Though often overlooked by the Recording Academy at its main awards show, Latin music will get its moment of recognition from the institution later this month.

“A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music” will be a two-hour TV special honoring the genre’s “lasting impact and influence in the United States,” according to a CBS press release. The program will air Dec. 28 on the Tiffany Network at 8 p.m. Pacific time.

Actor Wilmer Valderrama and singer-songwriter Roselyn Sánchez will co-host the show, which will feature performances from the likes of Ángela Aguilar, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Gloria Estefan, Luis Fonsi, Maren Morris, Laura Pausini, Prince Royce, Carín León, the Warning, Robin Thicke and Billy Idol.

The cast of the Tony-winning Broadway musical “Buena Vista Social Club” — which is nominated for a Grammy for musical theater album — will also grace the stage.

The program will feature interviews with Latin music and Grammy icons, including Daddy Yankee, Emilio Estefan, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rita Moreno and Carlos Santana.

Moreno nabbed her only Grammy nomination and win at the 15th Grammy Awards for children’s music album for her work on “The Electric Company.” Her Grammy was the second jewel in her EGOT quest, which she completed in 1977 with her Emmy for her appearance on “The Muppet Show.”

Santana’s 1999 album, “Supernatural,” tied the record for most Grammy wins in one night with eight at the 42nd Grammy Awards — matching the record set by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” in 1984.

The program is modeled in the image of previous Grammy recognition shows, known as “salutes,” for artists like the Beatles; the Beach Boys; Prince; the Bee Gees; Whitney Houston; Earth, Wind & Fire; Elton John; Paul Simon; Cyndi Lauper and Stevie Wonder.

“A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music” will air a little over a month before the 68th Grammy Awards, which will take place Feb. 1 at downtown L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena.

Latin artists are featured prominently for the upcoming awards show, with Bad Bunny becoming the first Spanish-language artist to earn nominations in several top categories for his critically acclaimed album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” including record, album and song of the year.

Kooky Argentine duo Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso received their first ever Grammy nomination under Latin rock or alternative album for their nine-track EP, “Papota.” If they win, they will be the second Argentine group to win in that category; Los Fabulosos Cadillacs won back in 1998 when the category first appeared.

Recording Academy darling Edgar Barrera nabbed his third consecutive songwriter of the year (nonclassical) nomination for his work with Karol G, Juanes, Shakira, Fuerza Regida, Grupo Frontera, Young Miko, Marco Antonio Solís, Manuel Turizo and Santana.

Indie band the Marías were nominated in the new artist category alongside global girl group Katseye — which features Venezuelan Cuban American dancer/singer Daniela Avanzini.

Regarded by many as snooker’s greatest ever player, Englishman O’Sullivan now lives in Dubai with his family and is selective about the events he plays in.

He had beaten 27-year-old Zhou in each of their previous seven meetings, but this result continued a great competition for China, with seven players from the country reaching the last 16.

Immediately after the match, O’Sullivan was asked if he would be playing in next month’s Masters in London. That event starts on 11 January, with the draw taking place this Sunday.

O’Sullivan, who continues to play a number of events in Asia and the Middle East, said: “I don’t know, I’ve not made any decision – I will have to wait and see. I will have a nice Christmas and see how I feel in January.

“I still get disappointed if I lose if I play well and I probably wasn’t the better player on the day. I did my best. Life is quite good, I’m just trying to enjoy working.

“I’ve enjoyed playing since the start of the season and feel I’m hitting the ball all right.”

O’Sullivan’s birthday coincides with this tournament’s quarter-finals. He says he will still watch the snooker on TV, as well as “going for a run and eating some nice food”.

Three-time world champion Mark Williams feels the only way O’Sullivan will get back to winning ways is by playing more often.

Williams, who like O’Sullivan and John Higgins is part of snooker’s fabled Class of 92, said on BBC Two: “The reason he is not winning as many tournaments as he has is he is not playing enough. For him to get back to winning consistently he has to play more, but when you are 50 it is hard to play in all the tournaments.

“His motivation is just winning. He loves to win the big events, and even though he has said he doesn’t want to overtake Stephen Hendry’s record at the World Championship [both Hendry and O’Sullivan are on seven titles], I think that’s his main aim.”

Six-time UK and world champion Steve Davis reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship aged 52 in 2010.

He agrees O’Sullivan cannot expect to be successful if he plays a part-time tour schedule.

Speaking on BBC Four, Davis said: “It is going to be problematic going forward for Ronnie O’Sullivan if he does not commit to the whole circuit.

“He has been playing the game so long, so it’s his choice how many tournaments he plays a year. But the standard is better now and it’s going to be tough for him if he doesn’t fully commit, so he’s at a bit of a crossroads.

“He still puts in great performances, but the problem is there are so many other players putting in fantastic performances as well.”

Dec. 2 (UPI) — The American Economic Association announced Tuesday it had imposed a lifetime ban on former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, following revelations of his association with infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The premier academic association publishes prestigious journals and hosts a large annual gathering of economists and other activities. After voluntarily resigning his membership, Summers is also now prohibited from participating in any of its events as well as holding editorial roles in its journals, according to a statement from the association.

The ban is the latest fallout for Summers following the release of documents by a House committee investigating Epstein, a now-deceased financier with ties to the wealthy and well-connected. Summers is not accused of being a party to any of Epstein’s sex crimes. But released documents show he maintained a correspondence with Epstein and asked for advice on pursuing a woman. Summers, 70, has since said he is “deeply ashamed” of his actions.

“The AEA condemns Mr. Summers’ conduct, as reflected in publicly reported communications, as fundamentally inconsistent with its standards of professional integrity and with the trust placed in mentors within the economics profession,” the association said in its statement.

In addition to holding a key cabinet post in the Clinton administration, Summers also served as president of Harvard University.

Following the heightened scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein, Harvard announced Summers would not continue as an instructor and the university would launch its own investigation. Summers also resigned from the OpenAI board of directors.

Colombian president chides Trump, saying 18,400 cocaine laboratories have been destroyed ‘without missiles’ fired.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has invited US President Donald Trump to visit his country and participate in the destruction of cocaine laboratories after Trump said any country trafficking drugs into the United States could be attacked, “not just Venezuela”.

Trump issued his warning during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday at the White House, where he singled out Colombia for producing cocaine and selling it into the US.

“I hear Colombia, the country of Colombia, is making cocaine. They have cocaine manufacturing plants, oK, and then they sell us their cocaine,” Trump said.

“Anybody that’s doing that and selling it into our country is subject to attack,” he said.

Petro responded swiftly to Trump in a post on social media, pointing out that his government had destroyed 18,400 cocaine laboratories “without missiles”.

“Come to Colombia, Mr. Trump,” Petro said.

“Come with me, and I’ll show you how they are destroyed, one laboratory every 40 minutes,” Petro said, “to prevent cocaine from reaching the US”.

Petro also warned against threatening Colombia’s sovereignty, which he said was a declaration of war that “will awaken a Jaguar”.

“Do not damage two centuries of diplomatic relations. You have already slandered me; do not continue down that path,” Petro said, apparently referring to Trump’s previous public assertions that the Colombian leader was involved in the drug trade.

“If there is a country that has helped stop thousands of tonnes of cocaine so that North Americans do not consume it, it is Colombia,” Petro added.

Venga señor Trump a Colombia, lo invito, para que participe en la destrucción de los 9 laboratorios diarios que hacemos para que no llegue cocaína a EEUU.

Sin misiles he destruido en mi gobierno 18.400 laboratorios, venga conmigo y le enseño como se destruyen, un laboratorio… https://t.co/8WOKnclDK7

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) December 2, 2025

Still, Colombia remains the dominant source of cocaine entering the US: According to the US Drug Enforcement Agency, 84 percent of the drug seized in the country in 2024 originated in Colombia.

Trump’s administration has deployed a huge military force to the Latin American region under the pretext of stemming the flow of drugs to the US from Venezuela, and has carried out missile attacks on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, killing at least 83 people in the process.

