Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson score two goals in injury time to seal a dramatic 3-1 victory for Bayern Munich against St Pauli and move the Bundesliga holders eight points clear at the top of the table.
Max Sasson and Drew O’Connor scored in a late 2:10 span, Nikita Tolopilo made 37 saves in his first NHL appearance of the season and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Ducks 5-4 on Wednesday night.
Sasson gave Vancouver the lead with 4:02 remaining on a tip, and O’Connor followed with 1:52 to go on a wrist shot. Cutter Gauthier got one back for the Ducks with seven seconds left, his 14th of the season.
The 6-foot-6 Tolopilo was called up Monday from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League. He has won both of his career NHL starts.
Linus Karlsson, Evander Kane and Conor Garland also scored for Vancouver. The Canucks had lost three straight and six of seven.
Jackson LaCombe, Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish added goals for the Ducks, who have three victories in the first five games of a six-game homestand.
REALITY TV star Kim Kardashian takes wet-look fashion to a whole new level.
The 45-year-old went for a night-time dip in a haute-couture dress by the late Alexander McQueen.
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Kim Kardashian went for a night-time dip in a haute-couture dress by the late Alexander McQueenCredit: Tomás Herold/@tomasheroldKim was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to promote her Hulu drama All’s FairCredit: Tomás Herold/@tomasherold
But the gown, first modelled in 2003, appeared far from waterproof.
Seeing the photo on Instagram, sister Khloe said: “You are such a freak for being in that water at night. Are you well?”
Kim was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to promote her Hulu drama All’s Fair.
Last month, The Sun revealed the reality star had brought out aSkims ‘Panties’ advent calendarwhich included 25 “luxury” pairs.
Brandt Clarke scored a power-play goal with 6:10 to play to lift the Kings to a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Clarke’s slap shot from just inside the blue line came with just two seconds left on the man advantage and ended the Kings’ losing streak at three games.
Foegele opened the scoring 5:31 into the third period when he tapped in a pass from Joel Armia, who skated the puck down the right wing. Armia has points in three straight games.
Fabian Zetterlund tied it at 1-1 with 9:11 to play in the third with his third goal of the season and second in two games, but the Senators went scoreless on three power-play opportunities.
Leevi Merilainen made 20 saves for Ottawa, which was coming off wins over Anaheim and San José, the first two games of a seven-game road trip.
Up next for the Kings: vs. the Ducks at Honda Center on Friday night.
Jude Bellingham’s 87th minute equaliser rescued Real Madrid from defeat at Elche as Los Blancos return to top of ladder.
Published On 24 Nov 202524 Nov 2025
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Jude Bellingham struck late on to secure Real Madrid a 2-2 draw at Elche on Sunday, taking his team top of La Liga by a point.
Xabi Alonso’s side struggled against their mid-table opponents in an entertaining battle in which Madrid twice came from behind.
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Aleix Febas fired the hosts ahead before Dean Huijsen levelled for the league leaders, with Bellingham stabbing home from close range after Alvaro Rodriguez blasted Elche back in front.
Barcelona cut Madrid’s lead by two points over the weekend after they thrashed Athletic Bilbao 4-0 on Saturday in their first match back at Camp Nou.
Alonso afforded Rodrygo Goes a rare start as part of the attack, while benching Vinicius Junior. The coach also gave Trent Alexander-Arnold his first start since August.
The England international missed several weeks injured and is yet to find form following his summer switch from Liverpool.
Alexander-Arnold was also partly to blame for Febas’s goal, with the midfielder sneaking in behind him to break the deadlock in the second half.
Forward Alvaro Rodriguez, third from right, scores his team’s second goal in the 84th minute to put Elche ahead of Real Madrid 2-1 [Alberto Saiz/AP]
Elche sets the tone
Elche impressed against Barcelona a few weeks ago and gave Madrid a tough night at the Martinez Valero stadium.
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a fine early save to deny Andre da Silva after Hector Fort teed him up.
The forward was involved in an unfortunate incident earlier in the day at Real Madrid’s annual general meeting, when Los Blancos displayed his photograph by accident in a tribute to former Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who both died in a car crash in July.
Former Barca goalkeeper Inaki Pena denied Kylian Mbappe after the French forward broke through on goal and then stopped the French superstar’s volley in Madrid’s best chance of the first half.
