central

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Bravo 4, LA Wilson 2

Chavez 7, Arleta 2

El Camino Real 9, Cleveland 3

Granada Hills 12, Chatsworth 1

LA Marshall 10, Lincoln 0

LA Roosevelt 11, Huntington Park 4

Maya 12, Los Angeles 2

Northridge Academy 15, Panorama 3

Palisades 3, LACES 1

Roybal 18, RFK Community 1

San Pedro 13, Wilmington Banning 5

SOCES 7, Fulton 0

South Gate 7, Bell 3

Van Nuys 15, VAAS 3

Westchester 19, Fairfax 9

SOUTHERN SECTION

Arliington 3, Moreno Valley 2

Bellflower 7, Cerritos 4

Bonita 5, Diamond Bar 2

Cajon 7, Beaumont 0

California 6, El Rancho 3

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 2, Channel Islands 1

Charter Oak 15, Rowland 13

Chino Hills 5, Upland 3

Corona 3, Arcadia 2

Cypress 14, La Habra 3

Damien 2, Rancho Cucamonga 0

Desert Mirage 16, Packinghouse Christian 2

Eastside 11, Antelope Valley 7

El Modena 7, Brea OlInda 1

Etiwanda 1, Bishop Amat 0

Estancia 12, Santa Ana 2

Esperanza 6, Troy 2

Garden Grove 3, St. Monica 2

Glenn 6, Firebaugh 5

Godinez 3, Saddleback 1

Hemet 11, Vista del Lago 1

Hesperia 9, Apple Valley 6

Hoover 12, Burbank Providence 10

Huntington Beach 4, St. John Bosco 2

Indian Springs 10, San Bernardino 3

Irvine 8, Portola 2

Laguna Beach 6, Northwood 0

La Serna 10, Santa Fe 7

La Sierra 17, Jurupa Valley 9

Long Beach Cabrillo 11, Artesia 6

Long Beach Jordan 7, San Jacinto 3

Miller 39, Entrepreneur 0

Mira Costa 9, Capistrano Valley 6

Newbury Park 12, Crespi 2

Newport Harbor 2, Corona Centennial 0

Norco 14, Los Osos 0

Northview 6, Laguna Hills 5

Orange County Pacifica Christian 15, Nipomo 5

Orange Lutheran 2, Gahr 1

Orange Vista 1, Citrus Hill 0

Oxnard 10, Fillmore 4

Palmdale 4, Knight 3

Paramount 9, Mary Star of the Sea 5

Patriot 10, Rubidoux 1

Ramona 18, Norte Vista 0

Rancho Christian 10, Lakeside 0

Rancho Verde 2, Canyon Springs 1

Ridgecrest Burroughs 10, Oak Hills 5

Righetti 10, Bishop Montgomery 1

Riverside North 2, Perris 1

Riverside Poly 9, Liberty 8

Riverside Prep 23, Big Bear 4

Royal 8, Moorpark 7

San Marcos 11, Lakewood 1

Sierra Canyon 13, Warren 0

Simi Valley 10, Oak Park 1

St. Francis 4, Santa Maria St. Joseph 2

St. Paul 5, Buena Park 2

Sultana 10, Serrano 3

Sunny Hills 7, Cerritos Valley Christian 6

Torrance 12, Gardena Serra 4

Valley View 14, Hillcrest 8

Vasquez 5, Canyon Country Canyon 1

Villa Park 8, El Dorado 4

West Covina 8, Schurr 1

West Torrance 5, North Torrance 4

Whittier 14, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 7

Woodbridge 17, Irvine University 4

Yorba Linda 5, Sonora 4

INTERSECTIONAL

Alemany 12, Bakersfield Centennial 2

Atascadero 6, Terra Nova 3

Canoga Park 11, Reseda 10

Dublin 12, Marina 4

Eastvale Roosevelt 15, Central 0

El Capitan 5, Placentia Valencia 1

Ganesha 2, San Ramon Valley 2

Heritage 12, Paloma Valley 7

La Palma Kennedy 16, Golden Sierra 6

Lompoc 13, Piedmont 11

Morro Bay 6, Village Christian 3

Paraclete 7, Central Valley 2

Patrick Henry 10, Fountain Valley 5

Pioneer Valley 6, University Prep 6

St. Bernard 16, Venice 2

Walnut 8, Bear River 4

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Chavez 9, Arleta 0

Diego Rivera 14, Angelou 9

Granada Hills Kennedy 4, Verdugo Hills 1

Hawkins 34, Crenshaw 13

LA Jordan 14, Washington Prep 13