Trump made his remarks on expanding attacks against narcotics-exporting countries while seated next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is under scrutiny for a so-called “double-tap” strike in September that killed two survivors from an earlier US attack on a vessel in the Caribbean Sea, which had already killed nine people.

Legal experts said the second attack on the two survivors as they clung to the wreckage of the destroyed vessel was potentially a war crime, and both Democrat and Republican lawmakers have promised to investigate the circumstances of the killings.

Hegseth defended the secondary strike but said on Tuesday that while he had watched the first attack on the suspected drug smuggling vessel in real time, he had not seen survivors or the second deadly US attack.

The Pentagon chief maintained that he only discovered, some hours later, that US Admiral Frank Bradley, head of special operations command, had ordered the second strike on survivors.

Washington has provided no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the victims, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the US of planning to remove him from government under the guise of its anti-drug operation.

Grace Dent, a restaurant critic and columnist, appeared as permanent judge on Celebrity MasterChef for the first time on Tuesday evening, replacing scandal-hit Gregg Wallace

Celebrity MasterChef viewers branded the start of the new series “boring” last night.

Fans took to X to express their disappointment, particularly at the permanent debut of Grace Dent as judge. Some viewers even said they switched off early because they found the episode to be so uneventful.

Ashley Cain, singer Alfie Boe, rugby player Alun Wyn Jones, radio DJ Noreen Khan, and Gladiators star Jodie Ounsley went head to head in three challenges on the BBC1 programme. Writing on X, one viewer said: “The word ‘celebrity’ doing a lot of heavy lifting today.”

Their view that the show was boring was reflected across social media. Another said: “Can’t watch Grace Dent! Bad watch.” Another posted: “They’re dragging this taste test out. It’s a bit boring. Just get on with it… Who is this woman it’s rubbish, now switched off.”

READ MORE: John Torode set for TV return with Christmas special with wife Lisa after MasterChef axeREAD MORE: JoJo Siwa fans stunned as Chris Hughes says he’s single on Celebrity Masterchef

Celebrities picked out ingredients from the MasterChef larder to create a dish with a mystery food under a cloche during the first challenge. After a good start – bar Noreen swiftly picking up her cake up off the floor – the second round tested the five celebrities palette. The stars had to correctly guess what the ingredient is while blindfolded.

Alun Wyn received ten minutes extra cooking time in the next challenge after guessing the most ingredients correctly. The celebrities then had to battle it out at the MasterChef Street Market, with judges John Torode and Grace asking the stars to create something they would serve from their own food truck.

READ MORE: I’m a Celeb fans all saying the same thing about Shona McGarty and Aitch

Grace, 52, has replaced Gregg Wallace, who was sacked following a probe into his behaviour that saw 45 out of 83 complaints against him upheld. Grace, who is a restaurant critic and columnist, became emotional during an episode of The One Show last month, after the presenters read messages from viewers. They had seen her on previous guest stints on Celebrity MasterChef.

Host Clara Amfo said: “The people have spoken and you are smashing it. Lovely Jill messaged in saying ‘Grace is a breath of fresh air and really fair and encouraging to the contestants.”

Scott Mills said: “I’ve got another one! Irene says ‘Grace has such a good sense of humour and gives great practical advice. I hope her attitude never changes! Never change Grace!'” This caused Grace to exclaim: “Stop making me emotional! I’m on The One Show, live on television!”

Celebrity MasterChef is a spinoff of the original MasterChef, where famous faces compete against one another to win in the ultimate cooking challenge.

There’s no settling for average or ordinary this basketball season for Redondo Union coach Reggie Morris Jr. He has high expectations, and when several of his starters didn’t come out performing on Tuesday, he quickly pulled them.

“We try to develop good habits,” Morris said.

The Sea Hawks (4-0), ranked No. 3 in the Southland by The Times, responded with a blitz that indicated his players got the message. Chace Holley finished with 20 points and SJ Madison had 19 in an 89-37 win over Laguna Hills as part of the Redondo Union tournament.

The Sea Hawks lost twice to Sierra Canyon and twice to Open Division champion Eastvale Roosevelt in hard-fought games last season. They were close to winning but unable to pull through in the biggest moments. This season, Morris is training his team to be prepared to beat the Southern Section’s best.

“We still have a lot of room for improvement,” he said. “We have a chance to be real good.”

Full-court pressure defense and lots of speed and athleticism will make Redondo Union perhaps the main challenger to Sierra Canyon this season. There’s not much height but Morris hopes to make up for that with aggressiveness and hustle. That’s why his players were warned early on Tuesday that if you don’t perform, there’s a spot on the bench and opportunity for others.

Morris has won titles at Leuzinger, St. Bernard, Redondo Union and Fairfax. He knows what’s needed to reach the top.

Santa Margarita 66, Loyola 55: Kaiden Bailey scored 18 points, Drew Anderson 17 and Brayden Kyman 15 for the unbeaten Eagles (7-0). Loyola trailed by 13 points at halftime and closed to within five points in the third quarter. Mattai Carter finished with 16 points.

Royal 65, St. Monica 56: Lucas Markland led Royal with 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Holy Martyrs 74, Viewpoint 60: Solomon Clanton had 22 points for Viewpoint.

Girls basketball

Sierra Canyon 78, San Clemente 38: Emilia Krstevski scored 18 points and sophomore Cherri Hatter added 16 points in a Troy tournament game.

Glendora 66, Indian Springs 28: Glendora improved to 6-0. Reagan Herrmann scored 22 points and freshman Remy Caine had 19 points.

United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has threatened to revoke federal funds from Democratic states that are currently fighting an order to surrender data about food assistance recipients.

On Tuesday, during the last cabinet meeting of the year, Rollins spoke about the ongoing lawsuit, which pits 21 states and the District of Columbia against the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Under Trump, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has demanded that states hand over identifying information about recipients who benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Sometimes called food stamps, SNAP helps low-income households afford groceries. Nearly 41.7 million people relied on the programme as of fiscal year 2024, a number that represents nearly 12 percent of US residents.

The USDA’s order would require states to pass along information like Social Security numbers, birth dates and home addresses to federal authorities. Critics fear that such a data transfer could constitute an invasion of privacy.

Rollins, however, told the cabinet meeting that the information was needed to address alleged fraud and “protect the American taxpayer”.

“ We asked for all the states, for the first time, to turn over their data to the federal government to let the USDA partner with them to root out this fraud, to make sure that those who really need food stamps are getting them,” she said.

She indicated that resistance to her demand was a question of partisan politics.

“ Twenty-nine states said yes. Not surprisingly, the red states. And that’s where all of that data [about] fraud comes from,” Rollins continued. “But 21 states including California, New York and Minnesota — the blue states — continue to say no.”

As a result, those Democratic-leaning states would no longer be receiving federal support for their SNAP recipients, according to Rollins.

“So as of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states until they comply,” she said.

An ongoing legal question

It is unclear whether Rollins will be able to carry out her threat.

In September, a US district court in northern California issued a temporary restraining order preventing the federal government from enforcing its data request. In October, another hearing was held on the issue, and a temporary injunction was again granted.

“Let’s be crystal clear: The President is trying to hijack a nutrition program to fuel his mass surveillance agenda,” California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said in a statement after the October ruling.

“We won’t let that happen — not on our watch, and not in our communities.”

Tuesday’s announcement that the states involved in the lawsuit would see a suspension of federal SNAP funds was met with outrage by some top Democratic leaders.

“Genuine question: Why is the Trump Administration so hellbent on people going hungry?” New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted on social media, with a link to Rollins’s remarks.

The Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee also released a statement, denouncing the Trump administration’s plan.

“Yet again, Trump and Rollins are illegally threatening to withhold federal dollars. SNAP has one of the lowest fraud rates of any government program, but Trump continues to weaponize hunger,” the statement said.

But Rollins struck back on social media, accusing the states of seeking to protect “their bribery schemes”, an allegation made without proof.

