deal

Angel City heads into this weekend’s NWSL playoffs with the youngest starting lineup in the league. And with a 10-game unbeaten streak, it has the hottest team in the league as well.

On Thursday, that team got a little younger and potentially a bit better when it announced the signing of 17-year-old Maddie DiMaria, the leading scorer in the U-17 women’s World Cup. Financial terms of the four-year deal were not released.

“This person is special,” sporting director Mark Parsons said of DiMaria, who signed with Angel City before scoring 12 goals in four games in the age-group World Cup. “But she also represents what Angel City football is about and what Angel City is trying to do over the so many years, which is win.

“And she’s a winner.”

Maddie DiMaria, second from right, accepts the Gatorade National Players of the Year award during the ESPY Awards in July.

(Mike Coppola / Getty Images)

A two-time Gatorade girls’ national soccer player of the year, DiMaria scored 24 times in 23 appearances with the U-17 team, with her 12 goals in Morocco breaking Michelle Akers’ 35-year-old American record for most goals in a World Cup. Before graduating from Cor Jesu Academy in St. Louis, she scored 67 goals and had 25 assists as a junior, leading her team to a 25-0 season and a state championship.

Her father, Jeff DiMaria, played briefly for the Colorado Rapids in MLS and her mother, Sara, played college soccer, as did both of her older siblings. DiMaria trained with Angel City for a week this summer and Parsons, who has been scouting her for nearly two years, said the team was impressed by what it saw.

“She had a big impact,” Parsons said. “Not just on the field by being super fun and talented, but as a senior player [told] me, ‘we love Maddie. She’s got great vibes. We really liked her as a person.’”

Angel City (15-8-7), which set franchise records for wins, goals, points and goal differential this season, makes its second appearance in the NWSL playoffs Saturday when it travels to Kansas City to meet the Current in the quarterfinals.

Hollywood Park was winning one fight and losing another, both by slim margins, as vote counting continued Tuesday night on two ballot measures in Inglewood.

According to results posted by the Los Angeles County registrar shortly after 10:30 p.m., Measure AT was losing, 51.9% to 48.1%, a margin of 583 votes; and Measure BB was losing 51% to 49%, a margin of 307.

Measure AT would mean more ticket taxes for big events in Inglewood, home to SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and the Forum. The City of Inglewood wants that.

Measure BB would bar the city from allowing billboard advertising on sidewalks, medians and the like. Owners of those sports and entertainment venues, who have their own sponsorship deals, are backing that measure.

Meanwhile, City Council member Gloria D. Gray led incumbent Mayor James T. Butts Jr., 34.6% to 29.8%, putting them on an early track for a runoff election in March.

Los Angeles County does not provide a timeline for when the election results will be listed as final.

The ballot measures were spawned by a feud between Inglewood and Hollywood Park, the nearly 300-acre development anchored by SoFi Stadium and owned by Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

The fight started last year over billboards. Inglewood signed a deal with WOW Media for 60 digital signs carrying 108 screens, some of them bus-shelter-sized kiosks. Others are street displays up to 22 feet tall on sidewalks and medians.

SoFi Stadium, Intuit Dome and the Forum sued to block the deal, arguing the signs would undercut their individual sponsors who paid for exclusivity. A judge sided with the city and an appeal is underway.

Measure BB, short for “Billboard Blight,” aimed to restrict billboard advertising on public property. It qualified with nearly 13,000 signatures.

The WOW deal runs 20 years with two 10-year options, so it could be around for 40 years.

“It’s biblical in length,” said John Shallman, the political strategist managing the “Yes on BB” campaign. “You go back 40 years. We didn’t even have the Internet. We didn’t have cell phones.”

Skip Miller, lead attorney for the city, said the kiosks “blend in with the surrounding areas” and connect to a network that provides traffic and safety information.

The billboards are subject to Inglewood Ballot Measure BB, which calls for the halt of advertising on them.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Measure AT, backed by the city, would lift a $15-million cap on the 10% admission tax the stadium pays. Hollywood Park sees it as punishment for challenging the billboard deal.

The billboard fight led to a bigger one. Last month, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled void the 2015 development agreement that cleared the way for SoFi Stadium, citing a 2018 Moreno Valley decision.

Under the 2015 agreement, Hollywood Park paid up front for roads, water lines, streetlights and event-day police and emergency services, with the city agreeing to eventually reimburse Kroenke for those expenses. Now that the agreement has been voided, the city argues it isn’t required to pay.

Walt Disney Co. is experimenting with using artificial intelligence to test out different concepts for music videos showcasing the lyrics to its songs, starting with “Go the Distance” from its 1997 animated movie, “Hercules.”

