fight

While Peel acknowledges results and performances have not be up to Scarlets’ standards this season, he said everyone was working hard to improve amid all of Welsh rugby’s uncertainties and budget cuts.

“What we’ve done over the last couple of seasons is transition a team,” he said.

“We’ve had to make a big transition in terms of losing some senior internationals and bringing some younger guys through.

“It’s a project that isn’t going to be a three month turnaround, we knew that.

“Are we happy with where we are this season? No. Are we happy with where we finished last season? Yes, we were probably on track to where we wanted to go, but we haven’t kicked on this season. There are reasons behind that, we’ve had some high profile injuries etc.”

Scarlets will aim to kick on in Europe, before returning to URC action when they host Ulster on Saturday, 24 January.

Embattled Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted of obstruction last month for helping an immigrant evade federal officers, has sent her resignation letter to the governor.

The letter was sent Saturday. Republicans had been making plans to impeach her since her Dec. 19 conviction. A spokesperson for Gov. Tony Evers said his office received Dugan’s letter, and he would work to fill the vacancy without delay.

Dugan wrote that over the last decade she handled thousands of cases with “a commitment to treat all persons with dignity and respect, to act justly, deliberately and consistently, and to maintain a courtroom with the decorum and safety the public deserves.”

But she said the case against her is too big of a distraction.

“As you know, I am the subject of unprecedented federal legal proceedings, which are far from concluded but which present immense and complex challenges that threaten the independence of our judiciary. I am pursuing this fight for myself and for our independent judiciary,” Dugan said in her letter.

Last April, federal prosecutors accused Dugan of distracting federal officers trying to arrest a Mexican immigrant outside her courtroom and leading the man out through a private door. A federal jury convicted her of felony obstruction.

The case against Dugan was highlighted by President Trump as he pressed ahead with his sweeping immigration crackdown. Democrats insisted the administration was trying to make an example of Dugan to blunt judicial opposition to the operation.

Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos praised Dugan’s decision.

“I’m glad Dugan did the right thing by resigning and followed the clear direction from the Wisconsin Constitution,” Vos said.

Democrat Ann Jacobs, who is chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission board, said she agreed with Dugan that Milwaukee should have a permanent judge in place while this fight plays out.

“Despite her situation, she is ever the champion of justice, wanting to remove the judiciary from a political battle over her fate. I’m sure this is terribly hard for her but she is true to her faith and her principles,” Jacobs said in a post on X.

On April 18, immigration officers went to the Milwaukee County courthouse after learning 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz had reentered the country illegally and was scheduled to appear before Dugan for a hearing in a state battery case.

Dugan confronted agents outside her courtroom and directed them to the office of her boss, Milwaukee County Chief Judge Carl Ashley, because she told them their administrative warrant wasn’t sufficient grounds to arrest Flores-Ruiz.

After the agents left, she led Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a private jury door. Agents spotted Flores-Ruiz in the corridor, followed him outside and arrested him after a foot chase. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced in November he had been deported.

Funk writes for the Associated Press.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Tuesday weakened one of the nation’s most aggressive efforts to combat climate change, releasing new fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks that handed a victory to the oil and gas industry.

The new rule, from the Environmental Protection Agency and Transportation Department, will almost immediately be plunged into litigation as environmental groups and states with stricter standards, led by California, plan to challenge it.

“We intend to make sure the backsliding doesn’t reach California’s doorstep,” California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra said Tuesday in announcing the state’s plan to go to court to defend its tougher standards.

If the administration’s policy survives those fights, it would spare automakers from having to meet ambitious gas mileage and emissions requirements put in place in 2012 under President Obama. It is among the biggest steps the administration has taken to reverse an existing environmental policy.

The final rule is a dialed-down version of the one the administration originally planned. Instead of proposing zero improvements in fuel efficiency in coming years, it would require automakers to increase fuel economy across their fleets by 1.5% a year, with a goal of achieving an average of about 40 miles per gallon by 2026. That’s still a major departure from current rules, which mandate annual increases of 5%, reaching an average of 54 mpg by 2025.

