Prep football transfer tracker: Which top players are switching schools
The 2026 high school football transfer tracker is officially launched to identify top players switching schools in Southern California.
There were more than 17,000 transfers statewide last school year, and football is the sport that consistently has more than any.
According to CIF rules, players who transfer and physically move along with their family are eligible immediately to play at the new school. If a player transfers and his family doesn’t move, there’s a sit-out period of close to 50% of the season. The date athletes become eligible in the fall after sitting out is Sept. 28, 2026, for the Southern Section and Sept. 24, 2026, for the City Section.
Listed players are confirmed as having switched schools through social media or from coaches, parents or players. Their transfer eligibility remains uncertain until paperwork is submitted to the Southern Section or City Section. Names will be updated each week, with the latest at the top. Students have been known to change their minds, too, before the season begins.
Jaden Jefferson
Previous school: Cathedral
New school: Corona Centennial
Position: Quarterback
Year in the fall of 2026: Senior
Buzz: He’s a small but dynamic quarterback with tremendous ability to pass and run. He has been a starter since freshman year.
Quentin Hale
Previous school: Cathedral
New school: Corona Centennial
Position: Receiver
Year in the fall of 2026: Senior
Buzz: Had 62 receptions and 12 touchdown catches in 2025.
Simote Tupou
Previous school: Henderson (Nev.) Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon
New school: St. John Bosco
Position: Defensive line
Year in the fall of 2026: Junior
Buzz: Had 19 sacks as a 6-1, 230-pound sophomore.
Koa Smith-Mayall
Previous school: JSerra
New school: Santa Margarita
Position: Quarterback
Year in the fall of 2026: Senior
Buzz: Was briefly JSerra’s starting QB and overcame injuries early in high school.
Cruz Nunez
Previous school: JSerra
New school: Santa Margarita
Position: Linebacker
Year in the fall of 2026: Senior
Buzz: Had 15 solo tackles as a junior.
HHS freezes Minnesota child care payments amid fraud accusations
Dec. 30 (UPI) — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials have frozen federal child care funding to Minnesota amid accusations of fraud in that state and others.
HHS officials announced the action on Tuesday and credited a viral video that suggests rampant fraud is occurring at Minnesota child care centers that provide daycare services for few, if any, children.
“You have probably read the serious allegations that the state of Minnesota has funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to fraudulent daycares across Minnesota over the past decade,” said Jim O’Neill, HHS deputy secretary, in a social media post on Tuesday.
In response to the “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country,” O’Neill said HHS officials have taken three actions.
One is to require justification and a receipt or photo evidence before sending federal Administration for Children and Family funds to a state.
HHS also launched a fraud-reporting hotline and email address, and identified individuals shown in a viral social media video at Minnesota daycare centers that appeared to have no children.
“I have demanded from [Minnesota] Gov. Tim Walz a comprehensive audit of these centers,” O’Neill said. “This includes attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations and inspections.”
Conservative activist Nick Shirley recorded and posted the viral video, which, along with FBI evidence, spurred U.S. Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem on Monday to launch what she called a “massive investigation on childcare and other rampant fraud,” according to CBS News.
Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown told CBS News the department questions “some of the methods used in the video” but takes the fraud concerns raised in Shirley’s video “very seriously.”
State officials visited some of the daycare centers featured in the video and said two of them were closed earlier this year, but officials at one said they intend to resume operations.
CBS News looked at the records for several of the daycares cited and said all but two have active licenses to operate in Minnesota.
State records show all of the active locations had been visited by state regulators over the past six months, with no evidence of fraud found, but citations were issued for staff training, safety, equipment, and cleanliness violations.
The alleged daycare fraud comes amid federal investigations of 14 Medicaid-funded programs in Minnesota, but none involved child care.
Among them is an investigation into the Feeding Our Future program that was intended to feed at-risk children during the COVID-19 pandemic but has triggered dozens of federal fraud convictions and has embroiled Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who helped to promote it.
That alleged fraud cost an estimated $250 million and largely occurred within the Somali community in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area, which prompted President Donald Trump to halt Temporary Protected Status for Somalians in Minnesota.
European nations, Canada, Japan voice ‘serious concerns’ about ongoing Gaza crisis – Middle East Monitor
Eight European nations, Japan, and Canada on Tuesday expressed “serious concerns” about the renewed deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reports.
In a joint statement, foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK recalled the “catastrophic” humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.
The statement mentioned the appalling conditions that are exacerbated by winter, noting that 1.3 million Gazans still require urgent shelter assistance.
The foreign ministers cited the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, which was published earlier in December, as evidence that the situation remains desperate.
The statement expressed their appreciation for the ceasefire in Gaza but stated that they will not lose sight of the plight of Gaza’s civilian population.
It called on Israel to ensure that the UN, its partners, and NGOs can continue their vital work and lift unreasonable restrictions on imports considered to have a dual use.
Saying that many established international NGO partners are at risk of being deregistered because of Israel’s restrictive new requirements, it warned that deregistration could result in the forced closure of humanitarian operations within 60 days in Gaza and the West Bank.
“This would have a severe impact on access to essential services including healthcare,” said the statement.
READ: Israeli Knesset passes bill halting electricity, water supply to UNRWA facilities
Ensuring UN, its partners can continue their vital work is ‘essential’
It also underlined that ensuring the UN and its partners can continue their vital work is “essential” to the impartial, neutral, and independent delivery of aid throughout Gaza.
“This includes UNRWA, which provides essential services, such as healthcare and education, to millions of Palestinian refugees,” said the foreign ministers.
The statement also called on Tel Aviv to open crossings and increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“The target of 4,200 trucks per week, including an allocation of 250 UN trucks per day, should be a floor not a ceiling,” it said, adding that these targets should be lifted so they can be sure the vital supplies are getting in at the vast scale needed.
The nations also underlined that ongoing restrictions limit the capacity for aid to be delivered at the scale needed, in accordance with international humanitarian law, or for repairs to be made to support recovery and reconstruction efforts.
“We now urge the Government of Israel to remove these humanitarian access constraints, and to deliver and honour the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” it added.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to keep Gaza’s crossings largely closed, preventing the entry of mobile homes and reconstruction materials and worsening the humanitarian crisis affecting over 2 million people.
Palestinian officials say that at least 414 people in Gaza have been killed since the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas took place on Oct. 10.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed over 71,000 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it largely uninhabitable.
READ: 25 Palestinians die in Gaza amid severe weather since start of December
The Celebrity Apprentice winners announced as fans fume over ‘fixed’ result
Celebrity Apprentice fans were left stunned after Lord Sugar announced the winners on Tuesday
The Celebrity Apprentice winners were announced on Tuesday (December 30), with fans claiming the results were “fixed”.
The first of two festive specials for BBC Children in Need aired on Monday (December 29), seeing 12 well-known personalities jet off to Lapland to craft their own Christmas gingerbread biscuits and devise marketing campaigns, complete with adverts and catchy jingles.
Team one comprised Tom Skinner, Matt Morsia, Shazia Mirza, Angela Scanlon, Sarah Hadland, and project manager JB Gill. The rival squad included Charlie Hedges, AJ Odudu, Jake Wood, Kadeena Cox, Eddie Kadi, and project manager Rob Rinder.
JB’s team dreamt up Gary the Penguin, an unusual creation combining bubblegum and white pepper flavours. Rob’s team countered with Jolly Mc Trouble, a gingerbread featuring vanilla and Christmas pudding notes, though their batch ended up slightly overdone, reports Wales Online.
Tonight’s episode saw both teams showcase their creations to a panel of industry retailers at a central London venue.
Matt, Shazia, and Tom stunned their fellow contestants when they revealed their promotional video, which prominently featured Tom screaming whilst dressed in a penguin outfit.
After completing market testing sessions with groups of youngsters, the teams began fine-tuning their crucial presentations. The celebrities also tapped into their personal networks to secure advance orders.
For the pitch, JB’s group brought in Rylan Clark alongside Gladiators stars Montell Douglas, Livi Sheldon and Matty Campbell – also known as Fire, Diamond and Bionic. In contrast, Rob secured video messages from several celebrity pals, including acting legends Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.