“NO DATA, NO MONEY — it’s that simple,” she wrote. “If a state won’t share data on criminal use of SNAP benefits, it won’t get a dollar of federal SNAP administrative funding.”

Leveraging SNAP?

Last year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report stating that 11.7 percent of SNAP benefits dispersed in fiscal year 2023 were “improper”. This amounted to about $10.5bn in incorrect payments.

But some of those “improper” disbursements were overpayments and underpayments to legitimate recipients, the report explained.

Tuesday’s threat was also not the first time the Trump administration has sought to suspend SNAP funds.

During this year’s government shutdown, which lasted a record 43 days, the USDA announced it would not pay SNAP benefits for the month of November.

Critics accused the Trump administration of leveraging food assistance to pressure Democratic lawmakers to pass a Republican-approved budget, and dozens of states sued.

Two federal courts sided with the states, ordering the federal government to resume its funding. The Trump administration then appealed to the Supreme Court, which placed a hold on the lower courts’ rulings.

The impasse ultimately ended when the government shutdown came to a close on November 12.

US Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth defends controversial second strike on alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has denied seeing any survivors from a military strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea in September, before the second deadly strike, which has prompted calls for an investigation into possible war crimes.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday, Hegseth said he watched the initial strike on September 2 in real-time but did not witness the controversial follow-up strike.

“As you can imagine, at the Department of War, we’ve got a lot of things to do, so I didn’t stick around… I moved on to my next meeting,” Hegseth said at the meeting presided over by President Donald Trump. The Trump administration is calling the Department of Defense the Department of War, though the president insists he is a peacemaker who has brokered multiple ceasefire deals.

Hegseth said that Admiral Frank Bradley, who heads special operations in the US military and was the mission commander for the September 2 attacks, had made “the right call” to carry out the second strike and “eliminate the threat”.

“I did not personally see survivors,” Hegseth said, adding that the scene of the strike had been obscured by fire and smoke.

“This is called the fog of war.”

Hegseth said the Trump administration fully supported Bradley and had empowered commanders to do “difficult things in the dead of night on behalf of the American people”.

Hegseth’s comments came amid growing demands for accountability over the double-tap strike, which Democratic lawmakers and legal scholars have condemned as a likely war crime.

“Secretary Talk Show Host may have been experiencing the ‘fog of war,’  but that doesn’t change the fact that this was an extrajudicial killing amounting to murder or a war crime,” US Senator Chris Van Hollen said on X, referring to Hegseth’s previous career as a host on Fox News.

“One thing is clear: Pete Hegseth is unfit to serve. He must resign.”

Scrutiny of Hegseth’s role has mounted since The Washington Post reported last week that military commanders carried out a second strike on two survivors clinging to the vessel’s wreckage to comply with his directive that no one be left alive.

Hegseth blasted The Washington Post report, which cited two unnamed people familiar with the matter, as “fake news”, “fabricated” and “inflammatory”.

The Pentagon’s own manual on the laws of war calls orders to fire on the survivors of shipwrecked vessels “clearly illegal”.

The Trump administration has carried out strikes on at least 22 vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific as part of a controversial military campaign against alleged drug traffickers.

At least 83 people have been killed in the strikes, which many legal scholars say amount to extrajudicial killings and are illegal under international law.

The Trump administration has so far not made public any evidence to back its assertions that these boats were carrying narcotics, were headed to the US, or that they were being commandeered by members of proscribed cartels.

GWEN Stefani and Blake Shelton are going through challenges and strain in their marriage, a source has exclusively told The U.S. Sun.

Blake, 49, and Gwen, 56, have weathered rumors of a split in recent months, ever since the country singer released a cryptic breakup song last spring.

Fans were more convinced than ever that the couple was on the verge of a breakup when they didn’t show up to the CMA Awards despite Blake being nominated for his song with Post Malone, Pour Me A Drink.

A source close to the couple said: “They’ve gone through real challenges, nothing manufactured.”  

“There were times when the tension was high enough that people close to them quietly wondered if the relationship could take the strain.

“It wasn’t drama, it was the reality of blending two totally different worlds,” the source said, explaining that their opposite backgrounds created tension.

BLAKE FLAKES

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani skip CMA Awards and drop puzzling statement

“Blake is as country as it gets, and Gwen grew up in Los Angeles.

“Those lifestyles don’t automatically sync. They had to learn from each other.”

The insider also noted the couple sought outside help for their relationship when things got rocky. 

“They asked for help, and they nearly reached a point where things could have gone either way.

“But they showed up for each other instead of checking out.”

KISS AND MAKE UP

Meanwhile, fans noticed Gwen posted a photo of Blake kissing her on the cheek to her stories over Thanksgiving weekend. 

The insider said the former Voice judge’s photo was not an accident.

“That was her way of saying, without words, ‘Calm down, we’re solid.’”

Meanwhile, another source close to Gwen added, “She always felt Blake came into her life at the exact moment she needed stability, like she was being given another chance at building a family.

“They’re from different universes, but somehow, they’ve built one home.”

Rob Shuter first reported on his Naughty But Nice Substack that the couple had weathered tough storms recently, but were making it work.

SIGNS OF STRESS

The couple has not walked a carpet together since March of this year, when they attended The Grand Ole Opry’s 100th Celebration. 

Meanwhile, the last time she posted about Blake was back in June for his birthday.

The country crooner first sparked rumors of a rift when he released his first breakup song in March called Hangin’ On.

The tear-jerking country duet is described by Blake online as being about “breaking up but still trying to stay together.”

Shortly after Gwen released a sad song of her own called Still Gonna Love You.

LONG HISTORY

This past July, marked the four-year anniversary of the couple’s wedding ceremony, which took place at their Oklahoma ranch.

Their relationship started when they met on the set of The Voice in April 2014, where both were serving as coaches on the musical competition show.

Gwen was previously married to Bush lead singer Gavin Rossdale, with whom she shares three sons: Kingston, 19; Zuma, 17; and Apollo, 11.

That marriage ended in 2016 after 14 years.

Blake was married to fellow country musician Miranda Lambert for four years before their separation in 2015.

He also married his high school girlfriend, Kaynette Williams, in 2003, but they divorced in 2006.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — As a symbol of the United States’ long-term commitment to Europe, President Clinton on Wednesday visited this booming Dutch port that was bombed to rubble in World War II, and residents greeted him with a “Thank you, America” rally in honor of the U.S. aid that saved their city.

“We are proud that the Marshall Plan gave Rotterdam a new start,” Clinton told the crowd of several thousand, referring to the massive postwar reconstruction of Europe–including the vanquished wartime foes Germany and Italy–by a victorious United States. Many of those assembled remembered when their nation’s dikes were bombed, their homes were destroyed and their economy was pulverized half a century ago.

“Together,” Clinton said at the evening celebration, “we can complete the journey [postwar Secretary of State George C.] Marshall’s generation began and bring all of Europe together–not by force of arms, but by the possibilities of peace.”

Clinton spoke at a glitzy outdoor gala, held at the waterfront in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Marshall Plan. People cheered as he unveiled a plaque in Marshall’s honor. It was a welcome high point for the president, whose European visit was overshadowed Tuesday by a Supreme Court decision at home that could leave him open to a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Reporters showed more interest in asking about the ruling on Paula Corbin Jones’ lawsuit than his three-nation tour of Europe, but the president denied that he had been distracted from the business at hand: “This is too big,” he said.

Clinton has sought to showcase his vision of a peaceful, undivided Europe led by a growing Atlantic alliance throughout his trip, which began Tuesday and is set to end today when he meets British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London before flying back to Washington.

On Wednesday, Clinton argued that lessons from the past–a past whose searing images of war are still commonly remembered–underscore the need for cooperation between longtime adversaries in Eastern Europe and the West. In making his case, the president repeatedly recalled the success of the Marshall Plan.

