaced. Also uncertain is the voting status of those Ukrainians living in the one-fifth of the country occupied by Russia.

Polls also show that Ukrainians are against holding wartime elections, but they also want new faces in a political landscape largely unchanged since the last national elections in 2019.

Ukraine, which is pushing back on a US-backed peace plan seen as Moscow-friendly, is also seeking strong security guarantees from its allies that would prevent any new Russian invasion in the future.

Washington’s peace proposal involves Ukraine surrendering land that Russia has not captured, primarily the entire industrial Donbas region, in return for security promises that fall short of Kyiv’s aspirations, including its wish to join the NATO military alliance.

SHARON Osbourne has revealed that her late husband Ozzy suffered some rather vivid dreams in the days leading up to his tragic death.

In an emotional interview with her friend Piers Morgan on his Uncensored show, which will drop onto YouTube on Wednesday, former X Factor judge Sharon spoke about Ozzy’s haunting dreams before he died.

She even revealed how the dreams he had in the run up to his passing predicted his tragic death.

Sitting down with Piers, Sharon emotionally opened up about her late husband almost five months on from his passing.

Ozzy, who had performed a final farewell gig at his home town of Birmingham‘s Villa Park stadium just days earlier, had been battling health issues for some time.

He was plagued by vivid dreams in his final days before his death in July.

SO BRAVE

Sharon Osbourne and daughter Kelly reunite with her CBB co-star Bradley Riches

DARLING HUSBAND

Sharon Osbourne’s emotional tribute to late husband Ozzy on his birthday

Sharon, who had been married to the star since 1982 and has three children with the Black Sabbath frontman, admits her own regrets over his final weeks as he experienced the vivid dreams.

She told Piers in the new interview: “I felt fear, regret, I just couldn’t function.

“Like, he told me that he was having dreams the last week of his life.

“He was seeing people that he never knew, and they were I said, ‘Well, what kind of people?’ 

“He goes, ‘All different people. And I just keep walking and walking, and I’m seeing all these different people every night, and I go back there and I’m looking at these people, and they’re looking at me, and nobody’s talking’. 

“And he knew. He was ready.”

She added: “Really, really vivid dreams.

“The night before he passed, he was up and down to the bathroom all night, and it was like 4:30 and he said, ‘Wake up’. I said, ‘I’m already bloody awake, you’ve woken me up’. 

“And he said, ‘Kiss me’. And then he said, ‘Hug me  tight?’

“I can’t help wondering if I should have, could I have?

“If only I’d have told him I loved him more. If only I’d have held him tighter.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Sharon revealed Ozzy had asked her, in his final weeks, if she would ever remarry.

“Everything in my life now is like ish..,” she explained while wiping away tears. “It’s okay, all right. I’m okay. That’s it for now.

“For so, so many years, we were intertwined, and not it’s really grief has become my friend.

“It’s very weird to me. You know, when you love someone that much and you’re grieving for them, it’s what I have to live with, and I’ll get used to it. I will. I have to, you know, things move on.

“One night when he was hugging me tight, you know, he said ‘When I go, do you think you’ll ever get married?’

“I’m like, “fuck off, piss off”. Questions like that. You know. 

“Oh, my God no, never, ever, ever, no.”

Watch the full interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored on YouTube.