When they returned to the boardroom, Lord Sugar praised Rob’s team for their compelling biscuit backstory and Jake’s carefully crafted advertisement. Yet in a surprising turn of events, JB’s team secured victory after attracting the highest number of orders.
Rob’s team managed to secure 355,500 units, whilst JB’s team racked up an impressive 452,000 orders. Despite this, viewers at home were left unimpressed by the outcome, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their displeasure.
“Fix, how did they win with that crap?!” one viewer posted, whilst another questioned: “How the f*** did that team win with that diabolical advert.”
A third viewer expressed: “Shocked that the Gary The Penguin team won. They had the worse TV advert and their flavours were disgusting. Jolly Mc Trouble should have won.”
However, one viewer supported the winning team, commenting: “I’m pleased Gary the Penguin won as even though their ad was awful, the product made far more sense (and the jingle was catchy)!”
As the episode concluded, project manager Rob brought Kadeena and Jake back into the boardroom, where Lord Sugar ultimately decided to fire Rob.
The Celebrity Apprentice is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website
Issa becomes second California Republican to announce retirement as Democrats look to reclaim House
Reporting from Washington — Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) will not run for a 10th term in Congress, he announced Wednesday morning, becoming the second California Republican to retire this week as Democrats strive to retake control of the U.S. House.
On Monday, Republican Rep. Ed Royce of Fullerton also announced he would not seek reelection.
Beyond shaking up the California political landscape, the two retirements are a signal that the GOP fears a Democratic wave election that could sweep them from power this fall.
Royce and Issa represent districts that are changing, with more Latino and Asian voters, and where Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.
Democrats have made clear their path to reclaiming the U.S. House majority must pass through Southern California, and open-seat races could make that task a bit easier. On the other hand, Republicans could recruit strong and experienced candidates who might fare better against a crowded field of Democratic hopefuls, many of whom are seeking office for the first time.
With Issa’s announcement, more than 30 House Republicans have announced plans to leave Washington, and Democrats need to secure just 24 more seats to retake control.
Without incumbents in those races, it also will be more difficult for the Democrats to deploy their national strategy of tying the Republican candidate to Trump, who is widely unpopular in California.
In contrast to most of his California GOP colleagues, Issa showed a willingness to moderate his stances to placate invigorated Democrats, but perhaps found it wasn’t enough to offset his reputation as a conservative bulldog in an increasingly liberal district.
Issa, former chairman of the House Oversight Committee, won reelection in 2016 by just over half a percent — about 1,600 votes — and was widely considered the most vulnerable Republican in the House going into this year’s election. In Issa’s northern San Diego and southern Orange County district, nearly 38% of registered voters are Republicans, with 31% registered as Democrats and 26% not registered with any political party, who often lean Democratic at the polls in California.
Still, the announcement was a surprise. A source close to Issa said he was talking about his reelection campaign with friends as recently as Tuesday night. Issa’s statement on Wednesday did not say why he decided to retire, just that he had the support of family in making the decision.
“I am forever grateful to the people of San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties for their support and affording me the honor of serving them all these years,” Issa said. “Representing you has been the privilege of a lifetime.”
The richest man in Congress, Issa, 64, already had drawn a handful of well-funded Democratic opponents, including his 2016 challenger, Doug Applegate, Orange County environmental lawyer Mike Levin, San Diego real estate investor Paul Kerr and Sara Jacobs, who has drawn the endorsement of Emily’s List. Issa had $852,028 in cash on hand as of September. Levin has led in fundraising with $530,326 in the bank. Applegate and Kerr each had a bit more than $200,000.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said Issa’s retirement “means we are in a strong position to elect a Democrat to the 49th District this fall.”
But the National Republican Congressional Committee said Democrats are setting themselves up for an internal fight in Issa’s 49th District, adding, “We look forward to facing whoever limps out of the Democrats’ battle royale: black and blue, and broke.”
Hours after Issa’s announcement, GOP Assemblyman Rocky Chavez of Oceanside announced he would run for the seat. Other Republicans who could run in Issa’s place include Diane Harkey, chair of the state Board of Equalization and a former assemblywoman, and GOP Senate leader Pat Bates. All three represent significant portions of Issa’s district.
Analysts for Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics quickly changed their appraisal of the race from a toss-up to the “leans Democratic” category, saying Issa’s close 2016 win showed voters may be more willing to consider a Democrat. The 39th District remains a toss-up because Royce won by 15 percentage points in 2016, Crystal Ball managing editor Kyle Kondik said. At least one other prognosticator moved Royce’s district to “leans Democratic” as soon as he announced his retirement on Monday.
As chairman of the committee charged with overseeing the executive branch, Issa was known as President Obama’s toughest critic because of his aggressive pursuit of alleged fraud and abuse by the administration. It made him a hero in conservative circles, and before his narrow 2016 win, Issa had gotten at least 58% of the vote in his eight previous campaigns.
But Issa walked a shakier line with the new administration. He appeared to moderate some of his rhetoric last year. Though he insisted he had not changed, he was more willing to buck his party on important votes. He voted against the tax bill in December, saying it would harm his constituents.
For a year, hundreds of activists have appeared weekly outside Issa’s Vista office to protest. At first, Issa regularly engaged with them on the street and in town halls, but his frustrations with the ongoing protests grew and he stopped talking with them.
On Tuesday, activists with a local Indivisible group huddled under umbrellas outside Issa’s office for a premature “retirement party” for the congressman, complete with festive signs and a cake shaped like a Hawaiian shirt. The song they sang seem ominous in retrospect: “Issa, you’ll retire, your situation’s dire, we will soon replace you, never fear. Now we must report, now your time is short, Issa you’ll retire this year.”
Born in Cleveland as the second of six children in a Lebanese American family, Issa dropped out of high school at 17 to join the Army. While there, he got his GED and went on to earn degrees from Kent State University and Siena Heights College before returning to the Army as an officer.
Issa bought a struggling Cleveland electronics business in 1980 and within a decade transformed it to produce the popular Viper automobile anti-theft device, with Issa’s famous voice as the warning to would-be thieves to “stand back.” In 1986, he and his wife, Kathy, moved the business to Vista, where it continued to grow. His net worth was estimated at more than quarter of a billion in 2015, according to financial disclosures.
After years participating behind the scenes in local politics, Issa’s first foray as a candidate came in 1998 when he spent $9.8 million in the Republican primary for the chance to challenge Barbara Boxer for her Senate seat, but lost to Matt Fong. He was elected to the House in 2000 with 61% of the vote, and three years later, he spent $1.7 million to get signatures for the recall election of then-Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. He had hoped to replace Davis himself, but abruptly quit during a tearful news conference when Arnold Schwarzenegger entered the race, saying he had been assured a quality candidate was running.
Assistant managing editor Christina Bellantoni contributed to this report.
Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter
Read more about the 55 members of California’s delegation at latimes.com/politics
ALSO:
California could flip the House, and these 13 races will make the difference
Updates on California politics
UPDATES:
2:50 p.m.: This article was updated with Assemblyman Rocky Chavez’s announcement that he will run for Issa’s seat.
1:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional biographical details.
11:15 a.m.: This article was updated with more information about Issa’s district.
9:40 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information about Issa and the battle for control of the House.
This article was originally published at 8:20 a.m.
Premier League title race: Can Arsenal go all the way this time?
It had seemed like Arsenal were starting to wobble.
After starting December with defeat by Aston Villa, they were far from convincing as they beat Wolves, Everton and Brighton by narrow margins.
But the Gunners ground out vital results and they answered any lingering doubts over their title credentials with an emphatic 4-1 home victory over Villa on Tuesday.
It not only kept Unai Emery’s in-form side at bay in third place, it served as a powerful statement to any team hoping to derail their trophy ambitions.
Arsenal head into 2026, and the second half of the campaign, at the top of the league – five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, with Villa a further point behind.
“Arsenal doing what they did to Villa tells you where they are,” former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It’s all going right for them because everyone is contributing – the manager, the players, the staff.”
Speaking on Match of the Day, ex-England midfielder Danny Murphy added: “Arsenal‘s performance was a big statement. It was powerful, full of quality and showed their strength in depth.”