Nearly 900 million more tons of carbon dioxide are expected to be released under the new rule than under the Obama-era standards, a result of less efficient cars burning an additional 78 billion gallons of fuel.

“We are delivering on President Trump’s promise to correct the current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement. The administration’s plan, he said, “strikes the right regulatory balance that protects our environment and sets reasonable targets for the auto industry.”

Environmentalists and public health advocates said the change would likely contribute to thousands of premature deaths and asthma attacks. They criticized the decision to make the new standards final in the midst of a global pandemic, arguing that the rollback would damage public health at a time when thousands of people are gravely ill and the nation’s economy is in tatters.

But after repeatedly postponing the release of the new rule as it scrambled to justify the change, the administration faced deadlines that may have forced its hand.

For one, the longer the government delayed the new rule, the less effect it would have. Although Trump had initially announced that the new standards would affect vehicles in model year 2020, those cars were built under the Obama-era stringent fuel efficiency standards and are already on the road.

Unless the administration finalized its rollback by April 1, it was in danger of missing the deadline to apply the new standards to the 2022 model year.

Additionally, under the Congressional Review Act, new rules issued after May 19 could be invalidated by the next Congress.

The new standards will apply nationwide. Although California has historically set its own tougher car pollution rules, the Trump administration last year moved to strip the state of that authority. California and many of the other states that have adopted its clean-car standards have sued the administration over this change, and that issue likely won’t be resolved until next year at the earliest.

Just hours after the administration unveiled the final rule Tuesday, Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board, disclosed that Volvo was in talks with the state to reach a voluntary emissions agreement. Four other automakers — Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW — have already made a deal with the state that would preserve emissions standards that are not as tough as the Obama standards, but are significantly more ambitious than Trump’s proposal.

The change in fuel-economy standards has been in development since the early days of the administration, when two lobbying groups representing automakers asked then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to relax the Obama-era standards.

The administration’s original proposal would have frozen fuel-economy standards at this year’s levels. That met a furious response from officials in California and several other states as well as unexpected resistance from some auto companies, which worried the administration was going overboard and dragging them into years of court battles with states.

Karl Brauer, an analyst for the research firm Cox Automotive, said that Trump’s rule had put automakers in an impossible position. If they opposed the rollback, their investors would be unhappy. If they endorsed it, they would be branded as anti-environment.

The rollback will likely make it easier to sell cars by making them cheaper, he said, but automakers are concerned it may not survive legal scrutiny or the next election.

“I think automakers will feel a lot of uncertainty until Nov. 3,” Brauer said.

“The auto industry has consistently called for year-over-year increases in fuel efficiency,” said John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group that lobbies on behalf of the world’s largest car companies. “Looking to the future, we need policies that support a customer-friendly shift toward these electrified and other highly efficient technologies.”

Trump has boasted that his plan would save lives, improve the economy and lower the cost of new cars.

In a phone call with reporters on Tuesday, senior EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials said their analysis showed that lowering the cost of a new car would allow more Americans to replace aging vehicles with newer, safer ones. That turnover in the nation’s fleet would prevent more than 3,300 traffic fatalities, according to the government’s projections, as well as 46,000 post-crash injuries.

They also emphasized the rollback’s estimated cost savings for automakers — as much as $100 billion over the lifetime of the vehicles built under the new rule.

But while administration officials said the change would help drivers and the environment, the government’s analysis was not as optimistic.

Its estimates showed that while loosening fuel-economy standards could shave about $1,000 off the price of a new car, drivers would have to buy more gas than they would have under the current rule.

David Friedman, vice president of advocacy for Consumer Reports, said his group’s projections show that each vehicle sold under the Trump rule will cost its owner on average $2,100 more, even if gas prices continue to fall.

Automakers and their suppliers could also suffer. The government’s analysis shows that American car companies could experience a loss of thousands of jobs by making dirtier cars that would be locked out of many overseas markets.

The change is also expected to result in significantly more greenhouse gas emissions, which trap the sun’s heat, worsening the effects of climate change. Hotter temperatures contribute to more smog, which can damage the lungs and cause other serious health problems.