Elche stunned Madrid early in the second half with a slick move to take the lead.
German Valera’s superb backheel allowed Febas to dart behind Alexander-Arnold and squeeze a shot across the goal, past Courtois and in off the post.
Alonso responded by sending on Vinicius Jr and then young striker Gonzalo Garcia. Alexander-Arnold earned some redemption with his contribution to Madrid’s equaliser.
His cross was deflected against his own crossbar by a defender and behind for a corner. Alexander-Arnold whipped it in and Bellingham flicked it on into Huijsen’s path to bash home.
Elche took the lead again when Rodriguez caught out Courtois with a powerful drive from the edge of the box.
However, three minutes later Madrid equalised for a second time, with Mbappe only just keeping the ball in for Bellingham to convert from point-blank range.
The England midfielder was in the spotlight back home earlier in the week after he was unhappy to be taken off by national team coach Thomas Tuchel.
Bellingham was not at his best against Elche but was involved in both Madrid goals, highlighting his game-changing ability in the box even when otherwise quiet.
Real Madrid’s Bellingham scores in the 87th minute to level the contest at 2-2 [Angel Martinez/Getty Images]
Coach Matt Logan stood on the sideline with nine seconds left and his Corona Centennial team leading Mater Dei 28-27. He had called a timeout trying to ice Mater Dei kicker Jerry Shifman, who would be attempting a 46-yard field goal to decide the Southern Section Division 1 semifinal playoff game Friday night in Corona.
“I was just hoping he would miss,” Logan said.
Centennial defensive lineman Miles Schirmer broke through to block the field-goal attempt and send Centennial to face Santa Margarita in next Friday’s championship game at the Rose Bowl.
“It was unreal emotion and I’m so happy for these kids,” Logan said. “They play their butts off.”
Said Schirmer: “I reached up and it hit my forearm. I just pulled all my strength on a bull rush and jumped as high as I could.”
After Centennial quarterback Dominick Catalano took a knee to run out the clock, the sold-out crowd went wild with noise and excitement as Centennial players celebrated on the field.
“We got it done,” Logan said.
It was 10 years ago that Catalano’s brother, Anthony, now the team’s offensive coordinator, led Centennial to a Division 1 championship. Now little brother will have his moment in the spotlight after a courageous performance that saw him endure a powerful Mater Dei pass rush to throw for 290 yards and run for two touchdowns.
It was his 24-yard touchdown pass to Keawe Browne with 1:35 left that provided the winning score.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Catalano said.
Keawe Browne of Corona Centennial makes game-winning 24-yard touchdown catch to take down Mater Dei.
(Craig Weston)
Said Browne: “I saw the ball go up and I had to get it.”
There were so many big plays for Centennial (11-1), none more than a group sack before the field-goal attempt that pushed Mater Dei from the 17-yard-line to the 29.
Jonathan McKinley, who’s brother Javon also played on Centennial’s last championship team 10 years ago, was part of five players that surrounded and took down Mater Dei quarterback Ryan Hopkins.
“Oh my gosh, it feels amazing,” McKinley said.
Another one-handed catch of the year for Ty Plinski of Corona Centennial. Catalano scores on two-yard run. Centennial 21, Mater Dei 16 pic.twitter.com/SIcAOkcV34
Browne and receiver Ty Plinski kept making catch after catch. Plinski’s one-handed catch, something he has become known for, was another instant classic.
“He’s unreal,” Logan said of Plinski, who had four catches for 98 yards.
Headed to Pomona Pitzer, QB Dominick Catalano takes down Mater Dei 28-27 with 290 yards passing, two TDs running and a game-winning TD pass to Keawe Browne with 1:35 left for Corona Centennial. pic.twitter.com/2eEE20rqcD
Mater Dei opened a 10-0 lead after the first quarter. Hopkins was six-for-six passing for 57 yards. But Centennial took a 14-10 halftime lead. Four-yard touchdown runs by Malaki Davis and Catalano gave the Huskies momentum.
In the third quarter, Mater Dei (8-3) regained the lead 16-14 on a 43-yard touchdown catch by Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. Back came the Huskies and Catalano, who had a two-yard touchdown run for a 21-16 lead. Mater Dei settled for a 23-yard field goal by Shifman, then took a 27-21 lead when Shaun Scott recovered a fumble, returned it to the seven and Chris Henry Jr. caught a seven-yard touchdown pass.
