build

In the crazy world known as college sports, where thousands are entering the transfer portal chasing NIL deals guided by agents, imagine what it’s like for high school athletes preparing one day to join the chaos that shows no signs of ending any time soon.

“Times have definitely changed,” said junior quarterback Chris Fields III of Carson. “It’s time not to get discouraged. It’s a time to lock in, learn as much as I can and try to acclimate as fast as possible because if you don’t get with the times, you’re going to get lost. There’s too much money out there, too many opportunities to not take advantage fully.”

Fields was recently chosen the City Section offensive player of the year after leading Carson to the Open Division championship. He’s 6 feet 1, has a 4.0 grade-point average and is coming off a season in which he passed for 2,031 yards and 29 touchdowns and ran for 958 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He’s smartly joining Carson’s highly successful track and field team this spring to continue trying to gain speed. One good time that shows how fast he is will immediately get college recruiters taking notice.

It’s an interesting point in the year for quarterbacks. Fields competed in a weightlifting competition last weekend. He’s working out with a private quarterback coach. He’s lining up summer camp appearances. Yet his main focus is continuing to show his athletic skills that can separate him from others.

Asked what he’s trying to improve on, he said, “Everywhere, but more specifically in the passing game. I can make leaps and bounds sitting in the pocket, taking more time, trusting my reads, trusting my O-line, being more comfortable back there. Sometimes I felt a little rush and took off when I didn’t have to. I don’t want to be the guy who takes off for no reason.”

Quarterback Chris Fields III of Carson High passed for two touchdowns and ran for three touchdowns in a state playoff loss to Delano Kennedy.

(Craig Weston)

No one can play quarterback without having the ability to make split-second decisions. It’s the biggest challenge playing the position, and those who do it well are much in demand because they avoid mistakes and use their instincts to make something out of nothing.

“I’ve been doing this my whole life,” Fields said. “I’m kind of used to it. It took me a while to grasp how fast I have to make decisions. If you do not make a decision within two seconds, you can get your head knocked off. It’s imperative to be a fast decision-maker.”

When Carson won its 12th City title on Nov. 29, the Colts did it in dominating fashion. The Colts won their three playoff games 27-2, 40-7 and 36-0.

“It’s a true blessing,” Fields said. “This is testament to our hard work. A lot of things were unseen. We had a lot more social media presence. We practiced harder. We lifted harder. And we executed a lot better. Our playbook was deep this year. The energy was different. Guys clicked a lot better. We understood what we had to do better.”

The preparation has already begun for 2026, particularly in the weight room, where games can be lost or won in the offseason. Carson was really no match in the state playoffs along the line in a 35-33 loss to Delano Kennedy. It was all about brute strength.

Fields is a true team leader. It makes perfect sense why linemen would do anything to protect him. He always gives credit to others. He’s an inspiration and he’ll be leading the offseason charge.

“When I wake up in the morning, I know it’s not me. I know it’s God,” he said. “I carry that mindset everywhere. It has to be the higher power and the people he surrounds me with. It’s a team game. It’s not only me out there. There’s guys blocking for me, there’s the guys catching balls for me, guys have to slow other people down so we have a chance to win. It’s never only me. “

What a player for Carson to build around for 2026.

Dhaka, Bangladesh – On Tuesday, the premises of Evercare Hospital in Bangladesh’s capital turned into a sombre focal point for a nation’s grief as news filtered out of the medical facility: Khaleda Zia, three-time prime minister and longtime leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was dead.

Khaleda had been receiving treatment at the hospital since the night of November 23.

Supporters, party leaders and common citizens stood silently in front of the hospital gates, wiping away tears and offering prayers. “The news made it impossible for us to stay at home,” said BNP activist Riyadul Islam. “Since there is no opportunity to see her, everyone is waiting outside. There are tears in everyone’s eyes.”

Her funeral at Dhaka’s Manik Mia Avenue on Wednesday drew tens of thousands of BNP supporters from across the country, alongside leaders of other political parties, interim government head Muhammad Yunus and foreign diplomats – underscoring the imprint of Khaleda’s legacy, and how it extended well beyond Bangladesh’s borders.

But beyond the grief, Khaleda Zia’s death marks a decisive political rupture for the BNP at a critical moment, say political analysts.