Marquez 14, Sotomayor 0

Maywood Academy 22, Torres 4

Maywood CES 32, Elizabeth 2

Narbonne 15, South East 7

San Fernando 14, Sun Valley Poly 0

Santee 24, West Adams 20

SOCES 32, Fulton 0

Sylmar 14, North Hollywood 3

Triumph Charter 28, Valley Oaks CES 0

University 17, Palisades 2

Van Nuys 21, Monroe 4

Venice 22, LACES 1

SOUTHERN SECTION

Anaheim 16, Loara 2

Anza Hamilton 11, Yucca Valley 4

Apple Valley 21, Ridgecrest Burroughs 1

Azusa 17, Nogales 15

Bolsa Grande 29, Estancia 0

Bonita 10, Corona Santiago 9

Charter Oak 12, Rowland 1

CSDR 27, Sherman Indian 5

Eastvale Roosevelt 15, Corona Centennial 4

Foothill Tech 11, Hueneme 0

Fullerton 10, Garden Grove 0

Glendora 3, Burbank Burroughs 1

Heritage 11, Citrus Valley 1

Highland 11, Palmdale 0

Jurupa Valley 12, La Sierra 1

La Canada 14, Alemany 7

Lakeside 24, Vista del Lago 1

Magnolia 16, Saddleback 12

Norco 4, Riverside King 3

Oak Hills 23, Serrano 2

Orange 10, Western 0

Pasadena Poly 5, Harvard-Westlake 3

Patriot 14, Rubidoux 4

Ramona 18, Norte Vista 0

Rancho Mirage 12, Silverado 3

Rancho Verde 11, Moreno Valley 0

Riverside North 7, Arlington 4

Riverside Poly 5, Valley View 0

Riverside Prep 19, AAE 7

San Bernardino 15, Indian Springs 5

San Marcos 14, Fillmore 1

Santa Ana Foothill 4, Beckman 3

Santa Fe 8, Sonora 5

Savanna 21, Century 6

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 7, Royal 1

Sierra Canyon 7, Moorpark 3

Sultana 15, Hesperia 10

Ventura 13, Faith Baptist 1

West Torrance 11, South Torrance 6

INTERSECTIONAL

Paloma Valley 2, Hillcrest 1

Palo Verde Valley 7, Artesia 3

Quartz Hill 19, Immanuel Christian 5

Rancho Christian 10, Perris 0

Righetti 2, Sutter 0

Videos show Palestinians in Gaza scrambling to extinguish a vehicle engulfed in flames in az-Zawayda after it was targeted by an Israeli drone. Israel has killed more than 700 people since the October 10 “ceasefire,” according to local officials.

Watch the moment an Iranian strike hits what appears to be a bridge in central Tel Aviv, startling pedestrians nearby with the loud blast.

PHILADELPHIA — After missing its first seven shots, UCLA finally started to click in its NCAA tournament opener against Central Florida on Friday night. The Bruins shook off their early jitters by hitting their next eight shots to quickly build a 13-point lead midway through the half.

From there, the seventh-seeded Bruins, playing without leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau, held off No. 10 Central Florida’s second half comeback bid in a 75-71 win.

UCLA will play the winner of No. 2 Connecticut vs. No. 15 Furman on Sunday in the second round.

With Bilodeau out because of a sprained knee he sustained in the Big Ten tournament, 6-foot-8 guard Eric Dailey Jr. led the way with 20 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Xavier Booker, starting in place of Bilodeau, added 15 points and eight rebounds. Trent Perry also scored 15 points and Donovan Dent scored 10. Jordan Burks and Riley Kugel topped the Knights with 22 and 13 points, respectively.

After a late UCF flurry cut a 14-point Bruins’ lead to 35-27 at the half, UCLA went back to work in the second half, with a Booker jumper helping UCLA take a 46-32 lead. But Central Florida wasn’t giving up.