“Of all the bad things President Trump has done to the environment, this is the worst,” said Dan Becker, head of the Safe Climate Campaign, a Washington-based consumer advocacy group. “He is rolling back the biggest single step any nation has taken to fight global warming, cut oil use and save money at the pump.”

In a February report to Wheeler, the agency’s science advisory board warned that the technical analysis underpinning the government’s draft proposal was so flawed that it had possibly led the EPA to the wrong conclusion.

“In other words,” the board wrote, “the standards in the 2012 rule might provide a better outcome for society than the proposed revision.”

Phillips reported from Washington and Mitchell from Los Angeles.

Ivorians to face Burkina Faso in last 16 while Cameroon meet South Africa and Mozambique play Nigeria.

Substitute Bazoumana Toure scored in stoppage time for Ivory Coast, who came from two goals down to beat Gabon 3-2 in Marrakesh and top Group F at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Cameroon also fell behind on Wednesday, against Mozambique in Agadir, but a thunderbolt from Christian Kofane delivered a 2-1 victory.

Defending champions Ivory Coast and Cameroon finished level on seven points, and both had a plus-two goal difference. The Ivorians topped the table because they scored five goals and Cameroon four.

The results completed the last 16 lineup. Ivory Coast will face Burkina Faso, Cameroon meet South Africa and Mozambique face Nigeria.

In Marrakesh, Gabon rocked Ivory Coast by building a two-goal lead midway through the first half before the title-holders cut the deficit just before the break to trail 2-1 at half-time.

Guelor Kanga struck after 11 minutes for the Gabonese Panthers, whose best-known footballer, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, had returned to France for treatment of a thigh injury.

The 2015 African player of the year scored in a 3-2 loss to Mozambique three days ago that eliminated Gabon from the race to be among the 16 qualifiers for the knockout stage.

Ivory Coast fell further behind on 21 minutes when Los Angeles-based Denis Bouanga claimed his first goal of the tournament.

Ivorian Jean-Philippe Krasso netted on 44 minutes after being set up by Wilfried Zaha, the former Crystal Palace winger recalled for the AFCON after missing the triumphant 2024 campaign.

The defending champions took off captain Franck Kessie and Zaha halfway through the second half, but Amad Diallo, who scored in the first two group matches, remained on the bench.

Manchester United winger Diallo was finally introduced on 76 minutes, replacing Oumar Diakite, who was walking a disciplinary tightrope having been yellow-carded.

It was another substitute, Evann Guessand, who equalised with six minutes of regular time left. The Aston Villa striker was a late inclusion in the squad when injured Sebastien Haller withdrew.

In the southern coastal city of Agadir, Cameroon legends Roger Milla and Samuel Eto’o were among the crowd that saw Mozambique take a surprise lead on 23 minutes.

Geny Catamo from leading Portuguese club Sporting unleashed a low shot that bounced in front of goalkeeper Devis Epassy and flew just inside the left post.

The lead lasted five minutes before five-time champions Cameroon levelled when Feliciano ‘Nene’ Jone conceded an own goal.

Facing two unmarked Cameroonian attackers, goalkeeper Ivane Urrubal blocked the ball, which ran loose to Frank Magri.

Magri hit the post and Nene, attempting to clear, managed only to steer the ball into the Mozambican net.

Cameroon had the ball in the net again 10 minutes later, but the scorer, Germany-based 19-year-old Christian Kofane, was ruled offside.

The teen made up for his disappointment by putting the Indomitable Lions ahead on 55 minutes with a fierce shot from outside the box that flew into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

NEW YORK — So much for East Coast gloating.

As New Yorkers watched California grapple with recall politics in recent months, many chortled over what they called democracy run amok. But now a controversy over ballot measures and voting procedures is giving the Big Apple its own electoral black eye — a case, some say, of democracy under wraps.

It started during the summer when Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a Republican in a heavily Democratic town, placed an initiative on the city’s Nov. 4 ballot that would ban partisan local elections. The mayor has contributed $2 million of his own money to pass the measure, which would reduce the traditional clout of the Democratic Party in New York City politics.