With national elections scheduled for February 12, the party is entering the campaign without the leader who remained its ultimate symbol of unity, even during years of illness and political inactivity.

Her passing pushes BNP into a fully post-Khaleda phase, concentrating authority and accountability on her son and acting chairperson, Tarique Rahman, as the party seeks to consolidate its base and compete in a reshaped political landscape following the July 2024 upheaval and the subsequent banning of the Awami League’s political activities.

Legacy as anchor, absence as test

For decades, Khaleda Zia’s relevance extended beyond formal leadership.

Even when absent from front-line politics, she functioned as the party’s moral centre and final authority, helping to contain factionalism and defer leadership questions.

Mahdi Amin, adviser to Tarique Rahman, told Al Jazeera that Bangladesh had lost “a true guardian”, describing Khaleda Zia as a unifying symbol of sovereignty, independence and democracy.

He said the BNP would carry forward her legacy through its policies and governance priorities if elected.

“The hallmark of her politics was a strong parliamentary democracy – rule of law, human rights and freedom of expression,” Amin said, adding that the BNP aims to restore institutions and rights that, he claimed, were eroded during the Awami League’s 15-year rule, between 2009 and 2024, under then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda’s longtime rival.

Amin insisted that Tarique has already emerged as a unifying figure, citing his role in coordinating the movement against Hasina and formulating a 31-point reform agenda aimed at restoring voting rights and institutional accountability.

Despite these assertions, however, analysts say Khaleda’s absence removes a critical layer of symbolic authority that long helped stabilise the BNP’s internal politics.

Writer and political analyst Mohiuddin Ahmed said Khaleda’s personal charisma played a key role in keeping the party energised and cohesive.

“That rhythm will be disrupted,” he said. “Tarique Rahman now has to prove his leadership through a process. His leadership remains untested.”

Ahmed noted that Khaleda herself was once an untested political figure, rising to national prominence during the mass pro-democracy movement of the 1980s that ultimately led to the fall of military ruler General Hussain Muhammad Ershad. Her husband, the then-President Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated in 1981 during a failed military coup.

Ahmed argued that the February election could play a similar defining role for Tarique Rahman: Success would validate his leadership, while failure would intensify scrutiny.

A tougher electoral terrain

BNP’s challenge is compounded by a transformed opposition landscape.

For more than three decades, Bangladesh’s electoral politics were shaped by a near-binary rivalry between the Awami League and the BNP, a pattern that emerged after the fall of military rule in 1990 and hardened through successive elections in the 1990s and 2000s.

With the Awami League now absent – its political activities banned by the Yunus administration – that two-party dominance has fractured, forcing BNP to compete in a more crowded field that includes a strong alliance led by the Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s biggest Islamist force. The Jamaat coalition includes the National Citizen Party, launched by many of the youth leaders who drove the July 2024 mass movement that forced Hasina out of power and into exile in India.

“This will not be easy for BNP,” Ahmed said. “Post-July [2024] politics has changed the equation. New polarisation is emerging, and the dominance of two parties no longer holds,” he added.

Analysts also point to key uncertainties that linger: whether the election will be held on time, whether it will be peaceful, and whether major parties can ensure public confidence in the process.

Dilara Choudhury, a political scientist who observed both Khaleda and her husband closely, said Khaleda Zia functioned as a “guardian figure” for not just her party, but also the country, and that her death represents the loss of a senior stabilising presence in Bangladesh politics.

Tarique, Khaleda’s son, was in exile in the United Kingdom from 2008 until December 25, 2025, when he returned after a series of cases against him that were initiated by a military-backed government in power between 2006 and 2009, or by the subsequent Hasina government, were closed.

She argued that Tarique’s return to the country has reduced fears of internal division within the party and that his recent speeches – reaffirming Bangladeshi nationalism, rejecting authoritarianism and honouring victims of the 2024 July uprising violence – have reassured party supporters about ideological continuity.

“BNP and Awami League have both been personality-centred parties,” she said. “After Khaleda Zia, it is natural that Tarique Rahman occupies that space within the BNP.”

From legacy to verdict

Yet BNP leaders acknowledge that legacy alone will not determine the party’s future.

Allegations of extortion involving some party activists continue to surface – an issue that adviser Mahdi Amin described as mostly exaggerated, though he said the party plans to address it through stricter internal controls.