Centennial made adjustments. It was expected to try to run the ball, but with Mater Dei’s secondary missing several players because of injuries, Logan turned to his passing attack. And when the Huskies needed to run the ball on their final drive, Zander Lewis came through with two important runs.
The time loop has been broken. Eight years of ending the high school football season in Southern California with either Mater Dei or St. John Bosco as the No. 1 team is over. No more Groundhog Day. Welcome to a fresh start.
It was the second time this season that Centennial had beaten Mater Dei. Centennial taking on Santa Margarita should be a crowd-pleasing final. Carson Palmer, the first-year coach of Santa Margarita, taking on Logan, who passed the 300-win mark this season. Santa Margarita’s defense has been extraordinary. Santa Margarita beat Centennial earlier this season 33-27 in overtime in a game Logan missed because of a heath scare.
“I’ll be there this time,” said Logan, who was eating healthy watermelons before the game but wearing his usual short pants during the game on a night to remember.
Liam Payne’s sister has paid an emotional tribute on the anniversary of the late star’s funeralCredit: Roo0900/InstagramLiam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy who had travelled with him to Buenos AiresCredit: Dan CharityLiam found fame with the pop band One DirectionCredit: Getty
Ruth posted an emotional tribute to her brother, one year on from his funeral – with an early image of the siblings together.
Alongside the post, Ruth wrote: “A year ago today, the hardest goodbye I’ll ever have, a funeral I should never have had to plan and every day since, I should have never had to live without him.
“Missing him now is part of breathing, it doesn’t get easier, that’s just a lie to make it feel better: Infinite love, infinite loss.”
Ruth’s post comes after she shared another tribute on the one year anniversary of Liam’s death.
In an open letter to him, a devastated Ruth wrote: “I underestimated grief, woah, did I underestimate it. I am paralysed by it daily.
“I thought I had felt it before but I know the losses before you were just intense sadness, you are the loss of my life, the one person who l will miss at every single occasion in my life.
“I’d taken for granted that my little brother would be there through life.
“You shouldn’t have died.”
Ruth also revealed she’s been having a recurring nightmare that places her in Liam’s hotel room moments before his death on that fateful night.
She said, in it, Liam “can’t hear me screaming for you, my brain is locked on your last minutes on this earth, the unaccounted minutes, the minutes I will never have the answers to, the minutes that changed everything.”
Such is the loss, Ruth said that the life of the Payne family has been “extinguished” and is “impossible to mend”.
She continued: “You died which is something that happened, but your absence is something that happens to me everyday before I even open my eyes.”
In gut-wrenching paragraphs she details how she’d love to spend just five more minutes with him and the things she would tell him, from catching up on plans, to listening to the birds and swapping jokes.
Liam’s Last Days
By Scarlet Howes
SEPTEMBER 20: Liam and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, arrive in Argentina for a five-day holiday.
OCTOBER 2: The star goes to see ex-bandmate Niall Horan while he is on tour, telling fans on Snapchat: “It’s been a while since me and Niall have spoken. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
OCTOBER 12: Kate flies back home to Florida after two weeks away, leaving Liam in Argentina.
She tells her followers on TikTok: “Love South America, but I hate staying in one place for too long and we were supposed to be there for five days, turned into two weeks and I was just like, ‘I need to go home’.”
OCTOBER 13: Liam checks into the CasaSur Palermo Hotel alone three days before he died. He was reportedly asked to leave his previous hotel.
OCTOBER 15: Hours before his death, he spends some time with Aldana Serrano, 31, and Lucila Goitea, 27, who arrived at the hotel at about 11.30am local time and left at 4pm, just one hour before he died.
At about 5pm, Liam is said to have been arguing over money with a mystery woman in the lobby, before falling 45ft and landing in the inner courtyard of the hotel.
Ending her letter to Liam, she asks people to remember that there is a family at the heart of the story who have lost someone very dear to them.
She says: “Whilst I am still on my knees struggling to regain balance since my world burned down and every time I try to take a step, something comes and sets fire to all the progress I thought I had made in my mind, in trying to understand where or why Liam isn’t here helping me through this.