The effort is part of a deal with Bay Area AI startup OpenArt, which makes AI generated videos. Disney can input its songs into OpenArt’s platform, which will create a storyboard preview of a lyric video based on the song’s words, mood and emotional tone. Disney can make any changes during the process and fine-tune the video.

“They are very excited to bring some of the older catalogs of the music and create visual lyrics videos for those songs,” said OpenArt CEO Coco Mao, adding it’s “early exploration” for Disney to see how AI could potentially help with their creative workflow.

By working with OpenArt, “creative teams can iterate more freely, generating and evaluating multiple concepts in hours rather than weeks, enabling new fan experiences around Disney music between major releases,” Disney said in a blog post.

The commercial deal was announced as part of the Disney Accelerator Demo Day on Tuesday in Burbank. OpenArt was one of five companies in this year’s Accelerator program, which provides participants with investment capital and the opportunity to explore future collaborations with Disney leaders. This year, the entire cohort is made up of AI companies.

“We’re looking at how we can fit these companies into our existing workflows and help expedite that,” said David Min, vice president of innovation at the Walt Disney Co.

The experiment comes as Disney has challenged other AI companies over the use of its intellectual property. Disney and other studios have sued AI companies Midjourney and MiniMax, and in February, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Chinese tech company ByteDance over its AI video generator Seedance 2.0.

OpenArt offers a platform that works with many different AI models, including Kling, Google Veo and Seedream. Businesses can select which AI models they wish to use for their videos. OpenArt also has a tool that helps flag potential intellectual property infringement.

Videos featuring the lyrics to Disney songs can be popular on social media and video platforms. For example, a lyric video posted six years ago featuring “Go the Distance” sung in different languages with a scene from “Hercules” generated 280,000 views on YouTube.

In general, making music videos has been a popular way that creators are using AI, as it can be more economical and allow them to test bold ideas without blowing the budget or going to multiple locations. Rather than a static image with music, a lyric video with different imagery can also help increase views on social media platforms.

“Before joining Open Art, I was in a rock band, so I was one of the artists that know the pain of not having enough money or time or resource to make lyrics videos or any kind of videos to promote your song on social media, so being able to be a part of building a tool that helps musicians and songs from big to small is very monumental,” said OpenArt executive Chloe Fang, who oversees entertainment and enterprise partnerships.

OpenArt was founded in 2022 by former Google engineers Mao and John Qiao. The company said it has nearly 100 employees and 17 million monthly active users.

Disney is considering different ways to incorporate AI into the company. For example, Disney Accelerator participant Irvine-based FieldAI is working with Disney on exploring whether robots can support parking or other operations within theme parks and San Francisco-based Physical Intelligence is looking at whether robotic systems can help with the handling and arranging of 3D glasses for cleaning between shows at Disney theme parks.

In September, Disney named Character.AI’s then-Chief Executive Karandeep Anand as its new chief technology officer. Last month, Character.AI filed for bankruptcy, and Disney offered $20 million to license some of the startup’s intellectual property. Other bidders can still top Disney’s offer.

Not all of Disney’s AI partnerships have worked out. Last year Disney announced a $1-billion investment in OpenAI and a licensing deal to bring Disney characters to OpenAI’s AI video generator Sora, but it fell apart months later after OpenAI decided to shut down Sora to focus its resources on other aspects of its business. The deal was never completed and no money changed hands.

PRINCESS Andre is following in her famous parents’ footsteps as she carves out a career in showbiz – and now she has landed a major fashion deal.

The 19-year-old daughter of Peter Andre and Katie Price has teamed up with loungewear brand KAIIA for her first edit.

Called Princess, Redefined, the collection features tracksuits and accessories styled into 18 outfits, with Princess helping to choose the pieces.

Announcing the news on Instagram, Princess said she was “so excited” to unveil her first loungewear edit, describing it as “a collection that feels so me”.

Qasim Akhlaq, CEO of KAIIA, said: “Princess is really excited about her first edit. She’s had a big say in choosing the pieces and can’t wait for everyone to see what she’s been working on.”

Fans who sign up to the KAIIA newsletter and download its app will get exclusive early access on November 9. The collection will then launch to the public at 10am on November 10.

TOTAL PRINCESS

Awkward moment Princess Andre admits she doesn’t know how a bus works

keeping her crown

Princess Andre’s career soars as she lands FOURTH series of reality show

The fashion deal comes just days after The Sun revealed her hit reality show The Princess Diaries is returning for a fourth series.

Filming is already underway, with new episodes expected to land early next year.