At the grassroots level, some party members say Tarique’s leadership transition will not be without challenges.

“It would be unrealistic to say there will be no difficulties,” said Kamal Uddin, senior joint secretary of the Chakaria upazila unit of Jubo Dal, the BNP’s youth wing, in Cox’s Bazar district. “In the past, there were disagreements with senior leaders who worked closely with Khaleda Zia – and even with Ziaur Rahman. That could be a challenge in decision-making. But I believe he will be able to manage.”

Kamal Uddin travelled with three other BNP activists from Cox’s Bazar, a coastal city on the Bay of Bengal about 350km (217 miles) south of Dhaka, to attend Khaleda Zia’s funeral on Wednesday.

Senior BNP leaders, however, dismiss doubts over Tarique’s authority.

Standing committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, who served as commerce minister in Khaleda Zia’s cabinet from 2001 to 2004, said Tarique’s leadership credentials were already established.

“His leadership has been proven,” Chowdhury told Al Jazeera earlier this month. “He is capable of leading the party effectively.”

As BNP prepares for the polls, analysts say the party’s ability to ensure discipline, project reform and contribute to a peaceful election will itself be a test of Tarique’s leadership.

A separate discussion has emerged on social media and among political rivals.

On November 29, ahead of his eventual return, Tarique wrote on his verified Facebook page that the decision to come home was not “entirely within his control” and not “under his sole control”. Critics interpreted this as raising questions about possible external influence – particularly India – on whether and when he would return.

BNP leaders rejected these claims, insisting his return was a political and legal matter tied to domestic realities rather than foreign negotiation, and that national interest would guide the party’s policy if it comes to power.

For many supporters, however, politics remains deeply personal.

Fifty-seven-year-old Dulal Mia, who travelled from the northeastern district of Kishoreganj to attend Tarique’s reception rally in Dhaka on December 25, still recalls the moment that made him a lifelong BNP supporter.

When he was a sixth-grader in 1979, he said, then-President Ziaur Rahman visited the paddy field where he was working and shook his hand. Ziaur Rahman is remembered for addressing drought by digging canals across the country and visiting remote areas barefoot, often without formal protocol.

“Tarique Rahman will have to carry the legacy of his parents,” Mia said. “If he doesn’t, people will turn away. The BNP’s politics is people’s politics – it began with Ziaur Rahman and was carried by Khaleda Zia for so long. I believe Tarique Rahman will do the same. Otherwise, it is the people who will reject him.”

The DIY SOS team stepped in to help a youth club in East Yorkshire on Tuesday

DIY SOS star Nick Knowles fought back tears as he unveiled the “most challenging” build on Tuesday (December 30).

The latest episode of the hit BBC programme saw Nick and the team step in to help a youth club that had lost its home in the town of Beverley, East Yorkshire.

The Cherry Tree Community Centre once gave local children a safe place to meet up and find support, but when the pandemic hit, the building was turned into a food hub for families, leaving the kids out in the cold.

With another harsh winter on the way, Nick, designer Gabrielle Blackman and the DIY SOS regulars enlisted the help of local tradespeople to construct a new, purpose-built youth centre on the edge of the park. They were joined by Gladiators stars Jodie Ounsley, Tom Wilson, Lystus Ebosele and Jamie Christian-Johal – aka Fury, Hammer, Cyclone and Giant.

Just before the build began, Nick fought back tears as he shared the importance of the project, after growing up on an estate himself.

“I grew up in a place like this. The kind of places that people say, ‘Oh, don’t bother building anything nice there, it will just get destroyed,'” he said.

“You have to build stuff in tough places, you have to make a difference,” Nick continued, before pausing as he became emotional.

The crowd began clapping, before Nick said: “I didn’t expect it to get me. You will make this happen, you will change the futures of young people round here with what we’re about to do.”

This is a breaking showbiz story and is being constantly updated. Please refresh the page regularly to get the latest news, pictures and videos.

You can also get email updates on the day’s biggest stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters

Dec. 29 (Asia Today) — Former People Power Party lawmaker Thae Yong-ho said Monday that North Korea is likely to build a nuclear-powered submarine before South Korea, citing Pyongyang’s ability to bypass lengthy legislative and administrative processes.