But, with a history of letting the title slip from their grasp following three successive runners-up finishes, can Arsenal finally make it count this season and be champions for the first time since 2004?
Lee orders probe into claims of Unification Church lobbying
President Lee Jae Myung (R), alongside Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (L), speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, 15 July 2025. File Photo by YONHAP /EPA
Dec. 30 (Asia Today) — President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday ordered prosecutors and police to investigate allegations that the Unification Church lobbied politicians, directing authorities to begin work even as political parties debate appointing a special prosecutor.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, Lee said investigators should coordinate in advance on how the case would be handled if it is later transferred to a special prosecutor.
“Even if it becomes a special prosecutor case during the investigation and is handed over then, it would be better for the prosecution and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to consult beforehand and decide who will handle it or if they will work together, and form a team,” Lee said. “It doesn’t seem like something we should just wait around for.”
Lee said religious interference in politics, bribery and collusion are serious matters that threaten democracy and the country’s future.
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok also called for a strong response, saying he believes instability in state affairs has been fueled by what he described as “shamanistic politics” and church-state collusion.
Kim said it was timely that discussions are emerging about appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the Unification Church and potentially expanding the scope to include Shincheonji, while warning the process could be derailed by political disputes.
He suggested the government should prepare for the possibility the political process fails to produce an agreement and said authorities could consider setting up a government-level special investigation headquarters.
– Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Israel Rearming Its Eagle Force With The New F-15IA
New-build F-15 Eagle fighters are headed to Israel again, with a contract for 25 new F-15IA aircraft placed with Boeing. These will be the first new Eagles that the country has acquired since 1999, when it received the last of its F-15I Ra’am jets and continues the enduring legacy of the F-15 in Israeli Air Force service.
The Pentagon announced on Monday that Boeing had been awarded a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract with a ceiling of $8.58 billion for the F-15 Israel Program. The contract covers the design, integration, instrumentation, test, production, and delivery of 25 new F-15IA aircraft, with an option for an additional 25. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2035. The aircraft will almost certainly feature extensive Israeli-specific modifications, as was the case with previous Eagles, especially when it comes to electronic warfare, weapons, and communications systems.
The contract announcement came after U.S. President Donald Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.
In August 2024, Israel was given U.S. approval to buy as many as 50 F-15IAs, as well as upgrade its existing F-15Is as part of an overall package valued at $18.82 billion that you can read about here.
Subsequently, in November of last year, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that it had agreed to buy the 25 F-15IAs, reserving the option to buy the other 25 jets.
At that point, the Israeli Ministry of Defense said that deliveries of the F-15IAs would start in 2031, with between four and six aircraft being supplied annually. The stated cost was $5.2 billion, and it’s not exactly clear why that has since increased substantially. We reached out to Boeing for clarification, and the company deferred to the U.S. government.
“The new F-15IA will be equipped with cutting-edge weapon systems, including state-of-the-art Israeli technologies,” the ministry said at the time. “The upgraded aircraft will feature enhanced range capabilities, increased payload capacity, and improved performance across various operational scenarios.”
As we have discussed in the past, the F-15IA that Israel will be receiving is based on the F-15EX used by the U.S. Air Force.
In the past, Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have both stressed the aircraft’s range and stores-carrying capabilities. In a U.S. context, these attributes are seen as being especially relevant for operations across the vast expanses of the Pacific. Meanwhile, Israel has long prized the F-15 for its ability to strike targets at long range while carrying heavy loads of ordnance.
The latest versions of the F-15 also have a notable ability to carry outsize weapons, including hypersonic missiles, as well as simply larger numbers of legacy weapons. Once again, this is a feature of the jet that will be of particular interest to Israel. The Israeli Air Force’s recent operations against Iran have demonstrated the increasing importance of air-launched ballistic missiles and other air-launched standoff weapons, which would also be very well suited to the F-15IA.
The 25 new F-15IAs will provide the Israeli Air Force with an additional Eagle squadron. This will double the number of strike-optimized F-15s available to the service. Currently, the 25 F-15I Ra’am jets, delivered in the second half of the 1990s, serve with 69 Squadron “Hammers” at Hatzerim Air Base.
While it’s unclear for now if the F-15I fleet will also be upgraded, as once proposed, it seems reasonable to assume that the F-15IAs will go some way toward replacing the older F-15A-to-D Baz, which survive with two squadrons stationed at Tel Nof Air Base, which you can read more about here. If the F-15I fleet is upgraded, it would parallel the approach taken by Saudi Arabia, which bought new-build F-15SA jets and upgraded existing F-15S aircraft to the same standard.
The Baz is used for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, but these are mainly very old jets, with the first examples having seen combat as long ago as 1979. Successively upgraded and also bolstered through transfers from U.S. Air Force stocks, these jets remain very valuable to the Israeli Air Force, as demonstrated by their prominent role in recent combat operations.
The F-15IA deal has been widely viewed through the prism of the conflict that began in the Middle East after the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023.
However, Israeli interest in buying more F-15s dates back many years; it is Israel’s continued demand for F-15s of any kind that has seen the aging Baz jets progressively upgraded to keep them in frontline service.
Whatever color they are painted, F-15s are very much one of Israel’s primary long-range strike weapons.
At the same time, the F-35I Adir fighter is increasingly becoming a weapon of choice for combat missions both in close proximity to Israel and over much greater distances.
With that in mind, Israel has opted for procuring a mix of fighters, the benefits of which we have described in the past:
“Buying the F-15IA and F-35I will provide the Israeli Air Force with two complementary platforms, both of which are among the most capable anywhere in the world, especially when it comes to long-range strike. Israeli F-15s, in particular, are also used for forward networking and command and control nodes, vital for managing long-range operations. On the other hand, both the F-15IA and F-35I are also more than efficient for air defense, including against drone threats, as well as air-to-ground operations closer to Israel, such as the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.”
As part of this strategy, Israel opted to buy a third squadron of F-35Is last year. Covering 25 more F-35Is worth approximately $3 billion, this will expand the Israeli Air Force Adir fleet to 75 aircraft. The latest batch of the stealth jets will begin to be delivered in 2028, meaning at least some will be delivered in parallel with the F-15IA.
Whether Israel chooses to add more F-15s or even upgrades, the current security situation in the Middle East means it would be unwise to rule out the prospect of further combat aircraft acquisitions.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Love Island’s Charlie Frederick set for All Stars years after awkward feud with ex
Charlie Frederick has reportedly signed up for Love Island: All Stars, eight years on from when he briefly appeared on the regular edition of the ITV2 dating show
Charlie Frederick has reportedly signed up for Love Island: All Stars. The reality star, 29, initially appeared briefly on the 2018 edition of the ITV2 dating competition, where he was coupled up with Hayley Hughes for a matter of days before being dumped from the famous villa.
Now, it’s thought that Charlie, who also appeared on Made in Chelsea as the best friend of Sam Holmes, is set to make a return to the villa after being persuaded by bosses to take part in the spin-off, which brings back memorable characters from the regular version of the series.
This year, the ITV dating show has had a huge format shake-up, with singletons heading out to South Africa for six weeks, rather than five as has been the case in previous years.
READ MORE: Love Island’s Charlie Frederick takes swipe at ex Lucie Donlan as she heads into villaREAD MORE: Love Island stars unrecognisable from villa days – Dom Lever to Hayley Hughes
A source told The Sun: “Charlie’s been in the gym nonstop since he spoke to bosses about returning to the show. He went too early when he was on the 2018 series, the first time – this time he wants to find love!”
Following his initial stint on Love Island, Charlie claimed he would have progressed further in the competition had he not been coupled up with Hayley, and she described him as “bitter” after hearing his comments. Then, during an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine, the pair refused to sit with each other in the studio. At the time, Charlie explained: “We’re fine, we’re just frosty cause I’m a bit gutted to be honest. You just want to get your own piece across.
“I’m bitter and angry, not to her; I can’t hold a grudge. It is what it is. I feel like I’ve been hard done by, and my chance has been taken away from me. It was so much fun, I’m missing it.” Lorraine, who was visibly sensing the awkwardness, then jokingly told Charlie to “go away” so Hayley could come in. Charlie said it was “so awkward” as he gestured with his arms while walking out of the studio.