A source told us: “Everyone’s thrilled Princess is doing another series, it’s been so successful for ITV.”

The ITV2 show follows the teenager as she navigates family life and builds her career in the spotlight.

And Princess’s ambitions don’t stop at fashion and telly.

The Sun recently revealed she is hoping to take her cosmetics brand By Princess Stateside, with a trip planned for next summer to meet beauty retailers.

Sources also claimed the range is set to launch in Boots, marking another major step for her growing business.

Insiders told The Sun the aim is to make Princess “Britain’s answer to Kylie Jenner” as she prepares to take her beauty brand to the US.

Meanwhile, Princess is currently putting herself to the test alongside brother Junior, 21, on Celebrity Race Across The World.

The siblings took on a gruelling 7,500km journey from Borneo to Melbourne, surviving on a budget of just £26 each a day.

Speaking to Radio Times, Princess said: “We wanted to challenge ourselves, prove people wrong and show the real us.”

Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess has signed a new two-year deal.

The 37-year-old former dual-code England international has won 63 of his 99 games since being appointed for the 2024 campaign.

During his time in charge they have twice finished runners up in the Challenge Cup final and were beaten by Wakefield Trinity in last season’s Grand Final.

He confirmed after last month’s Old Trafford defeat that he had “given his word” to owner Simon Moran to stay on for next season.

“It’s a real honour to extend my time at the Wire, and I’m excited to continue leading this club forwards,” he told the club website., external

“I love what we’re doing and believe we’re not far away from achieving what we are all chasing.”

Warrington finished third in Burgess’ first season in charge before slumping to eighth in 2025.

However, with the experienced Steve McNamara brought in as assistant, they bounced back well last season to finish third again and reach a first Grand Final since 2018.

McNamara has since left to take over at Hull FC.

“Sam is a vital part of what this club is building. His trust and passion for youth development have allowed some of our most talented pathway products to thrive in a first-grade environment,” director of rugby Gary Chambers added.

“To reach three major finals in three years shows how close we are to achieving what we all want.”

Canadian PM Carney announces progress in Canada-US trade deal talks ahead of US midterm elections on November 3.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced progress towards a future trade deal with the United States, which could help ease tensions between the two North American neighbours.

The Sunday announcement came just two days before the November 3 US midterm elections, which will determine control of the US Congress.

“Good conversation with US President Donald Trump on the future of Canada-U.S. trade,” Carney posted on X on Sunday.

Ties between Ottawa and Washington have been strained by an escalating trade war, with Canada and the US imposing billions of dollars in tariffs on each other’s goods in recent months.

“Teams from both countries will be working in the coming weeks to deliver that outcome,” Carney said. “This builds on recent constructive discussions on the outlines of a mutually beneficial trade deal.”

In his second term, Trump has upended global trade by imposing tariffs on many of the US’s allies, including Canada – one of the US’s biggest trading partners.

In August, high-level trade talks between Ottawa and Washington broke down, and Trump imposed a 50 percent levy on $20bn of Canadian goods, or 5.5 percent of its exports. Canada responded with equivalent tariffs on US steel, dairy, appliances, farm equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.

Trump said last week that he expected a new trade agreement with Canada to be reached “pretty soon”, but offered no details.

The trade tensions with Canada have become an issue in the midterm elections, particularly in Michigan and Maine, where Republican candidates have faced pressure over tariffs that have hurt local businesses.

Canada has sought to diversify its trade options and recently welcomed a European Union offer to become an “associate member”.

Carney praised the proposal’s ambition, describing his goal as a “unique alliance” rather than conventional EU membership.

Alina Habba Mildon signed the lucrative contract while working at the Justice Department, before Trump pardoned the bank

US President Donald Trump has criticised one of his former lawyers for signing a contract worth more than $50 million with the family of a Venezuelan banker whom Trump later pardoned.

Alina Habba Mildon reportedly signed the lucrative deal while working as a federal prosecutor and later began working for the banker’s family while still being employed as an adviser to the US Department of Justice.

“I thought it was totally obnoxious and outrageous, and it’s not acceptable,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Saturday.

“Not acceptable at all,” he added.

According to The New York Times, Habba Mildon signed a four-year contract in October 2025 with a company owned by the family of Julio Herrera Velutini, a Venezuelan banker who was seeking a presidential pardon.

Herrera was accused of bribing former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez Garced in exchange for removing a financial regulator who was investigating his bank. He was facing federal bribery charges in the US before reaching a plea deal with prosecutors in August 2025.

Habba Mildon’s contract with his family’s company guaranteed her more than $50 million over four years, including an annual salary of $10 million and bonuses.