“Everyone only seems interested in the public side of this, some sadly seem more interested in the fame they can gain off this, but on the human side people need to remember when they speak, there is a son without his Dad, parents without their child and I am lost without my brother.
“Love always Liam, in every lifetime.”
Liam died shortly after 5pm on October 16, 2024 when he fell from his hotel balcony.
Pereyra, 22 — locked up in Marcos Paz jail two hours from the capital — claims hotel bosses turned a blind eye to all of Liam’s drug use in October 2024.
He said: “They had him in an isolated bunker and let him do anything he wanted including drugs in the room, and in public areas of the hotel.
“Bosses said he was making them too much money — triple the money.
“But I think the biggest mistake was not calling an ambulance when Payne passed out in the lobby.
“If the hotel had acted differently Liam could have been saved.
“They lifted him by his arms and legs and carried him to the room via the elevator. He should have been kept where he was and an ambulance called.
“But because that day they had many foreign guests checking in they decided to take him to the room in the condition he was in.
“After that they called police instead of an ambulance. They made the call only after leaving him in the room alone. By the time they were making the call it was already too late.
“What happened was very sad.Liam’s deathwas truly tragic and could have been prevented.”
Ruth shared a gorgeous snap of her brotherCredit: Roo0900/InstagramA drone view shows the hotel where Liam was found dead after he fell from a third-floor hotel room balcony, in Buenos Aires, ArgentinaCredit: ReutersOver 2000 mourners attended Hyde Park for a memorial vigil at the Peter Pan statue for LiamCredit: AlamyA horse-drawn carriage carried the coffin of Liam at St Mary’s Church in Amersham, BuckinghamshireCredit: PALiam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy with Damien Hurley at Liam’s funeralCredit: Dan CharityOne of Liam’s final social media postsCredit: reuters
The final film of the late Glenda Jackson and, if he remains true to his word, of Michael Caine, “The Great Escaper” has made its way to America two years after its U.K. release. Premiering Sunday under the umbrella of the PBS series “Masterpiece Theatre,” the film tells the true-life story of Bernie Jordan, who, at 89, set off unaccompanied and unannounced from an English retirement home to attend celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France. (This event also inspired a Pierce Brosnan film, “The Last Rifleman,” which came out about the same time.) Love and time and duty are its themes. Written by William Ivory and directed by Oliver Parker, it’s a simple story, simply told — sweet, but not saccharine, and moving even when you know what’s coming.
Bernie (Caine) lives with his wife, Rene (Jackson), in a care home by the sea in the town of Hove. She needs more medical attention than he, but both have their wits about them. Having missed securing a spot among the groups traveling to Normandy, Bernie, a Royal Navy veteran, with Rene’s encouragement, decides to go it alone. Though he uses a walker and can seem tired or abstracted at times — he has much on his mind, and a specific mission to fulfill — the trip itself is not especially hard on him. It becomes all the easier once he meets, on the ferry across the English Channel, Arthur Howard-Johnson (John Standing, very fine), an RAF veteran who offers him a place with his group and a bed in his hotel room. As the film goes on, he becomes more and more focused, growing alert and lively and taking charge of Arthur, who had earlier taken charge of him. Each, it will transpire, carries a burden of guilt dating from the invasion.
Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson in “The Great Escaper.”
(Rob Youngson / Masterpiece, Pathé, BBC Films)
Back in Hove, the staff, represented by aide Adele (Danielle Vitalis) and manager Judith (Jackie Clune), is not immediately aware of Bernie’s absence — he’s allowed to come and go — and Rene, who has a tendency to fence with them anyway, is keeping quiet in order to give him time to get away. When they learn he’s missing, a search begins; eventually, Rene lets the truth slip, the exploit hits the press and Bernie, unaware of any of this, is given the nickname “The Great Escaper.” He’ll return home an annoyed celebrity.
Flashbacks, with Will Fletcher as young Bernie and Laura Marcus as young Rene, recall the couple’s wartime meeting and Bernie’s interactions with a young soldier on D-Day. Integrated as memories, they enrich the present action without overexplaining it.