“We must summon the spirit of the Marshall Plan for the next 50 years and beyond,” Clinton said Wednesday in The Hague, where about 30 European leaders met earlier in the day for separate anniversary events. Clinton urged them “to build a Europe that is democratic, at peace and undivided for the first time in history.”

His speech moved German Chancellor Helmut Kohl to tears.

“For a teenage boy in Germany, Marshall aid was the generous hand that helped lift his homeland from its ruinous past,” Clinton said. “He still recalls the American trucks driving onto the schoolyard, bringing soup that warmed hearts and hands. That boy grew up to be a passionate champion of freedom and unity in Europe, and a great and cherished friend of America.”

As Clinton spoke, Kohl–the subject of his anecdote–was crying.

Delivering a toast at a luncheon hosted by Queen Beatrix in Clinton’s honor, the president declared: “We are the trustees of history’s rarest gift–a second chance to complete the job that Marshall and his generation began. . . . The daunting challenge in Marshall’s time was to repair the damage of a devastating war. Now we face the equally ambitious task of promoting peace, security and prosperity for all the people of Europe.”

While many diplomats in Europe ask whether the White House vision of a unified Europe contains a touch of naivete, or at least a lack of appreciation of the weight of history felt by many here, Clinton’s remarks met a friendly audience in both cities Wednesday. For many at the “Thank you, America” rally in this giant port, the comments were linked to memories of war and reconstruction.

“After five years of war, there was no food, there was no money, there was nothing,” recalled J.M. Huysmans, 65, a retired bookkeeper. “You come from America. You have no idea what it means to be a poor country.”

“Thanks to the Americans,” he said, “a great part of the city has been rebuilt.”

Frank Schaap, 37, whose parents remember when Germany bombed the dikes on their island, causing a flood of saltwater that ruined homes and wheat fields, said the public today has “mixed feelings” toward the U.S. assistance.

“People feel a lot of respect toward the United States,” the pharmacist said, “but some also see it as an investment to create a new market that America needed badly” after the war.

Standing against the backdrop of the modernistic Erasmus Bridge, Clinton suggested that the United States and the Netherlands share bonds of history and culture.

“No nation contributed to our building more than did yours,” he said. “From this great pier, more than a million Dutch men and women started their journey to America.”

Clinton said he honors the generation that took on the massive task of postwar rebuilding.

Following his remarks, the president pulled a lever and the sides of a fake carton gave way, revealing a bronze likeness of Marshall set in stone. As Marshall’s image flashed on a huge screen, rock-concert style, the audience broke into enthusiastic applause. Then balloons were released into the clear twilight sky.

Earlier in the day, Clinton set a more somber tone at the commemoration ceremony in The Hague, noting that the Marshall Plan stimulated Europe’s war-ravaged economies by providing such tools as “nets for Norwegian fishermen, wool for Austrian weavers, tractors for French and Italian farmers, machines for Dutch entrepreneurs.”

The plan “offered a cure,” he said, “not a crutch. It was never a handout. It was always a hand up.”

Newcastle, though, will rue the manner of that second Tottenham equaliser.

On a night when Spurs had not exactly peppered the Newcastle goal, the hosts kindly gifted their visitors their second shot on target in the dying minutes.

Aaron Ramsdale, who is filling in for injured goalkeeper Nick Pope, elected to punch substitute Mathys Tel’s corner but it did not clear the box and the ball looped up invitingly inside the area.

What happened next felt like it was occurring in slow motion.

Romero, who had earlier sounded a warning in front of goal, was given the time and space to line up his overhead kick as no Newcastle player attacked the ball.

There was still an opportunity for someone to keep it out, but the ball bobbled past a sea of black and white shirts and crept past Ramsdale, who was slow to react.

St James’ was stunned.

It brought back memories of Rio Ngumoha’s 100th-minute winner for Liverpool back in August and Arsenal defender Gabriel’s 96th-minute knockout blow in September.

“You can look back to each moment and identify the mistake or a part of the team not doing its job,” Howe said. “The job for us is to coach the team to be better in those situations and that’s what we will endeavor to do.

“But sometimes it becomes psychological, sometimes it becomes a fear of conceding and you do concede. There’s so much that goes into it, but we have got to find ways when we are in front to be better and usually our best form of defence is to attack and I encourage us to do that all the time.

“Sometimes you have to accept that you’re not in that position in the game to do it, and you just have to see it out and defend better. Today was one of those moments where we didn’t do it.”

Dec. 2 (UPI) — KISS frontman Gene Simmons said Tuesday that he was headed to Capitol Hill next week to back legislation intended to ensure musicians are fairly paid when radio stations play their work.

Simmons said in a statement that he would testify before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee during a hearing of the American Music Fairness Act, which has previously been introduced in Congress and been opposed by broadcasters.

The bipartisan bill is intended to close what its supporters call a loophole that allows AM/FM radio stations to avoid paying musicians royalties that are paid by digital platforms and streaming services, such as Spotify or SiriusXm.

“Having spent my career in the music and entertainment industry, I understand the vital importance of this issue,” Simmons said in a statement.

The bill is opposed by the National Association of Broadcasters. Curtis LeGeyt, the association’s president and CEO, told The Hill earlier this year that “local stations already pay millions in copyright and streaming fees.”

“Imposing new fees would undermine their ability to continue offering free, trusted news and emergency information to their listeners, not to mention a platform for artists to connect with listeners,” he continued.

Earlier this year, Simmons along with more than 300 other artists or their estates — ranging from Celine Dion to Tom Morello — signed a letter to congressional leaders in support of the bill. Radio stations make billions in advertising revenue from playing music made by artists who go uncompensated, according to the letter. The bill also seeks to protect smaller broadcasters by allowing them to play unlimited music for $1.37 a day.

Additionally, the lack of royalties in the United States means that foreign countries skip paying American artists when their songs are played overseas, causing them to lose out on nearly $300 million in income annually, the letter states.

Michael Huppe, president and CEO of SoundExchange, the non-profit designated by Congress to oversee the collection and distribution of streaming royalties to musicians, said he was hoping for Senate action.

“Recording artists are an essential part of our culture,” Huppe said in a statement. “It’s outrageous that, in 2025, they still are not paid fairly for the work they do. I hope that the Senate will remedy this inequity and act swiftly to pass this important legislation.”

Five hours of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump’s senior negotiator appear to have failed to produce a breakthrough on securing a Ukraine peace deal.

A Kremlin spokesman said the Moscow meeting was “constructive”, but parts of the plan remained unacceptable to Russia.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner attended the talks after weeks of intensive diplomacy aimed at ending the war. The US team has not commented since leaving Moscow.

Earlier on Tuesday, Putin said changes proposed by Kyiv and Europe to a US-backed draft peace plan were unacceptable, adding if Europe “wants to go to war and starts one, we are ready right now”.

Ukraine and its allies have been lobbying the US to amend its draft peace deal, which the White House has sought to secure rapid agreement on and the Kremlin has previously indicated it was receptive to.

That plan, which was widely seen as being favourable to Russia after being leaked to the media in November, has undergone several changes in recent weeks.

Asked about the proposal after the Moscow meeting, Putin’s senior aide Yuri Ushakov said the Kremlin “agreed with some points… but some things we criticised”. He added: “We have not come up with a compromise version yet… A lot of work lies ahead.”

Key disagreements between Moscow and Kyiv remain, including over Ukraine agreeing to cede territory it continues to control and security guarantees provided by Europe.

Moscow and Ukraine’s European allies also remain starkly at odds over their expectations of what a peace settlement should look like.

Speaking ahead of the talks, Putin lashed out at leaders on the continent who have supported Kyiv’s defensive war effort since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.

He said European leaders were under the illusion they could inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. His country, he said, “wasn’t planning to go to war with Europe – but if Europe suddenly wants to go to war and starts one, we are ready right now”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expected to be briefed on the Kremlin talks by the US team after the meeting, though it was unclear whether Witkoff and Kushner would fly to Kyiv or other European capitals for further in-person negotiations.