When she signed the deal, Habba Mildon was the acting US attorney for New Jersey, a position Trump had appointed her to after working as his personal lawyer.

She left that position in December after a court ruled she could not legally serve in the role. She then immediately took another job at the Justice Department as a senior adviser to the attorney general.

On January 1 , Habba Mildon officially began working for the banker’s family while still employed by the Justice Department.

Two weeks later, on January 15 , Trump granted Herrera a full presidential pardon.

The arrangement has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest, given Habba Mildon’s government position and her ties to Trump.

The company that hired her, Concord Partners, has no public profile and its business activities remain unclear, according to The New York Times.

Habba Mildon has denied having any role in securing Herrera’s pardon.

Last week, she said she had never been paid to obtain a pardon, had never discussed one with anyone at the White House or the Justice Department and had never worked to secure a pardon for anyone.

Trump was reportedly furious when he learned about the size of her contract.

The New York Times reported that he told aides and allies that Habba Mildon should donate some of the money to his future presidential library or another Trump-related organisation.

He also reportedly told at least one ally that Herrera’s family should stop paying her the remainder of the contract.

Speaking on Saturday, Trump said he told Habba Mildon he did not want her to be paid, describing the situation as “terrible”.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

ABBEY Clancy is sitting pretty on a modelling empire worth nearly £2million.

Accounts show her image rights firm Abigail Marie Clancy Limited enjoyed a bumper year, taking net assets from £1.43million to £1.89million.

On top of that, the 40-year-old’s cash reserves in the 12 months up to January hit £1.1million.

Abbey, who has four children with ex-England striker hubby Peter Crouch, fronted Agent Provocateur’s 2025 Valentine’s campaign.

She is an ambassador for Tesco’s F&F clothing range, having launched five collections.

And earlier deals include ones with Ultimo, beauty and lifestyle firm Avon, fashion and homewear chain Matalan, fashion brand Lipsy and Argos — with whom she has her own jewellery line.

CLUB BID

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abs fab

Bikini-clad Abbey Clancy shows off her stunning figure as she kisses hubby Peter

Her Ultimo lingerie contract, signed in 2013, was reported at the time to be worth £250,000.

Abbey, who won Strictly Come Dancing that same year, also co-hosts hit podcast The Therapy Crouch with 45-year-old Peter.

Its publisher says the show regularly ranks in Apple’s top ten UK podcasts, and the pair have also written a book off the back of it.

Launching The Therapy Crouch in 2023, Abbey joked it was “high time I got in on the podcast action”.

Abbey also scored big by fronting Juicy Couture’s Wag-themed campaign for this summer’s World Cup — though earnings from the campaign will not be counted until next year’s accounts.

It is the fourth year in a row the model has hit a new business high.

But despite her success, Abbey is still just short of out-earning lanky former Liverpool player Peter.

His image rights firm Baseforce had net assets of £2.26million in its latest accounts after campaigns for Victorian Plumbing, Ariel laundry pods and bookmakers Paddy Power.

The couple, who married in 2011, are both directors of property firm Coolabbey and Marvellous Media.

It holds property valued at £1.2million but owes significant sums to the couple’s other companies.

Speaking to Hello! Magazine in March, Abbey said of her down-to-earth image: “I’m only used to being myself.”

Over the past week, Washington and Tehran have sent mixed signals about whether their eight-month war is heading back to full-scale strikes or towards a peace deal.

On Thursday, the head of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, briefed US President Donald Trump on options for renewed attacks on Iran, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

The US and Israel have drawn up joint plans to attack Iran after the November 3 US midterm elections, The New York Times (NYT) reported last week.

Yet on the same day, The Washington Post reported that Vice President JD Vance had offered to meet Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in person to negotiate an end to the war.

On Friday, Qatari mediators returned to Tehran for talks coordinated with the US, an official told Reuters.

So is Washington heading back to war, or towards a deal? Here’s what we know:

Why are there conflicting reports?

Essentially, Washington is preparing for war while keeping a diplomatic channel open.

The WSJ reported that the US has boosted air defences and munitions in the region and moved some troops away from bases vulnerable to Iranian retaliation.

Ten US military cargo planes landed at the Ovda and Nevatim air bases in Israel’s Negev region on Thursday, with more sent to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who said he had been briefed on the plans, called them “insane” and warned of a devastating escalation.

Can diplomatic efforts hold off a return to strikes?

Diplomacy has not stopped.

Vance’s letter, delivered to Rezaei through Qatari mediators on Sunday, proposed direct talks led by Vance, with Iran’s nuclear programme on the table from the start, according to the NYT, in a bid to prevent a renewal of strikes.