The Knights responded with an 11-0 run, knocking down three from beyond the arc, making it a one possession game, 46-43.

That was as close as UCF got until the final seconds. A three-pointer by Burks with 10 seconds left made it a three-point score again. Perry then made two free throws before Themus Fulks quickly scored on a driving layup. Skyy Clark, who lost part of a tooth earlier in the second half while battling for a loose ball, then made one of two free throws in the final seconds to secure the win.

UCLA’s Trent Perry, left, shoots over Central Florida’s Themus Fulks during the first half Friday.

(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)

Wave of Israeli air attacks launched as ground offensive widens in south where Hezbollah are fighting Israeli forces.

Israel has attacked a building in Bashoura, a neighbourhood in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported, with a blast and smoke rising over the area shortly after Israel issued an evacuation threat for the site.

The attack was part of a deadly wave of Israeli strikes across Lebanon that killed at least 20 people and wounded 24 on Wednesday, according to the country’s Ministry of Public Health, with raids stretching from the capital through southern and eastern parts of the country, a devastating front in the wider United States-Israel war against Iran embroiling the region.

At least six people were killed in the air strikes in Beirut, with dozens injured.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Beirut, Zeina Khodr, reported that intense Israeli attacks hit multiple regions across Lebanon, including central Beirut, overnight.

Speaking from in front of a 15-storey building struck in one of the attacks, Khodr said its lower floors had been targeted a week earlier. In the early hours, however, the structure was completely demolished, with the Israeli army claiming Hezbollah had stored cash there.

“You can see the widespread damage across this whole neighbourhood,” Khodr said.

Israel’s military said it had launched what it described as limited ground operations in southern Lebanon, issuing evacuation threats for residents of four towns near the Zahrani River and the Tyre area, warning them to head north immediately.

Lebanon’s NNA also reported strikes on Tyre and the nearby area of Al-Burj Al-Shamali in the pre-dawn hours.

At least four people were killed in an Israeli attack that targeted four houses in the town of Sahmar in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.

The intensifying assault has now killed at least 912 people in Lebanon, including 111 children, and wounded more than 2,200 since Israel launched its offensive on March 2, according to Lebanese Health Ministry figures.

More than one million people have been forced from their homes. The United Nations warned on Tuesday that Israeli attacks on residential buildings and civilian infrastructure may constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law.

A spokesperson for the UN human rights office said that deliberately targeting civilians or civilian objects “amounts to a war crime”, adding that Israel’s sweeping displacement orders for southern Lebanon may themselves violate international law.

Khodr said that Hezbollah’s secretary general, Naim Qassem, last night laid down conditions for the war to end, including Israel stopping attacks, displaced people being permitted to return to their homes, those detained over the last two years by Israel being released and the Israeli army withdrawing.

Across southern Lebanon, Khodr said Hezbollah was “still present in the area, trying to repel the Israeli army’s advance”, adding that Hezbollah’s aim was not just territorial control of the region, but preventing Israel from gaining new positions in the country.

The conflict was ignited on February 28 when US and Israeli forces assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran, prompting Hezbollah to launch rockets into northern Israel on March 2.

Israel has since killed more than 2,000 people across Iran and Lebanon in its attacks.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a staunch Israeli ally, added his voice to growing international concern, warning that Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon was an “error” that risked worsening what he described as an already dire humanitarian situation.

The surge in oil prices triggered by the war in Iran is increasingly becoming a major concern for global central banks, which are closely monitoring the potential economic and financial consequences of the shock.

More than a week of conflict in the Middle East has disrupted energy supply routes and pushed crude prices sharply higher, raising fresh fears about inflation. For policymakers already grappling with fragile economic conditions, the oil spike presents a complex policy dilemma.

Historically, oil shocks have posed a difficult challenge for central banks. Rising energy prices can drive inflation higher while simultaneously weakening consumer spending and business activity by raising costs. In such circumstances, policymakers face an uncomfortable choice: tighten policy to control inflation or ease financial conditions to support economic growth and employment.

The current situation could potentially produce both outcomes at once, creating a scenario where inflation rises even as economic demand weakens a combination that complicates monetary policy decisions.