Thae made the remarks during an appearance on Asia Today TV’s political talk show Shin Yul’s Political Check. He was commenting on North Korea’s stated goal of developing a nuclear-powered strategic submarine as part of its five major defense modernization tasks.

“North Korea’s objective is to create a nuclear threat that the United States would perceive as credible,” Thae said. He added, however, that Washington still does not view Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities as an immediate existential threat.

He said a land-based nuclear missile launched from North Korea would take about an hour to reach the United States and could be intercepted or neutralized through a preemptive strike. “That’s why North Korea is trying to develop a method to hide in the depths of the ocean and launch closer to U.S. shores,” he said, adding that Pyongyang ultimately seeks recognition as a nuclear-armed state.

“North Korea lies a lot and engages in bluster,” Thae said. “But when you look back, they usually end up building what they say they will. The quality may not be sophisticated, but they get it done. A nuclear submarine is just a matter of time.”

Asked whether South Korea or North Korea would succeed first, Thae said he believed the North would do so earlier. He noted that while South Korea has much of the necessary technology, building a nuclear-powered submarine would require years of preparation, legislative approval and negotiations, particularly with the United States.

“Even if it were built at a U.S. shipyard, the infrastructure alone could take five years to prepare,” he said. He added that fuel transfer issues and U.S. legislative approval would also pose major hurdles. “We are a democracy, so procedures take time. North Korea can simply cobble something together with Russia, but we cannot.”

Thae also said North Korea has not yet completed its submarine-launched ballistic missile technology. He noted that while the North has displayed launches from barges, it has not conducted a confirmed underwater launch since unveiling a nuclear attack submarine in September 2023.

“If they had mastered the technology, they would have demonstrated it by now,” he said, adding that firing missiles underwater while maintaining submarine stability is highly complex.

Thae also predicted that North Korea’s internal power structure could move into what he described as an “era of Ri Sol-ju,” referring to Kim Jong-un’s wife. He said Kim’s daughter, Kim Ju-ae’s public appearances appear symbolic rather than indicative of an imminent female successor.

Turning to South Korea’s decision to allow limited public access to Rodong Sinmun, Thae downplayed concerns about social impact. He said the newspaper is only available in restricted settings such as libraries and is not widely read even inside North Korea.

“In North Korea, officials are forced to read it during designated morning sessions,” he said. “Who would read it here, and how many people would bother? There won’t be major social repercussions.”

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

AMERICAN stars Beyoncé and Jay-Z are set to use a “rich person” planning loophole to build a huge rural estate in the UK. 

The couple are said to have bought a 58-acre plot in the Cotswolds for their mansion. 

On the land is a derelict shack near an algae-filled lake. 

Permission has been granted for a spectacular seven-bed property. 

Development is allowed under a special exemption clause in the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework. It gives permission for new homes in rural locations where planning would typically be refused. 

To qualify the design must be of “exceptional quality . . . truly outstanding, reflecting the highest standards in architecture”. 

FACE OF GLOOM

Adam Peaty’s parents look devastated as they break cover after wedding snub

SAD TIMES

Heartbreaking moment Harvey Price bursts into tears over accident at home

It has been dubbed the “rich person clause” because of the ­millions of pounds required to override regular restrictions. 

Planning permission for the development in Oxfordshire was granted in 2021 but work never started. 

The plot was later marketed for £7.5million with the permission attached and has been sold — with Texas Hold ’Em singer Beyoncé, 44, and 99 Problems rapper Jay-Z, 56, believed to be the purchasers. 

The listing stated the property is “totally unique”, adding “The site for the new house is at the head of a long drive that meanders through beautiful countryside to a magical woodland lake. 

“The start of the drive is on the edge of a sought-after village and is within striking distance of Soho Farmhouse. 

“Permission has been granted to create a large contemporary dwelling that part-cantilevers over its own lake, has incredible room volumes throughout, will be exceptionally light and have stunning views over the countryside. 

“The position and the permission are unrivalled.” 

Beyoncé, Jay-Z and their children live in California but have made several trips to the area. 

Stars Jeremy Clarkson, Claudia Winkleman and David and Victoria Beckham live nearby. 

But locals have concerns about an influx of A-listers. One 71-year-old, who has lived there for more than 60 years, said: “My grandson will think this is wonderful that they are coming here. I think it will change the village.”