Whether it might have any influence over what happens next is a matter for debate. Rouzbeh Parsi, an Iran analyst who is an affiliated researcher at Lund University’s Department of History and Human Rights Studies in Sweden, described Vance as the “voice of reason” on Iran within the Trump administration, saying his signals have been “the least volatile and unpredictable”.

But he also told Al Jazeera that Vance’s position has “never proven to be sturdy enough to actually sway Trump”.

“Thus, while the optics with Vance look better than anyone else in the Trump administration, I doubt that they [Iranian officials] give the outreach much credence until Vance proves able to actually deliver something on his own,” he said.

Furthermore, Nader Hashemi, a professor of Middle East politics at Georgetown University, told Al Jazeera that “Rezaei is just one voice among many” adding that the “reality is that decisions are made collectively inside the Islamic republic”.

Wolfgang Pusztai, a security and defence analyst and Austria’s former defence attache to Libya, has a different view, however, telling Al Jazeera, “There is no doubt that the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] currently calls the shots in Iran.”

In February, Iran’s then supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the initial attacks by Israel and the United States, and his son became the new supreme leader, but Pusztai says he “simply does not have the influence his father did”.

“Without the IRGC’s approval, there will be no agreement with Iran,” Pusztai said, adding it is safe to assume that when Rezaei makes a statement or endorses a proposal, “it reflects the position of the IRGC leadership” and that the US was “absolutely right to negotiate with him”.

Pusztai said it is unclear whether Rezaei is indeed ready to make a serious compromise, but under sustained US pressure, Rezaei, who holds a doctorate in economics, could come to see that “Iran’s interests and the regime’s survival can be better secured without nuclear weapons and through a less aggressive foreign policy”.

“He certainly knows that peak oil is approaching and that time is running out for Iran’s economic recovery through the use of its oil revenues,” he said.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said progress depends on Iran’s seven conditions being met – including the lifting of sanctions, ending the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, guarantees to an end to US-Israeli strikes, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets – adding that the “carrot-and-stick approach has no effect on Iran”, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Vance, meanwhile, told Fox News on Thursday that Trump would “never” let the conflict become “a forever war”.

Which of all these signals matter most?

The diplomacy may say more than the threats.

Andreas Krieg, an associate professor of security studies at King’s College London, told Al Jazeera that Vance’s offer of direct talks “suggests that the Americans do have second thoughts” and that they are less ready to strike than they publicly suggest.

But he warned that Cooper, whom he called “quite hawkish”, could give Trump false confidence “that there is a military way out of it, when in reality there isn’t a military way out of it”.

“This idea that there is a short and crisp military operation to solve this issue is obviously an illusion,” he said.

Paul Musgrave, an associate professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, told Al Jazeera the White House could be sending signals to coerce Tehran, but that “the better interpretation is the simplest one”.

He believes “the United States is getting ready to carry out substantial attacks relatively soon”. He said he does not expect Washington to accept what he called the unfavourable deal Tehran is offering “without another round of attacks”.

Pusztai said Trump’s main focus is now the midterms, making it “very unlikely that he will order another large-scale attack on Iran before the elections”.

“Starting in mid to late November, there could be a major wave of attacks aimed at advancing the American agenda,” he said, adding that the aim would be to weaken the IRGC enough to push it towards a deal on US terms.

Whatever the vote’s result, “in the short term it will not change much”, Musgrave said.

A strong Republican showing could encourage more aggressive tactics, while a Democratic win could push Trump to show his unilateral powers, including by attacking, he said.

Hasn’t this all happened before?

It has. Iran was attacked by Israel or the US while talks were under way in both 2025 and 2026.

“We’ve seen this pattern of behaviour before from the United States,” Hashemi said, describing it as “talking diplomacy while preparing for war”.

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched major strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, two days before a sixth round of US-Iran talks was due in Oman. The US joined on June 22, bombing Iran’s Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan nuclear sites.

This year, the US and Israel attacked on February 28, two days after talks in Geneva that mediator Oman said had made “significant progress”.

A day before the strikes, Oman’s foreign minister said Iran had agreed to reduce its nuclear stockpiles to “the lowest level possible”.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Al Jazeera in September that Iran no longer trusts negotiations with Washington because attacks had come during previous rounds of talks.

Hashemi said he suspects “the same pattern is repeating itself”, with the US preparing “a massive bombing campaign in Iran, replete with war crimes like we haven’t seen before”, citing his reading of Murphy’s comments.

What is blocking a deal?

“The issue is mostly around sequencing and the lack of trust on the Iranian side that the Americans will actually follow through with their commitments,” Krieg said.