Jackson and Caine, you may know or should learn, were icons of British thespian glamour in the 1960s and ’70s, she in “Marat/Sade,” “Women in Love” and “Elizabeth R,” he in “Alfie” and the Harry Palmer films (“The Ipcress File,” et al.); in 1975, they starred together in Joseph Losey’s “The Romantic Englishwoman,” co-written by Tom Stoppard. Always politically active, Jackson took off 23 years from acting, from 1992 to 2015, to serve as a member of Parliament, and returned to play “King Lear” in London and on Broadway and win a Tony for a revival of Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women.” Caine, notwithstanding some slow times, made movies all along, all sorts of them, playing Scrooge in “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” Mike Myers’ father in “Austin Powers in Goldmember” and Alfred in the Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy and parts in five other Nolan films. Watching “The Great Escaper,” you’re seeing history.
Neither has lost a step. (I find it pleasant to remember that, however frail or confused an older character may be, the person playing them is doing a job that requires strength and thought.) Given both the eminence of the actors and their age — Caine was 90 when “The Great Escaper” premiered, while Jackson, 87, died shortly before — it’s hard not to watch with a double consciousness of the players and the parts. But rather than a distraction, it redoubles the impact. Jackson and Caine wear their years proudly; there’s no vanity in their performance or their appearance. The couple’s eventual reunion is deep and real and, like their whole relationship, gorgeously ordinary.
The UK response to Covid was “too little, too late” and led to thousands more deaths in the first wave, an inquiry into government decision-making says.
The report also said lockdown may have been avoided if voluntary steps such as social distancing and isolating those with symptoms along with household members had been brought in earlier than 16 March 2020.
By the time ministers acted it was too late and lockdown was inevitable, the report said, then a week-long delay introducing it led to 23,000 more deaths in England in the first wave than would have been seen otherwise.
The report criticised the governments of all four nations and described a “chaotic culture” in Downing Street.
Inquiry chair Baroness Hallett said that while government was presented with unenviable choices under extreme pressure, “all four governments failed to appreciate the scale of the threat or the urgency of response it demanded in the early part of 2020.”
Ministers were in part relying on “misleading assurances” that the UK was prepared, she said.
Government scientists underestimated how quickly the virus was spreading and in the early days were advising restrictions should not be introduced until the spread of the virus was nearer its peak to help build up herd immunity, Lady Hallett added.
Across nearly 800 pages the report – which is the second of 10 planned by the inquiry – also set out a number of other failings:
It described it as “inexcusable” that the same mistakes of spring 2020 were repeated in the autumn as the second wave began to build and Prime Minister Boris Johnson repeatedly changed his mind about the need for tougher restrictions, which meant the second lockdown in England was only introduced in November when control was lost
The report described a “toxic and chaotic” culture at the heart of the government during its response to the pandemic, which it said affected the quality of advice and decision-making.
All four nations were criticised for their planning and decision-making, which the report said was hampered by the lack of trust between Boris Johnson and the first ministers
The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, suggested by Chancellor Rishi Sunak and agreed by Johnson to support hospitality venues in August 2020, was “devised in the absence of any scientific advice” and “undermined public health messaging”
The impact on vulnerable groups – older people, the disabled and some ethnic minorities – was not adequately considered when deciding how to respond to the virus, despite harm to them being foreseeable
Children were not prioritised enough with ministers failing to consider properly the consequences of school closures.
The report said lockdowns, while helping save lives, left lasting scars on society, bringing ordinary childhood to a halt, delaying treatment of non-Covid health conditions and worsening inequalities.
It said the modelling which shows 23,000 deaths could have been saved by locking down a week earlier than 23 March 2020 would have equated to 48% fewer deaths in the first wave to 1 July 2020.
But the report does not suggest the overall death toll for the pandemic – 227,000 in the UK by the time it was declared over in 2023 – would have been reduced.
That is very difficult to tell, as it depends on a variety of other factors that could have reduced or increased the number of deaths as the pandemic progressed.
The inquiry did however praise the government for the “remarkable” rollout of the vaccination programme and how it exited the lockdown of early 2021, allowing time for vulnerable groups to get the jab. The report described this as a turning point for the UK.
The report made a range of different recommendations, including:
Better considering the impact decisions might have on those most at risk – both by the illness and the steps taken to respond to it
Broadening participation in the Sage advisory group of scientists – including with representatives from the devolved governments – alongside creating other expert groups to advise on economic and social implications
Reforming and clarifying decision-making structures during emergencies within each nation
Improving communication between the four nations during an emergency
Deborah Doyle, of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said it was “devastating to think of the lives that could have been saved” under different leadership.