He also took steps to block voters from considering an initiative signed by 115,000 residents that would compel the city to form a commission on chronic overcrowding in public schools. Bloomberg, like other mayors before him, invoked a little-known state law that bars other initiatives from appearing on a municipal ballot once a charter-reform measure is placed on it.

New York’s powerful teachers union challenged the decision, saying the law was unconstitutional. But the state’s highest court upheld the exclusion last week, effectively killing the issue for next week’s election. In their arguments, city attorneys contended that voters might be confused by too many measures on a ballot at once.

“It’s as if we have no right to direct democracy here, and some people think we’re probably too stupid to focus on more than one issue at once,” said Wayne Barrett, a New York historian and journalist. “Those of us who believe in real democracy would have to say Californians are now way ahead of us. At least they’re alive out there.”

Unlike California, where disparate ballot measures seem to blossom each election season, the process of putting initiatives before voters is rarely seen in New York. But it’s not due to a lack of grass-roots energy. Activists have been complaining for years about the crucial “home rule” law, passed decades ago, which gives New York City mayors power to decide what will appear on a ballot.

Like other mayors, Bloomberg used the vehicle of a Charter Reform Commission to exercise these powers. He formed a panel this year to study the idea of banning partisan local elections — a move that would prevent candidates from running as the nominee of a particular party — and to no one’s surprise the panel voted to put the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot, along with two other city reform proposals.

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, who preceded Bloomberg, used a similar strategy in 1998. He formed a charter commission at a time when City Council leaders had backed a ballot initiative opposing Giuliani’s unpopular plan to build a new stadium in Manhattan for the New York Yankees. The panel placed several measures before voters, thus knocking the baseball measure off the municipal ballot.

“We should know by now that mayors will always use this charter commission strategy to control the ballot,” said Doug Israel, political director of the Citizens Union Foundation, an activist group that opposes Bloomberg’s nonpartisan proposal. “And what’s really undemocratic is that a mayor could spend unlimited amounts on a proposal, while keeping other initiative proposals away from New York City voters.”

Stung by criticism of his campaign for nonpartisan elections, Bloomberg told a news conference last week that he was determined to eliminate decades of party-based corruption at City Hall. He said nonpartisan elections would pave the way for more minority candidates, freeing them from the need to win party nominations.

“This has nothing to do about me,” he said, rejecting criticism of his willingness to devote huge amounts of personal funds to the campaign, as he did in spending $75 million to be elected mayor two years ago. “Nonpartisan elections is something I have believed in for a long time. We’ve seen scandal after scandal in the newspapers of party bosses taking away the public’s choice. And that’s not democracy.”

A Quinnipiac Poll released last week suggested that New Yorkers are evenly divided over the proposal. But 55% said the voting should be delayed because people have not had enough time to consider the measure; a majority of voters also told pollsters they were critical of Bloomberg spending his own money on the campaign.

To be sure, Democratic activists have also raised funds to fight the measure, and top party officials say Bloomberg’s proposal would hurt minority candidates, who have been heavily backed by New York’s Democratic organizations in past elections.

The mayor has also drawn fire from Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers, who backed the initiative on classroom size. She was incensed when Bloomberg argued that the teachers union — locked in bitter wage talks with the city — had mounted the grass-roots campaign as a “publicity stunt.”

Longtime city observers differ over the merits of nonpartisan elections and a move to regulate classroom size via the ballot. Some note, for example, that most of the nation’s largest cities — including Los Angeles and Chicago — have nonpartisan elections, and that these communities have elected African American mayors.

But many experts are troubled by New York’s long-standing barriers to getting initiatives on a ballot and say sweeping legislative changes are overdue.

“When activists tell me they want to put something on the local ballot, I tell them I hope they have a lot of money to spend on lawyers,” said Gene Russianoff, senior attorney for the New York Public Interest Group. “It’s a huge uphill battle here.”

One of the few success stories, he noted, came in 1993, when millionaire businessman Ron Lauter spent an estimated $150,000 on legal fees to overcome City Hall objections to a measure imposing term limits. The initiative eventually passed.