Tehran wants sanctions and the US naval blockade lifted quickly, fearing that a slow process gives Trump room to backtrack, he said.

Some IRGC hardliners do not necessarily see war as a bad thing if it tightens their grip on the Hormuz strait, he added, and “the Iranians have been prepping for this war for the last three weeks, so they are ready to fight”.

Krieg said he expects “nothing is going to happen until the 3rd of November [the date of the US midterm elections]”. After that, he said, the likelihood of war will “increase exponentially”.

Any new escalation would be worse than in February and March, he said, with Iran readier to strike critical infrastructure in Gulf countries.

He said the threat to the Gulf “will be unprecedented”.

Former NBA player Malik Beasley has agreed to a plea deal months after initially pleading not guilty to federal charges tied to his alleged involvement in a gambling ring.

Beasley is expected to enter a guilty plea during a Dec. 9 hearing, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York confirmed in an email to The Times.

The NBA journeyman, who spent half of the 2022-2023 season with the Lakers, and several others were charged this summer with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Beasley entered a not guilty plea to all charges on July 1.

It is not clear the charges to which Beasley will be entering a guilty plea.

Beasley has been accused of illegally manipulating his performance in NBA games to ensure gamblers won prop bets on at least four occasions while he was playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023-2024. According to the indictment, he and co-defendant Ed Davis, also a one-time Laker who was teammates with Beasley on the 2020-2021 Minnesota Timberwolves, conspired for Beasley to under- or overperform during certain games relative to specific statistics on which others involved in the scheme would place bets.

Beasley had previously borrowed money from Davis after accumulating millions of dollars in gambling losses. In exchange for fixing his performances, the indictment says, Beasley’s debts to Davis were “reduced or paid off.”

Also indicted were Paolo Zamorano, William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky and Ernesto Plascencia. All six defendants initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, but Brown has since pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Gorodetsky and Plascencia also both scheduled for change of plea hearings in November.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For all the free-flowing, high-scoring rugby in the Prem so far this season, this weekend was something of a throwback.

There were only 21 tries across the five games, whereas a fortnight ago there were 18 tries in the Northampton against Bath game alone.

But, despite the abominable weather altering the whole complexion of round four, there was no shortage of drama.

In the East Midlands derby on Saturday, Leicester Tigers produced a second-half performance that was as vintage Leicester Tigers as you could possibly get: a brutal set-piece and forward display that shook the old foundations of the Crumbie Stand and would have made the ABC Club proud.

In front of a febrile sell-out crowd, the game was played on the edge – a major scuffle breaking out on the stroke of half-time with England team-mates Henry Pollock and Ollie Chessum in the thick of it.

But tensions will have eased quickly. Thirteen of those involved in the derby met up for dinner in the England camp on Sunday.

“This fixture always has some heat behind it, and we know it means a lot to each other and to the fans,” Leicester and England scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet explained to BBC Radio 5 Live.

“We just try and put all our heart on to the pitch. Sometimes it boils over into a little scuffle, but we will go and have a beer with them now. That’s what rugby is about. You play fierce with each other and then enjoy each other’s company.

“We always end up laughing about it. Being in England camp with them almost makes the fixture mean a bit more, because you always want one over them.”

Northampton are the champions and still the team to beat. However, that’s twice in six months they’ve been handed a lesson by the Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

Saints fans will be comforted by the fact the title is decided in the warm early summer months of May and June, but boss Phil Dowson will still want his side to be as effective in the wet as they are in the dry.

CALLUM Turner’s bid to bag the role of James Bond has had a boost — he’s advertising luggage for a fashion brand with links to the films.

The 36-year-old actor is the face of Louis Vuitton’s new trunk collection.

Bond author Ian Fleming incorporated their suitcases into 1963 book On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

And a set of the brand’s luggage appeared in 1985 Bond film A View to a Kill.

A source said: “Louis Vuitton is exactly the kind of fashion house Callum wants to associate himself with.

“The fact that Ian Fleming also mentioned Vuitton in his books is a clear indication that Callum is aligning himself with all the right campaigns.”

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Bond casting director Nina Gold was spotted at Bray Film Studios in Berkshire yesterday as screen tests for the role were understood to be taking place.

Callum’s odds of becoming Bond were 2/1 last night.

The Brit, who is married to singer Dua Lipa, 31, co-starred in the Fantastic Beasts movies.

Scottish actor Jack Lowden, 36, is the bookies’ favourite to take over as Bond with odds of 4/7, according to Ladbrokes.

Sinners actor Jack O’Connell, 36, and The Crown’s Josh O’Connor, 36, sit at 12/1.