Hayley then appeared from the other side to avoid walking past Charlie. On her relationship with Charlie, she said: “Maybe near the end, I was a bit cold. I think that is something I need to work on. If I’m not interested in someone or can’t see it going any furthe,r I pull away.” After splitting from Hayley, Charlie had a relationship with Instagram model Natalie Clowes.
Insiders recently claimed that villa bombshell Yasmin Pettet is set to let the cameras follow her all over again, and she is currently being considered for a return to the villa when All Stars comes back to screens early next year, following her split from Jamie Rhodes. A source said: “ITV bosses are already starting to approach ex Islanders and they knew from the moment Yas stepped into the villa, she’d make the perfect ‘All Star’ – she’s one of the most controversial bombshells in the show’s history and will have absolutely no issue shaking up the villa for the second time, or treading on people’s toes.
“Now things are over with Jamie; she’s in very early, tentative talks. She’s not sure if going back to the show would be the right move, but she’s had loads of offers
Ciaran Davies finished runner-up with then-girlfriend Nicole Samuel, but they called it quits in December 2024. Bosses are now keen to get the Welsh hunk on board, although he is in the very early stages of negotiations right now.
Prior to that, it was reported that Jess Harding, who won series 10 of the regular series alongside Sammy Root, is also in talks lined up for the next competition, when it kicks off in South Africa next year.
Alima Gagigo is also said to be in meetings with bosses about a comeback, just weeks after she competed in series 12 of the programme and was dumped on Day 24. Andrada Pop, who was a bombshell in Casa Amor earlier this year, has also been approached by producers.
Single Islanders from across the 10 years of the show will return to the famous Villa in South Africa, but this time they’ll be in the villa for six weeks instead of five.
Speaking on the renewal, Mike Spencer-Hayter, Creative Director at Lifted Entertainment, said: “Love Island: All Stars has quickly established itself as a stand-alone hit, keeping fans of the show gripped by iconic Islanders from the past 10 years returning for another chance to find love. We are very excited about series 3, and you can expect the twists and turns to continue in All Stars, after an incredible smash hit summer series.”
The second series of Love Island: All Stars aired earlier this year and was won by Gabby Allen and Casey O’Gorman. The series also saw the reunion of Ronnie Vint and Harriet Blackmore – but it didn’t come without complaints.
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Wednesday 31 December Restoration Day in Geneva
In April 1798, French revolutionary troops annexed Geneva. French control and occupation lasted over 15 years until the defeat of France in the Napoleonic Wars. On December 31st 1813, the last French troops left Geneva and the Restoration of the Republic of Geneva was declared.
Shortly after, on June 1st 1814, Geneva was admitted to the Swiss Confederation.
To mark the anniversary of the restoration, cannons are fired at 8 am on December 31st from the Promenade de la Treille. This is followed by an official governmental ceremony and a memorial service at the Cathedrale Saint-Pierre, and a concert in the cathedral.
Workers’ Comp Reform Unveiled by Garamendi
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, continuing his assault on spiraling workers’ compensation insurance costs, on Friday announced a three-pronged reform program designed to curb fraudulent and unwarranted claims.
As part of the plan. Garamendi endorsed legislation introduced by Assemblyman Burt Margolin (D-Los Angeles) that would eliminate a “guaranteed cap” on insurers’ expenses. The bill would give Garamendi greater discretion to reduce workers’ compensation rates for employers.
Garamendi also announced the creation of a new workers’ compensation fraud investigation team and an outreach program to employers to educate them on new insurance fraud laws.
“California businesses are being strangled by exorbitant workers’ compensation insurance premiums,” Garamendi said. “Workers’ compensation costs have gotten out of control, especially in the areas of insurer expenses and fraud.”
Margolin’s bill, introduced in the Legislature on Friday, aims to eliminate the “guaranteed expense cap,” an arbitrary measure of workers’ compensation carrier costs. This cap was one of the primary reasons that Garamendi late last year turned down an 11.9% rate increase request from the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau, which determines what minimum rates should be for the industry. Garamendi only allowed a 1.2% increase.
The cap allows workers’ compensation carriers to claim that their expenses amount to 32.8% of premiums, no matter what their true expenses are, when they request rate increases. Actual expenses are far lower–about 20% to 25% of premiums, Garamendi said.
“This bill is a way to guarantee that California employers are not charged excessive premiums by workers’ compensation carriers,” Margolin said. “This bill would allow Garamendi to address what an appropriate expense load would be.”
Insurance representatives Friday criticized the proposed expense cap limitations.
“A panel that Garamendi helped form has been studying workers’ compensation rating practices for over a year, and they are set to give their recommendations in March,” said Richard Wiebe, spokesman for the American Insurance Assn. in Sacramento. “Garamendi has apparently decided their recommendations are irrelevant.”
Insurers are more supportive of Garamendi’s efforts to combat fraud. Robert Gore, vice president of the Assn. of California Insurance Cos., noted that the new fraud unit is made possible by a law partially written and supported by the insurance industry.
Garamendi said he was creating a new workers’ compensation fraud investigation unit, funded by legislation that took effect Jan. 1. The law is designed to target doctors, attorneys and medical care workers who encourage the filing of fraudulent workers’ compensation claims.
Under the tough new law, making false statements to support fraudulent workers’ compensation claims is a felony. Convictions can be punished by up to five years in prison and fines equaling twice the fraud.
“The people who are committing workers’ compensation fraud now think they can do it with impunity, but that has changed,” Margolin said. “If you commit workers’ compensation fraud, you go to jail.”
Garamendi also said he plans to step up a public information campaign about the new workers’ compensation fraud law. The campaign will be conducted through partnerships with other state agencies, such as the Employment Development Department and local chambers of commerce.
Stefon Diggs faces felony charge of strangling private chef
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs was charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery at a court hearing Tuesday. The alleged victim in the Dec. 2 incident was his private chef, according to a report taken by police in Dedham, Mass.
Through his attorney, Diggs has denied the allegations. The name of the woman was redacted from the police report.
The chef reported the incident Dec. 16, telling police that she and Diggs had a dispute over pay after he told her via text that her services weren’t needed the week of Nov. 7 and she replied that she should be paid for the week.
The woman told police that Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom in his house and “smacked her across the face.” She tried to push him away and he “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”
She said that she had trouble breathing and felt like she could have blacked out. “As she tried to pry his arm away, he tightened his grip,” she told police.
The woman told police she had redness on her upper chest area after the incident occurred but did not take photos. She returned to Diggs’ house Dec. 9 to retrieve personal belongings and he instructed her to speak with his assistant about getting paid, she told police. The assistant told her Diggs had requested she sign a non-disclosure agreement, but she refused.
Diggs’ girlfriend is rapper Cardi B, who gave birth to their son in November. Cardi B, born Belcalis Almánzar, is not mentioned by name in the police report, although the woman told police Dec. 20 that a few days earlier “she received a voice mail and text messages from a female that she believed to be Diggs girlfriend. Based on these messages, [the alleged victim] believed that Diggs somehow knew the police were contacted. The messages stated something to the effect of ‘You don’t need to do all this. It’s not that big of a deal.’”
The woman, who had worked as Diggs’ private chef since July, initially did not want the police to file charges against the two-time All-Pro receiver but changed her mind Dec. 23.
Diggs’ lawyer David Meier said in a statement that his client “categorically denies these allegations. They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated — because they did not occur.
“The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.”
Meier also said Diggs has made a financial offer to the woman, telling the judge at the hearing Tuesday, “As we speak, they’re working to come to an agreement on that.”
According to the police report, Diggs did not return calls from investigators and the criminal complaint was “based on [the alleged victim’s] statement.”
Diggs, 32, has been one of the NFL’s top receivers since beginning his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2015. He ranks fifth among active players with 939 career receptions, including 82 this season for 970 yards.
This is his first season with the Patriots, who have clinched the AFC East title and will begin the playoffs with a wild card home game the weekend of Jan. 10. Diggs is in the first year of a three-year, $69-million contract.
“We support Stefon,” the Patriots said in a statement. “We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”
Diggs’ arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 23. Meier asked the judge Tuesday that the proceeding be delayed until March but no ruling was made.