Speaking before the Kremlin talks took place, the Ukrainian leader said on Tuesday there was an opportunity to end the war “now more than ever”, but that elements of the proposals still needed to be worked out.

“Everything depends on today’s discussions,” Zelensky told a press conference during an official visit to Ireland.

Zelensky said there were “no simple solutions”, repeating his country’s insistence that Kyiv take part in peace discussions, and that clear security guarantees be agreed, such as Nato membership – a move long opposed by Russia and ruled out by Trump.

“We have to stop the war in such a manner that in one year, Russia would not come back”, Zelensky added.

Ukrainian representatives have held two rounds of high-level talks on the draft plan in recent weeks, which have been attended by Witkoff, Kushner and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The White House said the proposals had been “very much refined” as a result, although details of the updated plan have not been confirmed.

Putin – who believes Russia has the initiative on the battlefield – had appeared immovable on his demands as recently as last week, while Zelensky has repeatedly said he would never relinquish control of eastern Ukrainian regions.

While Tuesday’s talks were under way, Trump told his cabinet in Washington that the conflict had not been easy to resolve, describing the conflict as “a mess”.

Kyiv’s European allies had countered the US-backed 28-point plan with their own document – removing many of the most contentious elements, such as Washington’s recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as de facto Russian.

Zelensky had met French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, with several European leaders joining the meeting virtually.

Macron said there was “no finalised plan to speak of” and that it could only be achieved with input from Ukraine and Europe.

Meanwhile, fighting continued on the front lines on Tuesday. Ukraine’s military said it was still engaging Russian troops in the key eastern city of Pokrovsk – contradicting Moscow’s claim to have captured it.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence shared a video on Telegram claiming to show its troops holding up flags in the strategically important city, which they have been trying to seize for over a year.

Ukraine’s eastern military command claimed Russia had tried to “flag-plant” in the city so that “propagandists” could say it had been captured. “They fled in a hurry, and the mopping up of enemy groups continues,” it said in a statement on social media.

Ukraine’s military said its forces still controlled the northern part of the city, with Russian units suffering heavy losses, while international observers also disputed Russia’s claim to the area.

The military in Kyiv also dismissed Russia’s claims to have captured the north-eastern Ukrainian border town of Vovchansk and said it had “significantly improved” its position in the northeastern city of Kupyans, which Russia claimed to have conquered a fortnight ago.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed or injured – alongside more than 14,000 civilians, according to the UN.

Civilian targets including kindergartens, hospitals and residential buildings have been destroyed or heavily damaged by nightly drone or missile attacks.

The conflict between the two ex-Soviet states stretches back to 2014 when Ukraine’s pro-Russian president was overthrown and Russia responded by annexing Crimea and supporting armed uprisings in eastern Ukraine.

Something beautiful seems to be on the horizon for Miley Cyrus and her rocker boyfriend Maxx Morando: married life.

The “Hannah Montana” star-turned-pop diva and the drummer are engaged after four years of dating, a source confirmed to People on Tuesday. News of the pair’s engagement, first reported by Page Six, comes hours after they sparked engagement rumors when they hit the red carpet Monday for the world premiere of James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” in Hollywood.

A representative for the Grammy-winning “Flowers” singer did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

Cyrus, who penned an original song for the fantasy action film, accessorized her black, sequined gown with silver earrings, a diamond necklace and several rings — including one on that finger. As she and Morando posed for photos on the carpet, Cyrus placed her left hand on his chest.

Publicist Francesca Simons, whose firm represents jeweler Jacquie Aiche, posted more details about the bauble to her Instagram stories. According to her posts, the “engagement ring” is a cushion-cut diamond set in a chunky 14-karat gold band. Cyrus previously featured the ring on Instagram as she celebrated her 33rd birthday in late November.

The “Dream As One” singer, 33, and Morando, 27, first sparked dating rumors in 2021 and made their romance PDA-official in April 2022. In January 2024, Cyrus and Liily drummer Morando appeared together at the 66th Grammy Awards, where the former took home her first career prizes for “Flowers.” Her latest album, “Something Beautiful,” is nominated for pop vocal album for the 2026 ceremony.

Miley Cyrus arrives with Maxx Morando at the premiere of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” in Los Angeles.

(Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press)

Cyrus was previously married to “Hunger Games” and “Witcher” actor Liam Hemsworth from December 2018 to August 2019. Hemsworth is also betrothed, set to marry Australian model Gabriella Brooks, who announced their engagement in September.

In a recent interview with the Cut, Cyrus described Morando as a “person who means a lot to me and treats me really well and respects me.”

WASHINGTON — Long before Donald Trump descended the escalator to the Trump Tower lobby, where he launched his presidential campaign while labelling Mexican immigrants as “rapists,” immigration was playing a powerful role in motivating voters on the right.

Along with opposition to the Affordable Care Act, the effort to stop immigration reform played a key role in mobilizing conservatives during President Obama‘s two terms in office. Trump’s candidacy further ramped up the political focus on immigration. It also allowed the spread of toxic falsehoods that had been largely relegated to the fringe.

One of the most pernicious is “replacement theory” — the belief that elites (big business, Democratic politicians, major cultural figures and so on) have conspired to bring large numbers of immigrants to the U.S. in a deliberate effort to replace the native-born population with more subservient people who will work for less and vote for whom they’re told.

The conspiracy theory, which gained traction on the far right in Europe before being popularized in the U.S., has become a staple of some prominent cable television figures, like the Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who said last year that President Biden wanted to increase immigration “to reduce the political power of people whose ancestors lived here and dramatically increase the proportion of Americans newly arrived from the Third World.”

Nearly 1 in 5 American adults believe at least a couple of major tenets of that theory, according to a new study by the National Opinion Research Center and the Associated Press.

Conspiracy theories shape debate

Overall, the American public remains largely supportive of immigration, the new AP-NORC study found. Almost 40% of Americans say that the number of immigrants to the U.S. should remain at about its current level, while 25% think the number of immigrants should be larger.

On the opposite side, 36% say the number of immigrants should be reduced, with 19% saying the number should be cut “a lot.”

Support for immigration restriction continues as a major rallying cry for the Republican base. A lot of the rhetorical ire is aimed at illegal border crossing, but proposals to dramatically reduce legal immigration became official White House policy under Trump and remain important to a large segment of his core supporters.

The AP-NORC study asked a number of questions about immigration, including two aimed specifically at gauging how many Americans believe key parts of the replacement theory.

One question asked whether “there is a group of people in this country who are trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants who agree with their political views.” About 1 in 7 Americans said they “strongly agree” with that. A similar share said they were “very concerned” that “native-born Americans are losing economic, political, and cultural influence in this country because of the growing population of immigrants.”

About 1 in 5 Americans agreed with both of those tenets of replacement theory to at least some extent.

That finding was “the primary thing that got our attention” when analyzing the study results, said Jennifer Benz of NORC. The researchers were struck by “how widespread the belief in these core arguments of replacement theory are,” Benz said. “It’s a larger segment of the population than we may have expected going into this who have this fairly extreme view.”

Viewers of right-wing media especially shared those ideas: Among people who said they most often watch OANN or Newsmax, 45% agreed with both of the replacement theory statements. So did 31% of Fox viewers, compared with 13% of CNN viewers.

That reflects the partisan nature of America’s immigration debate, but something else as well: The most widespread support for ideas central to replacement theory came from Americans who believe generally in conspiracy theories.

The AP-NORC study used a four-question scale to measure a person’s belief in conspiracies. The questions ask if people believe that major events are the result of plots executed in secret, whether events are directed by a small group of powerful people, whether those people are unknown to voters and whether that group controls the outcome of elections, wars, economic recessions and other major developments.

People who scored high on the conspiracy scale were, in most respects, very similar to the general population. Comparing the 25% who scored highest on the conspiracy scale with the rest of America, the researchers found no significant difference by education, for example — people who believe events are controlled by a small, secret cabal are as likely to have graduated from college as people who don’t hold that view, Benz noted. There’s no gap by income either.