Daniel Craig stepped down after the release of his fifth Bond film No Time To Die in 2021.

Tehran warns that even limited strikes would trigger a response ‘several times greater’.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has blamed Washington for the unravelling of an interim deal aimed at ending the war with the United States and Israel, amid growing fears that the fighting could resume imminently.

In comments broadcast by Iranian Press TV on Saturday, But Pezeshkian also said that both sides should return to the deal and “conclude it”.

His remarks come amid growing fears that military action could resume as soon as this weekend, after US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he “may do another little Epic Fury”, using the codename of the US-Israeli war against Iran that started on February 28.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that even limited strikes would trigger a response “several times greater”, according to comments reported by the semi-official Fars News Agency.

Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ali Abdollahi said on Saturday that the US military would not be allowed in the Gulf “under any circumstances and at any time”. Abdollahi said Trump could only “dream” of seeing US forces enter the Gulf, adding that he would take his dream to the grave.

Trump has suggested he could take further military action against Iran, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he remains committed to overthrowing the country’s government.

Both leaders face elections, with Israelis set to choose their next government on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Trump’s Republican Party faces crucial midterm elections on November 3, with Democrats potentially winning control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Such an outcome would be a major blow to Trump, who still has more than two years left in his final term in the White House.

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Saturday that Tehran would not “wait for permission to defend itself”, adding that the country “seeks peace but will respond to any aggression with severe consequences”.

“Our position is clear: we do not flee from dialogue for peace, and we do not hesitate in defending the country. Those who harbour the illusion of destroying Iran must correct their calculations,” Mohajerani wrote in a memo.

Her comments came as Iranian judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. The pair discussed how to tackle corruption and pursue compensation for Iranians affected by the US-Israeli war, among other issues.

Khamenei replaced his father as supreme leader after the latter was assassinated during the opening strikes of the war on February 28. He has not been seen in public since assuming the position in early March.

Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was reported to have met Khamenei earlier this week.

IT’S officially cosy season and who better to have a girls’ night in with than Cheryl Tweedy?

So it’s fitting that she’s bagged a whopper of a campaign deal with takeaway service Deliveroo.

I can reveal the former Girls Aloud singer has netted around £500,000 to front the new ad, which will be unveiled later this month.

A source said: “Deliveroo bigwigs are delighted to have Cheryl on board, she is a dream to work with and has a huge fanbase.”

The star is the latest in a long line of celebs to have fronted the brand’s campaigns, including Luke Littler, Danny Dyer, Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy.

Cheryl who is also the face of Nivea skincare, recently returned to TV as a mentor on The Voice.

‘DON’T COME AFTER MY MATE’

Alesha Dixon rips into BGT contestant after he mocks pal Cheryl

CHEZ BACK!

Cheryl to make shock TV return TONIGHT on The Voice in surprise cameo appearance

Despite her sleek physique, Cheryl loves a cheeky takeaway.

She previously said: “I have a really lovely local Thai — I love pad Thai. And coconut rice. My mouth’s watering.

“I also like Chinese food — I think that’s a childhood thing. Ooh, and Indian. I love all the bad stuff. Once a week or once every two weeks I get a takeaway.”

Geordie Cheryl put her childhood Chinese takeaway, Kwok Pao in Newcastle, on the map in 2014, when she was a judge on The X Factor.

She brought Simon Cowell along to pick up some of her favourite dishes, including salt and chilli ribs, when they were filming nearby.
I’m hungry now . . . 

KAM ON CAM: I’D LOVE TO BE X FACTOR JUDGE

SINGER-SONGWRITER Kamille has revealed that she would love to be a judge on The X Factor.

She has previously worked on the ITV show as a coach. And following Little Mix’s win in 2011, she wrote songs for them including Black Magic and Shout Out To My Ex.

Kamille told me: “I was a coach on the show, so it would be such a full circle moment.

“I’ve always loved it. I love the way you are literally creating a new life for someone, every week.

“Simon Cowell knows how much I want to be a part of it, so we’ll see. I love Simon and everything he does.

“I’m always there to support him. He is such a good friend of mine.”

Meanwhile, Kamille is venturing beyond music with the launch of BBC podcast The Girls Are Talking.

On it, she stars alongside Sugababes singer Keisha Buchanan, content creator Tara Thorpe, presenter Issra Wiheba and comedian Sharifa Butterfly.

Kam added: “Girl therapy is the best therapy you can have.
“You’re basically getting an unpaid therapist to help people with their problems.

“Every single issue I might have had, they’ve all been through.”