“We now know that many of our family members would still be alive today if it weren’t for the leadership of Boris Johnson and his colleagues.
“Throughout the pandemic, Boris Johnson put his political reputation ahead of public safety. He pandered to his critics when the UK needed decisive action.”
Johnson has yet to respond to the findings.
But Cummings, who was chief adviser to Boris Johnson at the start of the pandemic, accused the inquiry of a mix of “cover-ups and rewriting history”.
In a social media post, he said he was offered the chance to respond to the inquiry’s findings before the report was released, but declined, declaring it “insider corruption”.
He said experts “advised us to do almost nothing” and “advised against any serious restrictions” as the country would reach “natural herd immunity” by September.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government would “carefully consider” the findings and recommendations.
He said that improvements have been made in how the government would react to a major crisis, but added: “It is clear that local government and our public services, including the NHS, are under immense pressure and in many cases have not fully recovered from the pandemic.
“The cost of the pandemic still weighs heavily on the public purse.
“This is why this government is committed to driving growth in the economy and reform of public services, so that when we face the next crisis, we do so from a position of national resilience.”
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey has called for Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch to apologise on behalf of her party as he said the news that the lockdown could have been avoided is “shattering”.
Ian Moore scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:35 to play, and Lukas Dostal made 36 saves in the Ducks’ 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
Jansen Harkins. Radko Gudas and Ryan Strome also scored for the first-place Ducks, who have won nine of 12 after sweeping their season series with the Bruins.
The Bruins dominated long stretches of play and tied it with 12:21 left with Morgan Geekie’s second goal on a power play just seven seconds after Harkins took an awful cross-checking penalty.
But after another handful of outstanding saves by Dostal, Moore got the second goal his NHL career when Leo Carlsson found the young defenseman for a quick shot at the top of the slot while Chris Kreider screened Joonas Korpisalo.
Michael Eyssimont also scored for the Bruins, who opened a four-game road swing with their third loss in four games following a seven-game winning streak. Korpisalo stopped 29 shots, and Hampus Lindholm had two assists against his former team for Boston,
Mason McTavish had two assists in a bounce-back performance by the 21-year-old center after being demoted to the fourth line during the Ducks’ win over Utah on Monday.
Anaheim went ahead 2 1/2 minutes after the opening faceoff on Harkins’ second goal of the season. Gudas scored four minutes later from the blue line, hammering a slap shot that ramped off Fraser Minten’s skate for the Anaheim captain’s first goal of the season.
Geekie redirected a crossbar-high shot later in the first for his third power-play goal of the season.
Strome brilliantly redirected a pass from McTavish with two seconds left in a power play for his first goal of the new season after missing the first 16 games due to a preseason injury.
Eyssimont responded with his fifth goal late in the second.
Nahshon Wright had just made a huge play for the Chicago Bears, and in spectacular fashion.
The fifth-year cornerback leapt high in full sprint with his hand stretched over his head to intercept a pass by Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the end zone to preserve a 10-3 Bears lead late in the second quarter.
No wild celebration followed. Instead, Wright jogged to the back of the end zone and took a knee in memory of Oakland football legend John Beam, the former football coach at Laney College who died Friday after being shot on campus a day earlier.
“He was watching over me,” Wright, who played for Beam at Laney in 2018, said after the Bears’ 19-17 victory on Sunday . “It’s crazy. He called me the night before he passed and he told me that every game he watched, I just seemed to get a pick. So I just know he was behind me today.”
Just before noon Thursday, the Oakland Police Department responded to reports of gunshots at Laney and found Beam suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. At approximately 10 a.m. the next day, Beam was pronounced dead.
Oakland police arrested 27-year-old Oakland resident Cedric Irving Jr. as a suspect in the case early Friday morning at the San Leandro BART station. Irving is a former football player at Skyline High School where Beam once coached, but police said he did not play under Beam.
Former Laney Collegefootball coach John Beam holds the trophy after the Eagles won the California Community College Athletic Assn. championship in 2018.
(Peralta Community College District via Associated Press)
Irving and Beam knew each other but were not close, acting Oakland Police Chief James Beere said Friday at a news conference. Beere added that Irving isn’t a student at Laney but “was on campus for a specific reason” on Thursday.
“This was a very targeted incident,” Beere said.