Alleged D.C. pipe-bomber set for detention hearing; lawyers argue for pretrial release
An arrested sign was on display during a press conference at the Department of Justice Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 4. Brian Cole Jr. is scheduled for a detention hearing Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 30 (UPI) — Attorneys for Brian Cole Jr., the man accused of building and laying pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., at two political party headquarters, are arguing for his pre-trial release.
Cole, 30, has autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, his attorneys said in a Monday night filing. He is scheduled for a detention hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
The attorneys argued that “government-induced excitement” around Cole’s arrest is premature and potentially violates court rules.
“The question is whether there is a present danger — a contention the government never actually makes, and something belied by the past four years in which Mr. Cole has lived without incident,” Cole’s attorneys argued in their filing. “No device detonated, no person was injured, and no property was damaged.”
“Whatever risk the government posits is theoretical and backward-looking, belied by the past four years where Mr. Cole lived at home with his family without incident. All of this weighs heavily against an inference of current danger to the community at large,” his attorneys wrote.
Cole was arrested Dec. 4 and hasn’t entered a plea. He is accused of placing two pipe bombs — that never detonated — outside of the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington.
He faces charges of transporting an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials. The charges have a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones filed a request Sunday to keep Cole in jail while he awaits trial.
Cole is from Woodbridge, Va., where he lives with his mother and other family members.
President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order reclassifying marijuana from a schedule I to a schedule III controlled substance in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo
Guinea coup leader Mamady Doumbouya wins presidential election | Elections News
BREAKINGBREAKING,
Mamady Doumbouya faced eight rivals for the presidency, but the main opposition leaders were barred from running.
Published On 30 Dec 2025
Guinea coup leader Mamady Doumbouya has been elected president, according to provisional results, paving the way for a return to civilian governing after a military takeover nearly five years ago.
The provisional results announced on Tuesday showed Doumbouya winning 86.72 percent of the vote held on December 28 – an absolute majority that allows him to avoid a runoff.
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The Supreme Court has eight days to validate the results in the event of any challenge.
Doumbouya, 41, faced eight rivals for the presidency, but the main opposition leaders were barred from running and had urged a boycott of the vote.
The former special forces commander seized power in 2021, toppling then-President Alpha Conde, who had been in office since 2010. It was one in a series of nine coups that have reshaped politics in West and Central Africa since 2020.
Huge rail sale is being launched next WEEK with 50% off over 3million tickets
THE Government is launching a week long sale on train tickets that could save you up to 70 per cent on transport.
Running from 6-12 January millions of train tickets will be discounted to help make half term activities, weekend getaways and commuting more affordable.
The reduced fares can be used to travel on thousands of popular routes between 13 January and 25 March 2026.
The routes span the length and breadth of Britain as nearly all train operators are taking part.
Make the most of the £10 fares from south coast destinations such as Portsmouth to London Waterloo by booking a big day out or catch up with a city friend.
If you’re planning a holiday abroad you could maximise your savings by booking it between January and March as journeys from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport will cost just £1.20, down from £2.90.
This is the fourth year of the Rail Sale and last year over 1 million tickets were sold, bringing in over £9 million in ticket sale revenue for the industry.
Passengers last time saved an average of £8 per journey.
The sale marks another of the Government’s attempts to ease the cost of living by freezing rail fares for the first time in 30 years.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “The Rail Sale is back – and it means further discounts for passengers as we freeze rail fares for the first time in three decades to help ease the cost of living.
“We all want to see cheaper rail travel, so whether you’re planning a half term getaway, or visiting friends or family, this sale offers huge reductions.
“It’s all part of our plans to build a railway owned by the public, that works for the public.”
Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh says husband has ‘never seen a second’ of hit show
Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh who plays Lady Danbury, has made big promises ahead of series four and revealed that her husband Howard Cunnell has never seen the show
Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh says husband Howard Cunnell has ‘never seen a second’ of the hit Netflix show, despite it being the network’s “biggest series ever”.
In 2021, the streamer said 82 million households around the world tuned into the show in its first 28 days online. It hit the number one spot in 83 countries, including the US, UK, India, France and Brazil.
Series four will hit screens in January, with the network confirming the storyline will zoom in on the friendship between Adjoa’s character, Lady Danbury, and Golda Rosheuvel’s Queen Charlotte. But in spite of its success, Adjoa says the show isn’t her husband’s “thing”.
READ MORE: Bridgerton season 4 release date, cast and trailer as ‘unique’ story teased
She told Good Housekeeping: “My husband has never seen a second of Bridgerton. It’s not his thing.” The star, 62, promises viewers will get “more bang for [their] buck” when the new series drops on January 29th.
She said: “Everyone knows it’s Benedict’s story, but I can also say that we’re expanding the ‘Bridgeverse’ in terms of where the focus is storytelling-wise. If you love Bridgerton , you’ll get more of the same – but you’ll also get more bang for your buck. Take that as you please.”
She also reflected on the show becoming an overnight hit back in December 2020. She explained: “Everyone was at a low ebb that Christmas. The combination of Covid, the success of platform streaming and the particular brand of storytelling adopted by [Shonda Rhimes-founded production company] Shondaland made Bridgerton this remarkable thing. And, of course, there was the sex!
“It had historic frothiness, it looked incredible and the casting was unprecedented; the genie is out of the bottle with Bridgerton ’s way of framing historical romantic drama. The rest of the streamers have caught up now, but Bridgerton is still holding its place in the market, which is quite something.”
Adjoa Andoh previously called for Black women in the entertainment industry to “celebrate who they are as artists” and remember that they are not just there to “fly the flag” for others.
Speaking at the Pride of Britain Awards, Adjoa praised the next generation of young Black women for being “very thoughtful and wise”, but warned they shouldn’t forget they are also just “creative human beings” in their own right.
She said: “We are there to say, ‘a door can open wider’, we are there to say, ‘stay in it’, ‘keep going’, ‘pick your battles’, ‘think about who you want to be’.
“But also: ‘celebrate what you do as artists, you’re not just there to fly the flag, you’re there as a creative human being’.”
The full interview can be read now in the February issue of Good Housekeeping UK.
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Travel expert picks 10 destinations you will love visiting in 2026
From the neon lights of Seoul to the waterfalls of El Salvador, from the ancient vinyards of Georgia to the UK’s first spacesport, there is a lot to choose from when it comes to travel in 2026
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Leading Clinton Donors Got Lifts on Air Force One
This story was reported by Glenn Bunting, Ralph Frammolino, Mark Gladstone, Alan Miller and David Willman and written by Miller
WASHINGTON — The White House provided trips on Air Force One or presidential helicopters to 56 campaign donors and fund-raisers in 1995 and 1996, administration officials said Monday.
In addition, leading campaign fund-raisers appeared on a “must consider” list for positions in the newly elected Clinton administration in 1992, according to newly released Democratic National Committee documents. Some later became ambassadors and other high-level appointees.
The White House and the national committee provided the new information as the Justice Department and congressional committees continued their investigations into Democratic fund-raising practices and White House perquisites provided to major financial benefactors.
The national committee documents included more than 10,000 pages about controversial fund-raiser John Huang’s employment by the national committee.
Among those on the “must consider” list for appointments was Huang himself, who received a mid-level Commerce Department job in 1994 after helping raise money for Clinton in the 1992 campaign.
Major donors and fund-raisers have been given jobs and political appointments for years by both Democratic and Republican administrations, but rarely have documents spelling out the practice been publicly available.
Huang’s activities at the national committee are at the center of the inquiries, particularly allegations that overseas interests, including the Chinese government, may have sought to channel contributions to the Democrats.
The documents detail contacts between Huang and the Chinese embassy and Chinese government officials as well as new information about his contacts with certain donors whose money the Democrats have decided to return as potentially improper.
White House and Democratic officials said there was nothing wrong with the Clintons’ use of Air Force One or with recommending supporters for appointments.
“We believe there is nothing inappropriate or unusual about the president of the United States inviting guests to be on his plane on official trips,” said Lanny J. Davis, a special White House counsel.
“As long as that privilege isn’t abused, we don’t believe the American people would object to that. And we believe that these numbers suggest it was very modest as an exercise of that prerogative.”