The main roadblocks seem to come from state legislators, who would have to pass any laws making it easier to put initiatives on city or state ballots. They have voiced long-standing opposition to California-style ballot measures, Russianoff said, because such proposals would so often create an end run around their power.

As the city’s ballot wrangling continues, many New Yorkers might agree on this much: For now at least, those California jokes don’t seem quite as funny.

“It doesn’t speak well for us here in New York City when 115,000 people can sign a petition to raise an issue and they can be so completely denied,” said veteran political consultant Hank Sheinkopf. “In California, they’d never stand for this.”

Venezuelanalysis writer and editor Ricardo Vaz joined Sharmini Peries on theAnalysis.news to discuss the latest developments from Venezuela, including Washington’s military buildup, Caracas’ reaction and the role played by the far-right opposition.

Source: theAnalysis.news

christine.maiduc@latimes.com

For more on California politics, follow @cmaiduc.

ALSO

Updates on California politics

UPDATES:

2 p.m.: This article was updated to clarify that Fight Back California is targeting 30,000 voters in each of the seven districts.

This article was originally published at 3 a.m.

United Nations experts say the threat of al-Shabab remains the greatest immediate threat to Somalia and the East African region, especially Kenya.

The al-Qaeda-linked group controls significant parts of southern and central Somalia, carrying out attacks on government and security forces, as well as civilians.

Over the years, the group has claimed responsibility for attacks in Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti.

Despite efforts by Somali and international forces to combat its operations, it still has the ability to strike.

So why has the fight against this group failed over two decades?

Presenter:

Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Ismael Tahir – Research fellow at Hilin, an organisation committed to development, governance and politics in the Somali Peninsula.

Afyare Elmi – Research professor at City University of Mogadishu.

Abdullahi Halakhe – Horn of Africa security analyst.

Britain’s Hamzah Sheeraz has been ordered to fight Diego Pacheco for the vacant WBO super-middleweight title following Terence Crawford’s retirement.

American Crawford left the sport last week, adding he has “nothing else left to prove” after beating Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvaraz in September to become the first man in the modern era to hold undisputed titles in three weight divisions.

In retirement Crawford, who won all 42 of his professional fights, vacated his belts, with the WBO instructing Sheeraz to fight American Pacheco for its title.

The bout gives 26-year-old Sheeraz a second option after he was previously ordered by the WBC to fight Christian Mbilli for their vacant super-middleweight title.

The sanctioning body stripped Crawford of his belt before his retirement because he did not pay sanctioning fees.

Sheeraz’s promoters Queensberry and Pacheco’s Matchroom have 20 days to agree on the terms of a fight but if they cannot reach an agreement they must proceed to purse bids according to WBO rules.

Sheeraz drew with WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames last February in an underwhelming performance over 12 rounds, before beating Edgar Berlanga in July.

He is unbeaten in 23 fights, while 24-year-old Pacheco has won all 25 of his bouts.

Everyone seemed to know in the first quarter of the Southern Section Division 1 final at the Rose Bowl what Santa Margarita High was going to do again and again — get the ball into the hands of Trent Mosley.

Every offensive play in the opening 12 minutes by Santa Margarita involved a pass or a run by Mosley.

“Why not?” quarterback Trace Johnson said.

In the end, Santa Margarita defeated Corona Centennial 42-7 with Mosley scoring four touchdowns and catching 10 passes for a stunning 292 yards. Two weeks later, he made 11 catches for 183 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 47-13 win over De La Salle in the CIF Open Division state championship bowl win.

It was the culmination of a return to greatness for Mosley, who was the Trinity League player of the year as a sophomore, then was slowed by injuries last season. He finally got healthy this season after an injury in the opening game, and every opponent knew the challenge he presented.

Mosley has been selected The Times’ football player of the year in the Southland.

Trent Mosley raises the Southern Section Division 1 championship trophy won by Santa Margarita at the Rose Bowl.