On Monday, Irving was charged with murder and 10 other felonies related to Beam’s death. Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said during an afternoon news conference that Irving faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted.
Irving is scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday, Jones Dickson said.
Beam coached football in Oakland for more than 40 years. He came to Laney as running backs coach in 2004, was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2005 and was head coach from 2012-2024. Upon retirement from coaching, Beam continued to serve as Laney’s athletic director, a post he had held since 2006.
For many of his players and members of the community, Beam was much more than a coach, as seen by viewers of Season 5 of the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U,” which focused on Beam and the Eagles during the 2019 football season.
“Filming with him at Laney College gave us a firsthand look at his passion, his integrity, and his unwavering commitment to the young men he coached — and to the city of Oakland,” the show’s creator, Greg Whiteley, wrote Friday on X.
Wright told reporters that Beam was “someone I could confide in, someone that I love dearly.” He added that the coach filled a huge void for him and his brother — New Orleans Saints cornerback Rejzohn Wright, who played at Laney in 2018 and 2019 — after the death of their father in 2017.
“Beam stepped in, stepped in as a father figure, a father role,” Nahshon Wright said. “He did a lot for me and my brother, my family. He’s been there. He’s been there every step of the way, and it won’t stop. I gained an angel, for sure.”
In a scene from “Last Chance U,” Laney coach John Beam talks to player Rejzohn Wright.
(Netflix)
Rejzohn Wright reposted a video clip of his brother’s interception and its aftermath on X and wrote: “Long live Coach beam forever with us!”
In an Oct. 19 Instagram post, Beam wrote that he was “in Chicago to watch the brothers battle” as the Bears hosted the Saints. The pride and love Beam felt toward his former players was more than evident in the photos he posted and the words he wrote.
“The Wright Way — always believe and keep grinding, never give up and believe the path will open up,” Beam wrote.
Late Indonesia President Suharto, seen here in 1968, was awarded the distinguished title of national hero on Monday, despite opposition. (UPI Photo/Files) | License Photo
Nov. 10 (UPI) — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto designated his father-in-law, former President Suharto, a national hero on Monday, according to reports, despite opposition from critics who accuse the late dictator of committing human rights abuses during his 33-year rule.
Prabowo designated Suharto along with nine others for the prestigious title during National Heroes Day commemorations at the State Palace in Jakarta, The Jakarta Post and Indonesian news agency Antara reported.
National Heroes Day falls on November 10 to mark the day that in 1945, when Indonesians fought the British and allied forces in pursuit of an independent Indonesia following the fall of Japan.
Suharto became president after Sukarno was stripped of his power in 1967 and was then formally elected in 1968. He remained president until his resignation amid mass protests in 1998, which were sparked by his re-election in an uncontested election.
Often called Indonesia’s strongman, Suharto’s anti-communist stance during the Cold War secured him support from Western nations, which helped shield him some of his regime’s alleged human rights abuses.
Critics have accused the authoritarian leader of overseeing the killings of an estimated 500,000 to 1 million alleged communists during 1965-66. He is also accused of being responsible for the so-called Petrus Killings of 1982-85 when thousands of state-ordered extrajudicial killings were carried out, as well as alleged genocide in East Timor, among many other allegations.
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation criticized the Subianto administration Monday as “unethical, destructive to law and human rights, indifferent to anti-corruption efforts and demeaning to the true values of heroism” over Suharto’s designation.
“This title should only be bestowed upon those who truly fought for independence, justice humanity and the sovereignty of the people — not upon a leader whose rule was marked by authoritarianism and human rights violations,” the YLBHI said in a statement.
“YLBHI strongly condemns this conferral of the hero title, which further demonstrates that Prabowo’s regime has become a government that betrays the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, betrays and harms the people and has clearly engaged in disgraceful conduct.”
Did you forget to register to vote in California’s special election on Tuesday? There is still time.
California allows same day registration. Eligible citizens are allowed to cast a conditional ballot and once their eligibility to vote is verified, the vote will be counted.
Tuesday is the last day to vote on Proposition 50, a measure that would approve new congressional district lines designed to favor Democrats in the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections, overriding the map drawn by the state’s nonpartisan, independent redistricting commission.
Prospective voters can visit a polling place on Tuesday to register and then cast a ballot.