The cost of political travel is billed directly to the campaign, the DNC or the guest. But if a guest was on an official trip or leg of a trip, the individual was not required to pay air fare.
All told, Clinton took at least 477 guests on his 103 trips aboard Air Force One and presidential helicopter Marine One between Jan. 1, 1995, and Nov. 6, 1996, according to records compiled by the White House.
The White House defined “financial supporters” of the president as those who contributed $5,000 or more to the Democrats or raised $25,000 or more for the party or the Clinton-Gore campaign in the 1996 election cycle.
Vice President Al Gore, meanwhile, took 17 such donors on his 169 trips on Air Force Two or Marine Two.
Among those who made multiple flights were Terence McAuliffe, the Clinton-Gore finance chairman and his top aide, Laura Hartigan, and three Democratic officials: Finance Chairman Marvin Rosen, Finance Director Richard Sullivan and Treasurer Scott Pastrick.
A trip aboard Air Force One is among the most highly prized perquisites offered to major donors and fund-raisers. Supporters who flew with the president said that they were given “Welcome to Air Force One” name tags and sat in the VIP section equipped with large cabin-cruiser seats and telephones.
“It’s a tremendous ego boost,” said a Democratic official who participated in several trips. “The most exciting part for these people was to fly into their city and be able to get off the plane with all the local dignitaries on the tarmac.”
The guests on Air Force One in 1995 and 1996 contributed a total of $9.2 million to Democratic candidates and party committees since 1991, when Clinton first sought the party’s presidential nomination, according to an analysis by the Campaign Study Group. Of this total, $6.7 million went to the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton-Gore committees in the two races.
Twenty-one of the Air Force One guests and their companies each donated more than $100,000. One of those was Stanley Chesley, a Cincinnati attorney. He and his law firm gave $581,450. Another was Rashid Chaudry. His company, the Raani Corp. of Bedford Park, Ill., contributed $401,819.
Three of the Air Force One guests, all major Democratic givers, also provided employment to Clinton friend Webster L. Hubbell after Hubbell’s resignation from a top Justice Department position because of improprieties in his previous law practice.
Independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr is investigating whether administration officials and supporters arranged employment deals for Hubbell to dissuade him from providing Whitewater prosecutors with damaging information about Mrs. Clinton, his former law partner in Little Rock.
Those who arranged deals and rode on Air Force Once included Truman Arnold, a Texas oil executive and longtime Clinton friend; Wayne Reaud, a Beaumont, Texas, lawyer who paid Hubbell a total of $36,000 in 1994; and Bernard Rapoport, a Waco, Texas, insurance executive.
The rewarding of campaign donors with high-level political appointments is a staple of any administration. However, the Democrats had criticized previous Republican administrations for some of these practices–such as giving ambassadorships to big-dollar contributors.
The first Democratic memo about jobs for financial backers was sent to Michael Whouley, a Clinton campaign aide who was in charge of providing names to the transition team, on Dec. 21, 1992, a month before Clinton’s inauguration.
“We urge you to consider strongly the following leading national fund-raisers who are interested in serving in the White House,” the memo said. “We are pleased to sponsor these ‘must considers.’ ”
Among those named were Erskine Bowles, who obtained the post he sought as head of the Small Business Administration. He is now Clinton’s chief of staff. Also recommended was Arthur Levitt, who was proposed as a possible ambassador to Germany or a member of the National Economic Council. He became chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Those touted for ambassadorships and receiving postings, though not necessarily in their first-choice countries, were Alan Blinken in Belgium; Donald Blinken, Hungary; Clay Constantinou, Luxembourg; and Thomas Siebert, Sweden.
Huang, then an executive in Los Angeles with the Indonesian-based Lippo conglomerate, was recommended for a position of “under- or assistant secretary for international affairs” in an unspecified agency. He was ultimately appointed deputy assistant Commerce secretary for East Asia and the Pacific in 1994.
“We make no apologies for trying to get jobs for those who were helpful in trying to elect this president,” said Democratic Communications Director Amy Weiss Tobe. “It is not unusual for somebody who is helpful to end up on a list for a must consider for a top position.”
Democrats noted that more than a dozen of those on the Republicans’ major donor group known as Team 100 received ambassadorships and sub-Cabinet positions in the Bush administration.
The documents also reveal that Huang was extensively involved in Chinese organizations and participated in events at the Chinese embassy in Washington. Included were numerous business cards from representatives of Chinese groups and invitations to events. Huang also is listed as a director of the Committee of 100, a New York-based nonprofit group of Chinese-Americans who are active in public affairs.
A handwritten note that was faxed to Huang by Haipei Xue, an official with the Council on U.S.-China Affairs in Washington, reads: “What follows is an update on strategies & programs I drafted for discussion with our partners, like Boeing in this case, & with the Embassy. Although you are not directly involved in U.S.-China . . . your Committee of 100 and often yourself, I believe, will be engaged in it.”
DNC officials said that they were unable to determine whether any of Huang’s Chinese-related activities while he was employed by the party raised concerns because they did not know the context of the documents.
Times researchers Edith Stanley and D’Jamila Salem-Fitzgerald contributed to this story.
* RENO DENIES COUNSEL BID: Attorney general denies request for outside counsel on donations. A14
* SUBPOENA MIX-UP: Investigators issue subpoenas for the wrong DNC donor. A16
How Curt Cignetti molded Indiana into the Rose Bowl favorite
Curt Cignetti knows winning. No matter where he finds himself, whether it’s James Madison or with the Division II IUP Crimson Hawks, success follows him. Since getting the opportunity to lead a program, Cignetti has never had a losing season.
When Indiana hired him in November 2023, the Hoosiers were the program with the most all-time losses in college football history, and ended the season with a 3-9 record under Tom Allen.
It wasn’t a work in progress, the Hoosiers football program needed to be rebuilt.
On New Year’s Day, Indiana will face Alabama in the highly anticipated Rose Bowl matchup. The Crimson Tide have a rich postseason history and a tradition of championships, but the Hoosiers are the favorites to win.
That is the Cignetti effect.
In two years, he transformed the program from an unranked team, spending most of its time at the bottom of the Big Ten Conference, to the No. 1 team in the country with a Heisman-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.
“When he speaks, it means something,” Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones said.
“He’s not gonna go around and hype you up, tell you something you want to hear, he’ll tell you what you need to hear and that’s what makes him so special as a coach.”
That kind of tough love echoes throughout the team, Jones said. Whether it’s the fifth-string linebacker or the starting linebacker, Cignetti and his staff coach everyone the same way. That is one of the reasons his players trust him and bought into his philosophy.
“All the coaches want to see you be the best version of yourself,” Jones said. “But you can’t do that if you’re sugarcoating it.”
Cignetti’s coaching style has turned a starting lineup that consists of more lightly recruited players than five-star prospects into the nation’s No. 1 team.
Their surprise arrival at college football’s biggest stage has fired up the Hoosiers.
Indiana defensive back D’Angelo Ponds answers questions during a new conference at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.
(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)
“It’s definitely a chip on our shoulder,” Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds said. “Just to prove to the coaches that they missed out on the opportunity with us.”
The Hoosiers had the past three weeks off, earning a first-round College Football Playoff bye. Leading up to their quarterfinal showdown with Alabama in Pasadena, before their opponent was known, Cignetti made it a point to focus on how the Hoosiers could feature the best offense and defense in the country. He wanted players to focus on their own work rather than who they would be playing.
“In every single phase, in every single facet of the way that we practice and prepare, it’s all about being the best version of us, and not so much our opponent,” Indiana linebacker Aiden Fisher said.
But as soon as Alabama clinched its ticket to the Rose Bowl, the preparation flipped.
“Once we understood who the opponent was, it just kind of upped a notch,” Fisher said. “[Cignetti’s] done a great job of blocking out the noise, we don’t hear anything in the media, really.”
He wants his team to be present during their preparation, never taking a day for granted and getting their bodies and mindset right.
“He always says, at the later points in the season, it’s about who shows up ready to play, who’s the most prepared,” Indiana center Pat Coogan said.
The success of the team started with his recruitment. Regardless of which players leave or enter the locker room, Cignetti makes sure everyone is focused on the same end goal — winning.