SAM: MY GIGS TOO PRICEY

SAM FENDER has hit out at the sharp prices for his OWN tour tickets, insisting that he’s going to change them.

The Geordie singer is off around the country next year for his Proper Massive Stadium Tour, with tickets ranging from £64 to £130, leaving fans disgruntled.

Commenting underneath a post detailing the prices, Sam, left, wrote: “I’m not happy with these prices, they’re getting changed. It got inflated well more than I’d had in mind, it should only be inflated in relation to the cost of putting the show on.

“The standing will not be split as well, I had no idea about it.

“I have no idea how this was normalised in gigs. It’s b*****ks and it won’t be happening on this tour.”

Sam was referring to the fact that, in some venues, there are separate prices for regular standing tickets and “front standing” tickets.

Now that’s a man of the people . . . 

IN THE FAMILY RAYE

RAYE may sing “Where Is My Husband?” but at least she found her grandad on a stage in London.

The star performed a show-stopping gig at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday night where she was joined by her songwriter grandad, Michael.

The pair performed their track Fields, from her hit album This Music May Contain Hope.

She arrived at the venue fresh from scooping the prestigious Mercury Prize for the record. Congrats, Raye.

DIAS’S NO DATES FOR 2027

MANCHESTER City fans have been left confused over why hunk Ruben Dias has been axed from the club’s official 2027 calendar.

Maya Jama’s ex is one of the squad’s highest profile members, one of the team captains in fact. So it’s a bizarre move by the club.

Ruben has always featured prominently on the calendar in previous years.

This year he was one of the main stars and was pictured for the month of March.

But next year’s edition has no sign of him.

And that’s sure to come as a blow to the footballing heart-throb, who rightly regards himself as one of the leaders.

At least the calendar will now be a safe stocking-filler for Maya.

CHLOE FERRY has sparked engagement rumours after sharing Instagram snaps.

The Geordie Shore star was seen cuddling up to property developer Alex Swinney on a romantic boat trip before heading out to dinner.

But eagle-eyed fans noticed her ring finger was hidden, obscured by her sleeve.

COUNTRY music duo The Shires are parting ways after 13 years together.

But Crissie Rhodes and Ben Earle hinted there could be a comeback, saying: “Maybe one day we’ll be making music and touring again.”

A longer statement on the split said Crissie will be “taking a break” for family life.

CELEBRITIES in fancy dress is always one of my favourite things – and here we have two doing it in style.

Doja Cat became Doja Bunny for the night when she threw a toy-themed 31st birthday party in Los Angeles on Friday night.

Meanwhile, Paris Hilton channelled Britney Spears’ I’m A Slave 4 U era with her Halloween costume.

The pair have been buddies for decades – and I’d love to see Brit return the favour by dressing up as Paris . . . 

Trump says the US is considering a possible attack on Iran as soon as Sunday, or it could reach a major deal with Tehran.

Mark Walter is looking to sell the WNBA’s Sparks, taking another step in the dismantling of his sports-team empire, according to people familiar with the matter.

Walter, a co-founder of money management firm Guggenheim Partners, sold the Lakers earlier this year at a $12.5 billion valuation to Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger, but the WNBA team had remained under his ownership. Kushner and Iger later discussed acquiring the Sparks, but they are not among potential buyers, said the people, who asked to not be identified because the talks are private.

Sportico values the team at $400 million. Walter is looking to sell the franchise and a related practice facility for more than $700 million, said one of the people, who wasn’t authorized to speak discussing private dealings. The practice facility, which was constructed for $150 million, is scheduled to open before the start of the 2027 season. The franchise plays in the Crypto.com Arena.

Such a deal would be by far the largest WNBA franchise sale in history. The current record of $300 million is held by Tilman Fertitta, the owner of the Houston Rockets who bought the Connecticut Sun and is in the midst of moving the franchise to Houston.

A spokesperson for Iger and Kushner declined to comment. A spokesperson for TWG Global, Walter’s holding company, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Federal prosecutors have been probing dealings at Walter’s insurance firms, prompting him to reshape his holdings and stirring up deal talks on multiple fronts, including his sports franchises. After selling the Lakers, he sold his stake in Chelsea FC to Clearlake Capital. Walter’s other sports holdings include the Dodgers, the Cadillac Formula One team and the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

Dodgers President Stan Kasten told The Times in August that the team isn’t for sale. “There’s no process that has been started to sell it, period,” he said.

The Sparks finished 16-28 during the WNBA season and have missed the playoffs for six straight seasons. The Sparks were one of the original eight teams when the WNBA was founded in 1997.

Williams, Natarajan and Shaw write for Bloomberg.