Inflation Versus Economic Growth

Central banks traditionally respond to inflationary pressures by raising interest rates or maintaining tighter monetary policy. Some policymakers argue that responding quickly to inflation triggered by an oil shock can prevent inflation expectations from becoming entrenched and reduce longer-term economic damage.

Others, however, advocate “looking through” temporary energy-driven price spikes, arguing that aggressive tightening could unnecessarily damage economic growth. This approach gained prominence after the pandemic, when many central banks initially viewed inflation as temporary a judgment widely criticised in hindsight.

The decision facing policymakers now depends on several uncertainties, including how long the conflict lasts, how severely energy supplies are disrupted, and whether governments intervene with subsidies or price caps to protect consumers.

Given these unknowns, many central banks may prefer to adopt a cautious approach, waiting to see how markets and economic conditions evolve before making significant policy adjustments.

Financial Stability Risks Enter the Picture

Beyond inflation and growth concerns, central banks must also consider a third responsibility that has gained prominence since the global financial crisis: financial stability.

Senior policymakers worry that the oil shock could expose vulnerabilities that have been building in global financial markets for years. A large macroeconomic disturbance involving energy prices, inflation, interest rates and currency volatility could trigger a broader financial stress event.

Much of the concern centres on the growing role of “shadow banking” institutions, financial intermediaries operating outside traditional banking regulation. These entities have become increasingly important providers of credit to companies and governments.

One major area of focus is the rapid expansion of private credit funds, which now manage more than $3 trillion globally. These funds allow asset managers to lend directly to businesses, often outside the scrutiny of public markets or traditional banking standards.

Regulators worry that during a major shock, investors could rapidly withdraw funds from these vehicles, potentially creating liquidity problems for borrowers and spillover risks for banks that help finance or manage the funds.

Pressure in Bond and Repo Markets

Another major source of concern lies in government bond markets, where highly leveraged hedge funds have become increasingly active. Many of these funds use repurchase agreements, or “repo” markets, to borrow money and finance large trades involving government bonds.

These strategies often rely on exploiting small price differences between cash bonds and futures contracts, but they involve substantial leverage. While such activity can help smooth government financing, it can also create systemic vulnerabilities during periods of market stress.

The Financial Stability Board, which monitors risks to the global financial system for the G20, warned earlier this year that sudden deleveraging in repo markets could disrupt sovereign bond markets.

More than $16 trillion in repo transactions backed by government bonds were outstanding last year, with about 60% concentrated in the United States. A sudden withdrawal of leveraged investors could therefore have significant ripple effects across global financial markets.

New Fragilities: Stablecoins and Technology Stocks

Regulators are also monitoring emerging risks linked to digital finance. Stablecoins cryptocurrencies pegged to traditional currencies such as the U.S. dollar have grown rapidly and are increasingly investing reserves in government bonds.

With the stablecoin market now worth roughly $300 billion and expanding, any loss of confidence in these assets could trigger large-scale sales of the bonds that back them. Such an event could add stress to already volatile financial markets.

At the same time, some investors remain concerned about high valuations and heavy market concentration in the rapidly growing artificial intelligence sector, which could amplify market volatility during periods of economic uncertainty.

Analysis: Oil Shock Could Trigger Wider Financial Stress

The Iran war oil shock illustrates how geopolitical crises can interact with financial vulnerabilities to create broader economic risks.

Higher energy prices directly increase inflation and strain household finances. At the same time, they can force central banks to reconsider interest-rate policies, potentially leading to higher borrowing costs and greater volatility in financial markets.

Such conditions could expose weaknesses in highly leveraged sectors of the financial system, particularly in shadow banking, hedge funds and digital financial markets.

Although previous shocks including the economic turmoil following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine did not ultimately trigger a major financial crisis, policymakers remain cautious. The brief turmoil in the U.S. regional banking sector in 2023 demonstrated how quickly financial stress can emerge when economic conditions shift.

If oil prices remain elevated and central banks are forced to respond aggressively, the resulting tightening of financial conditions could amplify existing vulnerabilities across markets.

For now, the disturbances appear manageable. But the combination of geopolitical conflict, energy market disruption and financial fragility ensures that central banks will continue to watch the situation with increasing concern.

With information from Reuters.