“We are all cut from the same cloth,” Coogan said. “That’s why I think this locker room bonds so well, and why we’ve had success, no matter how many people have transferred.”
Fans flying into Pasadena talk about the ghost of the past, Fisher said. The Hoosiers last made an appearance in the Rose Bowl in 1968 when they lost to USC. A win on New Year’s Day will help bolster the football culture in Indiana, but the team understands it needs to focus on Thursday’s game against Alabama and ignore the bigger picture.
“It’s a privilege and honor to play in the Rose Bowl,” Fisher said. “But we’re still playing a football game of four quarters that we have to go and win.”
A Filipino tribe fights to stay as a ‘Smart City’ rises on a former US base | Indigenous Rights News
Sapang Kawayan, Philippines – Two hours north of the capital, Manila, on the vast grounds of a former United States military base, the Philippine government is pushing ahead with plans for a multibillion-dollar “smart city” that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr hopes to turn into a future “mecca for tourists” and a “magnet for investors”.
The New Clark City, which is being built on the former Clark Air Base, is central to the government’s effort to attract foreign investment and ease congestion in Manila, where nearly 15 million people live.
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To accompany the city’s development, the government has also laid out an ambitious slate of projects at a nearby airport complex — new train lines, expanded airport runways, and a $515m stadium that officials hope will be enticing enough to draw the global pop singer Taylor Swift.
Caught between the rising new city and the site of the proposed stadium lies the Indigenous Aeta village of Sapang Kawayan. For the roughly 500 families who live there, in houses of nipa grass and rattan, the developments spell disaster.
“We were here before the Americans, even before the Spanish,” said Petronila Capiz, 60, the chieftain of the Aeta Hungey tribe in Sapang Kawayan. “And the land continues to be taken from us.”
Historians say American colonisers, who seized the Philippines from Spain in 1898, took over the 32,000-hectare (80,000-acre) tract that became Clark Air Base in the 1920s, dispossessing the Aetas, a seminomadic and dark-skinned people thought to be among the archipelago’s earliest inhabitants.
Many were displaced, though some moved deeper into the jungle inside the base and were employed as labourers.
The US turned over the base to the Philippine government in 1991, some four decades after granting the country independence. Since then, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, or BCDA, has managed the complex. Some 20,000 Aetas are thought to remain in the Clark area today, spread across 32 villages.
But most of their claims to the land are not recognised.
In Sapang Kawayan, residents fear the government’s development boom means they could be pushed out long before they can establish such claims. The community – along with other Aeta villages in Clark – is working with researchers from the University of the Philippines to expedite a long-pending application for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title, or CADT — the only legal mechanism that would allow them to assert rights to their territory and its resources.
In January, July and September, Aetas young and old gathered under makeshift wooden shelters in Sapang Kawayan, assembling family trees and sharing stories and photographs. Volunteers documented each detail in hopes of demonstrating that the community there predates colonial rule.
Their 17,000-hectare claim overlaps with nearly all of the 9,450 hectares designated for New Clark City, while 14 kilometres to the south is the airport complex where the new railway line, runway and stadium are slated to rise.
Together, the new city and airport complex “will eat up the fields where we farm, the rivers where we fish and the mountains where we get our herbs”, Capiz said.
‘Taylor Swift-ready’
The Philippine government first announced plans for New Clark City under then-President Rodrigo Duterte, promoting it as a solution to the crippling congestion in Metro Manila. The BCDA describes the development as a “green, smart and disaster-resilient metropolis”.
Construction began in 2018 with major roads and a sports complex that hosted the Southeast Asian Games in 2019.
Designed to accommodate 1.2 million people, the city is expected to take at least 30 years to complete.
The BCDA is now building three highways linking New Clark City to the airport complex, where the “Taylor Swift–ready” stadium is planned. Officials have hyped that the stadium, to be built by 2028, will lure Swift after she skipped the Philippines during the South Asian leg of her Eras tour last year.
“One of the main elements that make Clark so attractive to investors is its unmatched connectivity,” the BCDA’s president, Joshua Bingcang, said this year, citing the airport, a nearby seaport and major expressways. “But we need to further build on this connectivity and invest more in infrastructure.”
That expansion has come at a cost for Aeta communities.
Counter-Mapping PH, a research organisation, and campaigners estimate that hundreds of Aeta families have been displaced since construction of the city began, including dozens of families who were given just a week in 2019 to “voluntarily” vacate ahead of the Southeast Asian Games.
They warn that thousands more could be uprooted as development continues.
The BCDA has offered financial compensation of $0.51 per square metre as well as resettlement for affected families. In July, it broke ground on 840 housing units, though it is unclear whether they are intended for displaced Aetas.
The agency maintains that no displacement has occurred because Aetas have no proven legal claim to the area. In a statement to Al Jazeera, the BCDA said it “upholds the welfare and rights of Indigenous peoples” and acknowledges their “long historical presence” in central Luzon, where Clark is located. However, it noted that Clark’s boundaries follow “long-established government ownership” dating to the US military base, and that the New Clark City does not encroach on any recognised ancestral domains.
The BCDA also contended that it is the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) that deals with the applications for a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title, and stressed that it respected “lands awarded to Indigenous peoples”.
The Clark International Airport Corporation, which oversees the airport complex, offered similar assurances, stating that “there are no households or communities existing in the said location”. The group added that while the extended Clark area has Aeta communities, none exist within the airport complex itself.
‘Since time immemorial’
Only a handful of Aeta tribes have been awarded CADTs.
Two certificates have been granted on the outskirts of Clark, while the application filed by Sapang Kawayan and other villages inside the base have languished since 1986.
Marcial Lengao, head of NCIP’s Tarlac office, told Al Jazeera that to grant Aetas in Clark a CADT they must “prove that they have been there since time immemorial”, meaning, during or before the arrival of the Spanish colonisers to the archipelago 400 years ago.
The commission, he said, specifies minimum requirements for a CADT: a genealogy of at least five clans dating back at least three generations or to the precolonial period, testimonies from elders, a map of the domain and a census of the current population.
Lengao said Sapang Kawayan’s application has yet to complete these.
But even if the application is granted, the village faces another unique hurdle. Because the BCDA owns land rights to Clark, any CADT approved by the commission in the area must then be deliberated by the executive branch or the president’s office.
“They will be responsible for finding a win-win solution,” Lengao said.
Activists, however, denounced the NCIP’s requirements as onerous and warned that the longer Aetas remain without a CADT, the more vulnerable they are to losing their lands.
“Without a CADT and without genuine recognition from the government, the Aetas will continue to be treated like squatters on their own land,” said Pia Montalban of Karapatan-Central Luzon, a local rights group.
‘Among the most abused Indigenous Filipinos’
The Aetas, who rely on small-scale subsistence farming, are among the most historically disenfranchised Indigenous peoples in the Philippines. No official data exists on the Aeta population, but the government believes them to be a small subset of the Philippines’s Indigenous peoples, numbering in the tens of thousands nationwide.
The Aeta Tribe Foundation describes them as among the “poorest and least educated” groups in the nation.
“They are among the most abused Indigenous Filipinos,” said Jeremiah Silvestre, an Indigenous psychology expert who worked closely with Aeta communities until 2022 while teaching at the Tarlac State University. “Partly because of their good-natured culture, many have taken advantage of Aetas. Worse, they live off a land that is continuously taken from them.”
Silvestre, too, described the CADT process as “unnecessarily academic”, saying it required Indigenous elders to present complete genealogies and detailed maps to government officials in what he likened to “defending your dissertation”.
Changes in government personnel can restart the entire process, he noted.
A World Bank report last year found that Indigenous peoples in the Philippines “often face insurmountable bureaucratic hurdles in their efforts to process CADTs”. The report called recognising and protecting Indigenous land rights a “crucial step in addressing poverty and conflict”.
For the families of Sapang Kawayan, experts fear the lack of formal recognition could lead to displacement and homelessness.
“There’s no safety net,” Silvestre said. “We may see more Aetas begging on the street if this continues. Systemic poverty will also mean the loss of an Indigenous culture.”