There is a partisan gap — people who score high on the conspiracy scale tend more often to be Republicans and also tend to identify as evangelical Christians. That’s especially true of white conspiracy thinkers, who are heavily Republican and voted for Trump in 2020.

By contrast, people of color who scored high on the conspiracy scale were more likely to identify as Democrats. They were as likely to have not voted as to have cast a ballot for Biden.

Conspiratorial thinkers also are more likely to believe they have been discriminated against, the study found. That’s especially notable among white conspiracy thinkers: On a series of questions about whether people believe they have been discriminated against because of their race in seeking jobs, getting a house, obtaining healthcare or applying for a loan, about 30% of white conspiracy thinkers said yes, compared with about 10% of whites who aren’t conspiracy thinkers.

That reflects a basic fact about people who believe in conspiracies, said political science professor Joe Uscinski of the University of Miami, who for the past decade has studied conspiracy theories and who developed the scale the AP-NORC study used to measure conspiratorial thinking.

A certain set of personality traits seems to lead some people to believe in conspiracies, and belief that they belong to an oppressed group is a part of that, Uscinski said.

The fact that belief in conspiracy grows out of personality types helps explain “why we find so much stability” in the share of the population that’s conspiracy minded, he said. A decade of work has produced no evidence for the widespread belief that conspiracy theories are on the rise, he noted.

“A lot of people worry that people see these ideas on cable TV or on the internet and start believing in conspiracies, but that’s not really how this works,” Uscinski said. “People are either disposed to those particular kinds of ideas or they’re not.”

The problem for American democracy is not so much the share of Americans who believe in conspiracies, but the political system’s weakened ability to keep those ideas at bay.

Through most of U.S. history, “we’ve generally counted on our elites” not to exploit conspiratorial thinking among their followers, Uscinski noted. Some presidents “would dabble in conspiracy theories now and then,” but mostly, they steered clear of them. Trump changed all that.

“The way that Trump used it was at a level and volume we haven’t seen,” he said. And other ambitious political figures have taken note. “They’ve seen the prototype,” he said. “It works.”

The fight over abortion

Abortion-rights advocates stage a protest outside the house of Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito in the Fort Hunt neighborhood on Monday, May 9, 2022 in Alexandria, Va.

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Senate Democrats failed to advance a bill to protect abortion rights nationwide, but as Jennifer Haberkorn reported, they hope the effort would draw a sharp political contrast with Republicans who largely support the Supreme Court’s expected ruling to undo the Roe vs. Wade decision. The effort received 49 votes — all the Senate’s Democrats except Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. It needed 60 votes to pass.

The anticipated overturning of Roe has quickly became the focus of political ads coast to coast, Seema Mehta and Terry Castleman reported. Democrats and allies who support abortion rights have spent more money and focused more of their messaging on the issue than GOP candidates and antiabortion organizations have, according to AdImpact, a political ad tracking firm, and Meta’s Ad Library Report, which summarizes political advertising data on Facebook and Instagram.

David Savage examined three key questions about what happens next with the high court, including whether its conservative majority is likely to reconsider its decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

California would set aside $40 million for abortion service providers to help cover uninsured residents and an expected influx of women from other states seeking care if the court overturns Roe under a plan unveiled Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Melody Gutierrez reported. Newsom is expected to also announce new incentives for businesses wishing to relocate to California from states with abortion bans or anti-LGBTQ laws — with details expected during Friday’s budget announcement, according to the governor’s office.

Several hotly contested congressional races in Orange County could be among the places where abortion politics helps Democrats, Mehta and Priscella Vega reported. The Orange County districts largely consist of suburban territory with large numbers of college-educated voters. Democrats believe that those voters, especially women, will be motivated to vote by concern over abortion rights.

Ever since the leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn the landmark ruling legalizing abortion, Barbara Smith has felt as if she were living in a time warp. An author and publisher who’s earned accolades for a lifetime of work as a Black feminist, LGBTQ activist and advocate for legal and safe abortions, Smith takes this new blow to women’s rights personally, Tyrone Beason wrote after interviewing Smith about the implications of overturning Roe.

Covering Kamala Harris

Al Gore came armed with policy memos, George H.W. Bush with jokes and Dan Quayle with requests from Cabinet secretaries. Mike Pence brought plenty of patience. For four decades, the weekly lunch with the president has been a key part of establishing successive vice presidents as bona fide players in their administrations. And that, as Noah Bierman reported, adds weight to the fact that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have lunched together only twice since January.

The latest from the campaign trail

Americans in all walks of life have been trying to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion. That includes political consultants. Mark Barabak reported on a recent 10-day trip to Ukraine that Mike Madrid, a longtime California consultant, took to help the country with its social media presence.

The latest from Washington

It’s been months since Biden’s $1.7-trillion Build Back Better plan stalled on Capitol Hill, including $555 billion to help move the nation away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy. As Anumita Kaur reported, climate activists continue to hope that some portion of Biden’s climate proposals can still get through Capitol Hill, but that prospect grows dimmer by the day.

The House committee scrutinizing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and four other prominent conservative members of Congress after they refused to voluntarily comply with requests for information. As Sarah Wire reported, the committee has debated privately for months about whether to subpoena representatives who refused to cooperate and whether it wanted to set such a precedent — particularly given time constraints, the chance of a lengthy legal battle and the likelihood that Republicans could regain control of the House after the midterm elections and shut down the committee.

The latest from California

California’s minimum wage will rise to $15.50 an hour in January, advisors to Newsom said Thursday, the first time that rising inflation has triggered a provision of a 6-year-old state law governing automatic pay increases. As John Myers reported, the wage law signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2016 requires that any inflation growth above 7% triggers a higher minimum wage. The state’s minimum is currently $15 per hour for large employers and $14 for those that employ 25 or fewer people.

Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino dropped out of the race for mayor Thursday and threw his support behind billionaire developer Rick Caruso. As Benjamin Oreskes and David Zahniser wrote, Buscaino, a former L.A. police officer, planned to run on a platform demanding tough action on homelessness and crime, but Caruso largely occupied that space after he entered the race in February, spending tens of millions of his personal fortune that Buscaino could not match.

And on the topic of campaign money, check out this excellent interactive map that Sandhya Kambhampati and Iris Lee developed that shows where the Los Angeles mayoral candidates are getting their contributions. As the bank robber Willie Sutton was quoted as saying, they go “where the money is” — Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and Beverly Hills are all top sources of campaign cash, but so are a few other neighborhoods less on the beaten path.

Some activists on the left have denounced Rep. Karen Bass as insufficiently progressive, largely because of her public safety plan, which includes hiring additional LAPD officers. But, Erika Smith writes, the police union’s fierce opposition to Bass should remind progressives of what’s really at stake in a likely matchup between the congresswoman and Caruso.

Sign up for our California Politics newsletter to get the best of The Times’ state politics reporting.

Xavier Allen will be soon walking around Carson High showing off the two City Section championship rings he earned helping the football and baseball teams win titles.

Last spring, he hit a walk-off home run in the City Division I semifinals, then saw Carson rally to win the Division I title over Banning at Dodger Stadium. On Saturday, he played linebacker for a Carson football team that defeated Crenshaw 36-0 in the Open Division final and allowed just nine points in three playoff wins.

“He’s a great kid,” football coach William Lowe said of Allen, who has a 4.0 grade-point average and leads the team with 91 tackles.

Allen is so focused on football that he doesn’t take time to work on his baseball hitting skills.

“I approached the baseball coach, ‘Do you want Xavier to come out and get some swings in?’” Lowe said.

The coach said yes but Allen is concentrating on football until Carson’s season ends. The Colts begin the state 3-A playoffs with a bowl game against Delano Kennedy on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Carson.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Progressive United States Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has hit back against Donald Trump after the president criticised her and renewed his attacks on the Somali community in Minnesota.