(Craig Weston)

There’s little doubt where his talent comes from — it’s in his genes. His mother, Cindy, was the Heisman Trophy winner for soccer at Notre Dame. His father, Emmett, played football at Notre Dame. His sister, Jalyn, played soccer at Iowa. His brother, Emmett, is a receiver at Texas. Younger brother Grant is another top receiver at Santa Margarita. The three brothers used to see who was most competitive.

“Usually my basketball games with my brothers would end up in fights. Video games, fights,” Trent said. “Blessed to have the experience and their guidance.”

There’s not a sport or position Mosley can’t master. He used to love playing lacrosse, and his versatility is his super power. When he shows up to USC, his college choice, the Trojans will have plenty of plans on how to use him, whether it’s receiver, wildcat quarterback, returning punts or kickoffs.

Centennial coach Matt Logan called him “phenomenal.” De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said, “Good lord.”

Mosley added additional speed this season that led to even more big plays and showed what he can do when healthy.

“The gifts I’ve been given by God, working out with offseason speed training and also playing lacrosse two years ago — all that coming together produces what I can do now,” he said.

MIAMI — Anthony Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight fight Friday night.

The two-time heavyweight champion displayed why he is one of the sport’s elite punchers when he dropped the fading Paul twice in the fifth round.

Sensing the YouTuber was finished, Joshua rocked him with a right uppercut early in the sixth. The native of England then floored Paul with a combination to the head.

Although Paul (12-2) reached his feet again, Joshua (29-4, 26 knockouts) finally crushed Paul’s upset dream when he dropped him a fourth time with a right to the head. Referee Christopher Young counted Paul out at 1:31 of the round in front of a capacity crowd of 19,600 at the Kaseya Center.

Anthony Joshua punches Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match Friday.

(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)

With the victory, Joshua now can angle to reclaim the heavyweight title he lost against Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua also has talked about a long-discussed match with countryman and former champion Tyson Fury. However, Fury is retired following consecutive losses to Usyk last year.

It was Joshua’s first bout since Daniel Dubois knocked him out in five rounds in September 2024.

Joshua methodically established pace against Paul from the opening round as neither fighter engaged early. Midway through the round, Paul threw an overhand right that Joshua blocked with his glove. In the closing seconds Joshua scored with a right to the head near the ropes.

In the second, Joshua began utilizing his six-inch reach advantage by leading with a left jab.

Jake Paul falls on the canvas after being hit by Anthony Joshua during their heavyweight fight Friday.

(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)

Paul scored with a short right to the head early in the fourth. Later in the round Paul twice fell to the canvas awkwardly as he again attempted to cut distance during close exchanges

Paul weighed 216 pounds and Joshua weighed 243 for the bout.

The 28-year-old Paul, who began his career in January 2020, originally targeted an exhibition in Miami with lightweight champion Gervonta Davis last month. But Davis encountered legal problems that scrapped the event. Paul quickly pivoted and landed the bout against Joshua in the same venue.

Celebrities in the crowd included golf champion Rory McIlroy, New York Mets slugger Juan Soto, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy and retired NFL receivers Michael Irvin and Brandon Marshall.

In an undercard bout between retired UFC champions, 50-year-old Anderson Silva scored a second-round technical knockout of Tyron Woodley.

Jake and his team are hoping for a lot of things. Hoping AJ is underestimating him, hoping AJ is shot, hoping AJ’s inactivity will cost him, hoping AJ is low in confidence, hoping AJ’s chin isn’t what it once was.

But, unfortunately for them, AJ is super switched on. He’s had a camp and he’s training like he’s fighting Oleksandr Usyk or in a Daniel Dubois rematch.

I expect my fighter to win inside two rounds with a devastating knockout.

He could hit Jake to the body and he would break his ribs and he wouldn’t be able to get up.

If he hits him clean, he will knock him spark out. Or the referee could jump in.

We don’t know how it could play out but with the way AJ punches – with the speed and destruction – as soon as Jake is hit on the chin, the fight is over.

Then we go back to AJ’s two goals he wants to achieve in the time he has left in this sport – to fight Fury and to become a three-time world heavyweight champion.

Eddie Hearn was speaking to BBC Sport’s Kal Sajad.