Victor Valantin, an Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative for Tarlac Province, which includes parts of Clark, fears that the territory for the Aetas in the former base is shrinking as the new projects accelerate.
“We’ll have to move and move,” he said. “Shopping centres won’t move for us.”
Valantin went on to lament what he sees as a familiar imbalance.
“BCDA projects happen so fast,” he said. “But anything for us will be awfully slow.”
UAE to withdraw ‘counterterrorism’ units from Yemen after Saudi-led strike | Newsfeed
The UAE says it’s withdrawing all ‘counterterrorism’ units from Yemen after a Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes on a port in southern Yemen. Riyadh has accused the Emiratis of shipping weapons and military vehicles to aid Yemen’s separatist movement, an accusation Abu Dhabi denies.
Published On 30 Dec 2025
Our 25 most popular film and TV stories of 2025
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who is mindlessly scrolling on their phones before the futile New Year’s resolution to curb the habit begins.
In our annual year-end edition, we expand our usual “ICYMI” feature, highlighting 2025’s most-read stories about film and television. It’s a hearty mix of celebrity profiles, insightful criticism and deep dives into the most talked-about pop culture that defined the year.
And we couldn’t do it without the support of our subscribers. We know there’s an endless stream of TikToks, Reels, articles and, ahem, other newsletters competing for your attention in any given minute — not to mention, TV and movies! — so we’re incredibly thankful for the time you choose to give this newsletter each week. We hope to continue guiding you through all the exciting film and television that greets us in 2026.
Until then, happy reading and happy watching! See you in the new year!
Take care,
Yvonne Villarreal
(The writer who tries to pull this whole thing together each week, with the help of my tag-team partner Maira Garcia.)
P.S.: Shout out to my amazing colleagues who never make me grovel for contributions, even with their demanding work loads. And to the copy editors who remain the true heroes of this place.
Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk in “Cunk on Life.”
(Netflix / BBC / Broke & Bones)
How far will Philomena Cunk go to get a laugh? ‘If he breaks my nose, it’ll heal’: Diane Morgan, the actor who plays know-nothing TV pundit Philomena Cunk, explains how series like ‘Cunk on Life’ come together. (Jan. 2)
Billy Bob Thornton unpacks ‘Landman’ finale, details his hopes for Season 2: The actor, who stars as the fixer for a Texas oil company in the hit Taylor Sheridan drama, breaks down the season finale and discusses the prospects for Season 2. (Jan. 12)
Laura Dern’s letter to David Lynch: You wove L.A. into our dreams: The Oscar-winning actor reflects on a lifetime of work with the filmmaker, with whom she collaborated on ‘Blue Velvet,’ ‘Wild at Heart’ and ‘Inland Empire.’ (Jan. 22)
In deathbed audio, Paul Reubens recalled pain of being falsely labeled a pedophile: The recording is featured in HBO Documentary Films’ ‘Pee-wee as Himself,’ which premiered Thursday at the Sundance Film Festival. (Jan. 23)
Sundance is moving to one of 3 cities. Here’s what we know about their bids: Boulder, Cincinnati and a combined Salt Lake City and Park City are competing to become the new home of the Sundance Film Festival. (Jan. 24)
How Karla Sofía Gascón turned a historic Oscars first into a historic Oscars nightmare: With a series of resurfaced tweets, the lead actress nominee for ‘Emilia Pérez’ has caused an awards season uproar — and plenty of culture war confusion. (Feb. 4)
(Stephanie Jones / Los Angeles Times; Getty / JB Lacroix)
Justin Baldoni’s tumultuous road to the center of a Hollywood scandal: The actor-director built a career blending his Bahai values and storytelling. Now allegations involving Blake Lively and ‘It Ends With Us’ threaten his image. (March 5)
‘Severance’ stars explain Season 2’s harrowing finale and the ‘love hexagon’: Actors Adam Scott, Britt Lower and Dichen Lachman, director Ben Stiller and series creator Dan Erickson discuss “Cold Harbor,” the mind-blowing Season 2 finale. (March 21)
What happened on the shocking ‘White Lotus’ Season 3 finale: Who died? Did Gaitok shoot? What happened to the lorazepam? As Mike White’s HBO anthology wraps up it’s third season, we’re here to explain it all. (April 7)
Two new mysteries show the tariff-proof resilience of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie: “Sherlock and Daughter,” a paternal twist on the Holmes legend and a new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “Towards Zero” debut on the CW and BritBox, respectively. (April 16)
Natasha Lyonne portrays Charlie Cale in Peacock’s “Poker Face.”
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Natasha Lyonne remains unconventional as a sleuth in ‘Poker Face’ and in her career: The actor is back as Charlie Cale in ‘Poker Face,’ Peacock’s murder mystery series, and for Season 2, Lyonne is adding director to her list of duties on the show. (May 8)
‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ CNN live broadcast brings George Clooney’s play to the masses: The actor’s Broadway play, based on his 2005 film, allowed viewers at home to see the actor’s much-hyped turn as Edward R. Murrow through CNN’s live television event. (June 7)
‘And Just Like That…’ seems determined to insult women over 50. And under 50: The reboot of HBO’s groundbreaking series ‘Sex and the City’ has failed to mature the women at the center of the show, or their relationships, much to this viewer’s dismay. (July 3)
Up, up and … eh? A rebooted ‘Superman’ gives the Man of Steel a mind of marshmallow: Director James Gunn launches his DC Extended Universe with a high-energy Superman played by David Corenswet, joined by co-stars Nicholas Hoult and Rachel Brosnahan. (July 8)
Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ is canceled, but he won’t go quietly into that goodnight: CBS announced that ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ would end in 2026. (July 18)
How ‘The Fantastic Four’ post-credits scene brings us one step closer to ‘Doomsday’: Yes, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ includes two post-credits scenes. Here’s how that big reveal sets up what’s coming in Phase 6 of the MCU. (July 24)
“The Wizard of Oz,” as presented in the Las Vegas venue Sphere.
(Rich Fury / Sphere Entertainment)
‘Wizard of Oz’ at Las Vegas’ Sphere feels more like a ride than a movie (with Disneyland-level pricing): The cherished 1939 fantasy has been expanded by generative AI to fit the giant parameters of the Las Vegas immersive venue. Has too much creative license been taken? (Sept. 3)
After 15 years of ‘Downton Abbey,’ Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery can’t quite say goodbye: The actors reflect on their father-daughter roles in ‘Downton Abbey,’ the end of an era and honoring Maggie Smith’s legacy in ‘The Grand Finale.’ (Sept. 5)
How an O.C. teen joined Kanye West’s inner circle and filmed him unfiltered for six years: Director Nico Ballesteros followed Ye at close range, capturing the artist’s rawest highs and lowest lows in the new documentary “In Whose Name?” (Sept. 10)
Shutdown of Corp. for Public Broadcasting, recipient of Governors Award, elicits boos at Emmys: The Corp. for Public Broadcasting, which last month announced it would be shutting down after federal funding cuts, received the 2025 Governors Award at an earlier ceremony. (Sept. 14)
Jenny Han on ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ series finale and why Belly had to go to Paris: The author, producer and showrunner knows fans are restless about how her hit Prime Video series might end, but she says she “loves surprising people.” (Sept. 15)
A look at the scene outside the El Capitan Entertainment Centre, where the late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” is staged, in the wake of the show getting pulled from ABC.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
ABC’s decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel’s show has echoes and contrasts of Roseanne Barr firing: The news that ABC would be pulling ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ indefinitely was reminiscent of the cancellation of Roseanne Barr’s eponymous sitcom, which had been rebooted in 2018, but had significant differences. (Sept. 18)
What Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers said about Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension: The four late-night hosts weighed in on ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s show indefinitely in their monologues and in other segments. (Sept. 18)
Jimmy Kimmel returns to ABC with emotional monologue defending free speech: ‘We have to stand up’: The host returned Tuesday to his late-night show on ABC, where he addressed his comments on Charlie Kirk’s death and thanked those who have supported him in the past week. (Sept. 23)
‘South Park’ quietly ended Season 27, jumping into Season 28 with new episode roasting Peter Thiel: The adult animated comedy series returns Wednesday to Comedy Central with a new episode that also marks a new season. (Oct. 15)