During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump embarked on a racist tirade, describing Omar and other Somali immigrants as “garbage” and calling for them to leave the US.

“His obsession with me is creepy,” Omar wrote on social media in response. “I hope he gets the help he desperately needs.”

Trump has been ramping up his anti-immigration rhetoric in recent weeks, particularly after the deadly shooting of two National Guard troops in Washington, DC, last month.

The suspect in the shooting is an Afghan man who was evacuated from the country in 2021, after the withdrawal of US and allied forces. Trump has used the shooting as the basis for tightening immigration from what he described as “third-world countries”, including Somalia.

“We’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country. Ilhan Omar is garbage. She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage,” the US president said.

“These aren’t people that work. These aren’t people that say, ‘Let’s go, come on. Let’s make this place great.’ These are people that do nothing but complain. They complain, and from where they came from, they got nothing.”

Trump said he does not know Omar “at all” but has watched her complain about the US for years. “I think she’s an incompetent person. She’s a real terrible person,” he said.

A former child refugee who fled Somalia’s long-running civil war, Omar is considered the first Somali American to serve in the US Congress. She represents a congressional district in Minnesota that contains one of the largest Somali diaspora communities in the country.

While Somalis in the US suffer from higher unemployment and poverty rates, akin to other refugee groups, a 2021 Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Report highlighted the community’s contributions and a trend towards upward mobility.

“While many Somali refugees arrived with limited education, low workforce participation rates and high poverty levels, their situation two decades later has shifted significantly,” it said.

“Poverty levels have dropped, workforce participation has increased, median household income has ticked up and educational attainment has made marginal gains.”

Trump has nevertheless taken a series of hardline steps in response to the National Guard shooting, including suspending all migration from the “third world” and ordering a review of the status of permanent residents from 19 countries.

The US president — whose first and current wives are immigrants from Eastern Europe — has also been decrying immigration in general as a drain on US resources.

Minnesota’s sizeable Somali community has long been in Trump’s crosshairs.

During his first term in office, for instance, Trump implemented sweeping migration restrictions against five predominantly Muslim countries, plus North Korea and Venezuela. One of the countries swept up in the so-called “Muslim ban” was Somalia.

Recently, Trump has also criticised the Somali community for a COVID-era welfare embezzlement scandal in which dozens of people, including some Somali immigrants, have been charged.

Omar herself has been a years-long target of Trump’s criticisms. He repeatedly berated her and other immigrant politicians for “telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run”.

“Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came,” Trump wrote on social media in 2019.

The Trump administration recently launched an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Minnesota that appears to be targeting the Somali community.

During the Thanksgiving holiday last week, Trump sparked outcry when he called Minnesota Governor Tim Walz “seriously retarded” and accused him of doing nothing to confront Somali gangs allegedly “roving the streets”.

The US president also taunted Omar by appearing to mock her Islamic headscarf, saying that she is “always wrapped in her swaddling hijab”.

On Tuesday, the progressive group Justice Democrats decried Trump’s attacks on Omar and the Somali community as “disgustingly racist”.

“This is all Trump knows how to do when he has to distract from his own administration’s failures,” Justice Democrats said in a social media post.

“Stoke hate, divide our communities, & send ICE in to terrorize our neighbors. Pathetic.”

The U.K. Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the Royal Navy’s forthcoming Type 26 City class frigates will be armed with the Stratus missile, two discrete versions of which are being developed under the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) program. The missile will provide an important boost to the Royal Navy’s standoff land-attack and anti-surface warfare capabilities from the early 2030s. However, for the time being, the Royal Navy frigates are set to use only the low-observable (stealthy) subsonic version of the missile, rather than the supersonic one.

Luke Pollard, the defense procurement minister, told parliament that the Royal Navy has “a requirement called the Future Offensive Surface Weapon (FoSUW) which will provide a long-range anti-ship strike weapon with land attack capabilities, compatible with the Mk 41 Vertical Launch System.”

Pollard added that the Type 26 frigate was the designated launch platform for FoSUW, and the specific missile would be the Stratus LO (Low Observable), one of two being developed in the FC/ASW initiative, originally an Anglo-French project, since joined by Italy. The other missile is the Stratus RS (Rapid Strike), of which we will talk about more later.

Earlier this year, we got our first indication of what the Stratus LO that will arm the Type 26 will look like.

At that point still known as the TP15, the finalized shape of the low-observable cruise missile was revealed in a rendering and a model at the Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London in September.

In its final configuration, the TP15/Stratus LO has a notably stealthy airframe, with the overall arrangement of the body and four angular tailfins being very similar in appearance to the existing Storm Shadow cruise missile — one of the weapons it’s planned to replace. The wings are different from those on the Storm Shadow, being significantly broader, and it’s unclear if they are fixed, or if they ‘pop out’ as on the earlier missile.

Reportedly, the Stratus LO will have a range of around 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) when ship-launched and will fly at high subsonic speed.

The real shape of the missile was unveiled at that point to underscore the “maturity of the program,” according to MBDA, and came soon after the FC/ASW program successfully concluded its assessment phase.

Other milestones in the development of the Stratus LO to date include completion of the concept phase in 2022, trials of prototype missiles, and tests of the missile’s seekers, warheads, and fuzing systems. The missiles have undergone extensive testing to examine their radio-frequency (RF) signature, key to their low-observable characteristics.

The broader FC/ASW program was launched back in 2017 as a twin-pillar effort to develop next-generation deep-strike capabilities.

As well as the Stratus LO, the program includes the Stratus RS, a high-speed precision cruise missile. The original design for this was known as RJ10, in which the prefix signifies its ramjet powerplant, which ensures supersonic capability.

The Stratus RS is expected to have a range of around 311 miles (500 kilometers) when ship-launched and will fly at a speed of around Mach 3.5.

While both the Stratus LO and Stratus RS are initially intended to be launched from aircraft and ships, there is the potential for ground-launched applications in the future, according to the manufacturer.

While the missiles have few major components in common, a degree of interoperability was planned from the outset, which should make it easier for the same platform to launch the Stratus LO and Stratus RS as a complementary weapons system.

However, the U.K. Ministry of Defense has chosen, for the time being, to rely on the low-observable characteristics of the Stratus LO.

As such, it will replace the interim capability currently provided by the Naval Strike Missile aboard the 11 Royal Navy warships, a mix of Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers, that are now receiving these Norwegian-made weapons as a replacement for their aging Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

The low-observable (stealth) characteristics of the Stratus LO should make it more survivable, even against the latest air defense systems.

On the other hand, the Stratus RS is designed to use a combination of velocity and a maneuvering flight profile to defeat the same air defenses, with its speed leaving very little reaction time. The faster missile would also be suited to destruction of enemy air defenses (DEAD) mission.

Obviously, using both types of missiles in a complex, combined attack, especially with decoys and other weapons, would offer the greatest chance of success.

Ultimately, the Royal Navy might still get to field the fast-moving Stratus RS missile on its Type 26s, too, but once the Stratus LO is deployed, it will provide a powerful component of the frigates’ already-impressive weapons arsenals. You can read more about the warships here.

The Type 26 has a single 24-cell multi-purpose Mk 41 VLS that will accommodate the Stratus LO, but which can potentially also be loaded with Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, already used by Royal Navy attack submarines. The possibility of combining the Tomahawk with the Stratus could create a very formidable pairing, especially if the Stratus RS version were included, with the ability to prosecute targets at speed and over great distances.

Additionally, the Type 26 has 12 VLS cells for Sea Ceptor surface-to-air missiles, a navalized variant of the active radar homing Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM). Like the U.S. Navy’s RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), each VLS cell can hold four Sea Ceptors, giving each ship a total of 48 missiles in a relatively compact space.

Gun armament comprises one five-inch Mk 45 main gun, two Phalanx close-in weapon systems, two 30mm cannons, plus machine guns. The warship can also embark a Wildcat or a Merlin helicopter.

It is worth noting that the Royal Navy is also looking at deploying undisclosed long-range missiles that would be launched from the decks of its two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. A container-based or rail-launched version of the Stratus could be an option here, too.

As well as arming the Type 26 frigates, eight of which have been ordered, the U.K. Ministry of Defense has, in the past, stated that it plans to replace the Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missile on Royal Air Force Typhoons under the FC/ASW program. It is unclear whether the Stratus LO and/or the Stratus RS would be used to arm the Typhoon, but the Stratus LO would seem more likely, as a more direct Storm Shadow replacement and a weapon already chosen for the Royal Navy.

As it stands, the Stratus missiles look set to become some of Western Europe’s most significant next-generation standoff weapons. While the Royal Navy will have to wait for the supersonic Stratus RS, if it gets it at all, the stealthy Stratus LO cruise missile should provide a capable successor to legacy subsonic land-attack and anti-surface warfare missiles in the next decade.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here approaches its climax but some viewers have already declared Aitch, a rapper, as their winner after watching his Jungle Arms tribute on Tuesday

I’m a Celeb viewers admitted they were in tears last night after Aitch delivered an emotional tribute song about his sister.

The rapper showed off his skills during a raucous karaoke session, performing his hit track My G to Gracie about his sibling, who is 10 years younger than him and has Down Syndrome. Aitch, 25, has released this tune professionally, with all the funds generated from the donated to the Down’s Syndrome Association.

He has close bonds with Gracie and her twin sister Hattie, and said his siblings have played a big part in both his personal life and career. The song, played when the campmates won a trip to the show’s infamous pub during Tuesday’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, captured the hearts of viewers with fans backing Aitch to win the competition.

One fan posted on X: “Aitch has to win. He’s such a lovely man.” Another shared: “Bet Aitch’s sisters are so proud of Aitch right now.” A third said: “Oh I love Aitch so much.” One tribute read: “Aitch ‘M G’ to his sister was heartwarming.”

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Whilst the video for his song features Ed Sheeran, Aitch joked he had to make do with his camp BFF AngryGinge as they performed a duet. The song’s lyrics read: “Baby, live your best life, you shouldn’t grow by force. All in your own time, G, the globe is yours.” He then mentions G throughout the song, which refers to his sister’s name.

Aitch’s campmates were touched by the song. Ruby Wax, in particular, admitted the performance had left her emotional. Aitch, from Manchester, had previously told his fellow contestants about his close bond with Gracie.

Ahead of his appearance on the show, Aitch revealed he was going into the Australian jungle to raise awareness for people with Down syndrome. Speaking to the Daily Mail, the star said: “I’m not only just doing it for people with Down syndrome, I’m doing it for people around as well. I don’t want anyone to be like disheartened or feel s*** if they do find out someone in the family’s got Down syndrome. It’s a blessing.

“You’re going to have the best time of your life as long as you’re spending it with that person. My main thing, really and truly, is because I don’t want Down Syndrome to be seen as a negative thing. I don’t want anyone to go like, oh yeah, my kid’s got Down Syndrome, or my sister’s got Down Syndrome.

“And anyone to have the reply of, ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that’ because it’s just definitely not the case. They’re the best people in the world.”

The Los Angeles City Council voted against a proposal on Tuesday that would have prohibited police from using weapons that launch hard-foam projectiles and tear gas, amid lingering concerns about their deployment at protests last summer.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the council decided against approving the proposal 8 to 4, with three council members absent.

Addressing his colleagues on Tuesday, ordinance backer Hugo Soto-Martinez said he felt extra restrictions were justified because Los Angeles Police Department officers seemed to be deploying the weapons in ways that violated state law, court orders and the department’s own policies.

Videos from the protests over the federal immigration crackdown that roiled the city last summer revealed “documented verified evidence of military equipment being used in ways that should make everyone on this body pause,” he said.

He noted how on one day alone in early June, LAPD officers fired more than 1,000 foam projectiles — appearing to fire indiscriminately into crowds of protesters with weapons that are meant to target specific individuals.

“Our residents should be able to express their rights without being met with rubber bullets or tear gas,” he said.

LAPD policies are set by the Police Commission, a five-member civilian body. Outside of approving the department’s annual budget, the council’s oversight of the LAPD is limited.

But council members sign off on the department’s yearly reports on the acquisition and use of anything that is considered military equipment under state law. The use of such items — including high-powered rifles, drones, explosives and long-range acoustic devices — has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, with critics arguing it fuels more aggressive policing on the streets of many U.S. cities.

The defeated proposal sought to bar the LAPD’s use of two types of military weapons — tear gas and so-called 40-millimeter less-lethal launchers — at protests, but also for everyday patrols and other special events.

Councilmember John Lee said he was concerned that taking away such weapons would lead to more use of deadly force.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said he found it “amazing that we would be entertaining this,” pointing out that the 40-millimeter launchers are used by officers every day to defuse encounters with uncooperative and violent suspects.

He offered to show council members videos of the chaotic situations in which officers used the weapons. He also pointed out that the department polices hundreds of protests every year that don’t involve officers firing less-lethal launchers. The devices fire projectiles roughly the size of a mini soda can at speeds of more than 200 mph.

“Taking a tool like that away from us puts us in a really bad position,” McDonnell said. He said that the use of tear gas during a mass demonstration in June was only authorized after “violent” protesters began creating barriers and firing “industrial-grade” fireworks at officers.

“It is truly a de-escalation tool,” McDonnell said. “To me this is incredibly uninformed public policy, to go down this road.”

The meeting turned tense at times, particularly when Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez pressed McDonnell about his department’s response to the protests.

McDonnell repeatedly interrupted to say that the hard-foam projectile launchers allow officers to avoid the use of more dangerous weapons, and invited Hernandez to become educated on the weapons firsthand before she voted.

“I would say it’s a crowd-control tool, not a de-escalation tool,” Hernandez said. She also took exception to McDonnell calling the LAPD a “model” for other departments, pointing to the massive legal payouts that the city has had to cough up for police excessive force and other misconduct.

“You’re trying to put a price on saving lives,” McDonnell shot back.

The use of police weapons designed to subdue rather than kill has also been challenged in court. In September, a federal judge extended restrictions that prohibit federal Homeland Security agents and LAPD officers from using less-lethal weapons against peaceful protesters and journalists.

Critics say the term “less lethal” is misleading, since such weapons have resulted in deaths and millions of dollars in legal settlements to people who sued after they were seriously injured from being hit in the head or groin.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank says it was an “absolute mistake” for the video assistant referee (VAR) to intervene and award Newcastle a penalty as his side earned a point in dramatic fashion at St James’ Park.

Cristian Romero’s injury-time overhead kick secured Spurs a 2-2 draw after the Magpies were awarded a controversial 86th-minute spot-kick with the score at 1-1.

Referee Thomas Bramall was sent to the pitchside monitor after VAR spotted Rodrigo Bentancur holding Newcastle defender Dan Burn in the penalty box as the hosts took a corner.

It looked like a tussle between the two players in the box as they both fell to the ground and, despite the official not giving the penalty initially, the Spurs midfielder was punished after the review.

Anthony Gordon converted from the spot before Romero’s 95th-minute leveller rescued a point for Frank’s men.

Premier League match manager said on X the penalty had been awarded because Bentancur “clearly does not look at the ball” while committing a “holding offence”.

Spurs were unhappy with the decision, while pundits were also quick to criticise, suggesting it was the kind of incident that happens at corners in most matches.

“It was an absolute mistake from the VAR,” said Spurs boss Frank.

“The referee did good to do the ref call and they encourage the refereeing call on the pitch. For me, that is never a penalty.

“Even speaking to some from Newcastle [they] don’t think it’s a penalty and we need consistency.

“I think the referee’s call on the pitch, he nailed it, and VAR can only be if it’s clear and obvious.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe added: “I hadn’t seen it, I’m only seeing it now. The big thing is the defender isn’t looking at the ball at all, he’s looking at Dan [Burn]. I think it’s probably the right call.”