news

Feb. 8 (UPI) — Thailand’s conservative-royalist party won the election Sunday.

The Bhumjaithai party secured 194 House of Representatives spots after 89 percent of the votes had been tallied, The New York Times reported.

“We will accept the decision of the people in giving us the confidence, the trust to the Bhumjaithai party,” said Anutin Charnvirakul, who helms the party, per the outlet.

Charnvirakul had vowed to construct a border wall following a battle with Cambodia over the boundary between countries.

Bhumjaithai has committed to uphold the monarchy status quo.

The more progressive People’s Party earned some 116 seats, while the Pheu Thai party gained 86 spots.

“People’s priorities have shifted from reform to the need for stability,” ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute fellow Tita Sanglee told The New York Times.

Mumbai, India — For most of a warm and breezy Sunday afternoon in Mumbai, the Wankhede Stadium felt closer to Kathmandu than India’s southern metropolis as thousands of Nepalese fans sang, danced and dared to dream while their cricket team took on the mighty England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

A sea of red and blue replica shirts heaved in every nook and corner of the iconic 33,000-capacity venue, with supporters turning the famed Indian stadium into their adopted home.

A banner, saying “Feel the Thrill” stretched across stands and captured the mood perfectly as chants, drums and Nepali tunes echoed throughout the ground.

From children arriving with flags painted on their faces to elderly supporters proudly wearing the traditional Dhaka topi – a traditional Nepalese hat – fans of all ages turned up for what felt like a cricketing festival drenched in Nepali culture.

‘We almost won’

On the pitch, Nepal’s players delivered one of their most memorable performances in recent years, with the match ending in heartbreak as the team’s spirited chase fell agonisingly short on the final ball.

With the odds stacked heavily against them, Nepal walked out to face two-time champions England fully aware of the vast gulf in experience and pedigree compared to their opponents.

They hoped, though, that their hunger, intensity and fearless approach to the game could keep them firmly in the contest.

Chasing a challenging target of 185, the Rhinos proved why they are one of the most promising teams in associate cricket, as Lokesh Bam’s late heroics, coupled with Rohit Paudel and Dipendra Singh Airee’s onslaughts, pushed the contest to the last ball.

“We almost won but couldn’t go through because the players lack experience,” Nepal fan Subodh Dhakal, who travelled from Kathmandu, told Al Jazeera. “Experience will come with time, but the team played well.”

Dhakal, a doctor and passionate Nepal supporter, planned a quick two-day trip to attend the match with his wife, after watching the Nepal Premier League – the domestic league whose growth has been central to the nation’s progress in the sport.

Like Dhakal, Satyam Pokhrel also made his way to Mumbai from the Nepalese capital. Joined by a group of friends, Pokhrel revealed his plans to stay for the remaining three Nepal games, all of which are scheduled at the same venue.

“Nepal had a really good chance [to win], but were unlucky,” he said. “The match was very close; I’m proud of the team. They showed great energy and are capable of winning the upcoming games.”

Sunday’s heroics against England were not the first time Nepal troubled stronger opponents. Five months before the World Cup, they beat the West Indies 2-1 in a three-match series — their first bilateral series victory over a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) — while in 2024 they came within a run of upsetting South Africa at the T20 World Cup.

Nepal’s debut at the tournament, in 2014, led to a famous win over a highly-rated Afghanistan team.

‘Don’t count us out’

For many in the stands, being part of the atmosphere required journeys just as memorable as the match itself.

Bhuvan Rawal travelled from Tikapur in far-western Nepal, spending three days on the road to reach Mumbai by bus.

“I wasn’t bothered by the time or money taken to come here. Watching Nepal play at a World Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me,” said the 26-year-old.

“I’ve come with around 200 to 300 supporters from Nepal. We were aware of the match schedule since last year and were excited to be at Wankhede Stadium… Mumbai is our second home now!”

Rawal, who played cricket in his younger years and works as a gym trainer, believes lowly-ranked teams such as Nepal aren’t just here to make up the numbers at the expanded 20-team T20 World Cup.

“We may be a small country, but Nepal is very beautiful and can play wonderful cricket. I understand there’s a difference between full ICC members and associate teams, but don’t count us out.

“No team is too small to challenge the giants,” he said.

With 95 percent of votes counted, 63-year-old Antonio Jose Seguro is on 66 percent.

Antonio Jose Seguro of the centre-left Socialist Party has secured a landslide victory and a five-year term as Portugal’s president in a run-off vote, beating his far-right, anti-establishment rival, Andre Ventura, according to partial results.

With 95 percent of votes counted, 63-year-old Seguro has garnered 66 percent. Ventura trailed at 34 percent, still likely to secure a much stronger result than the 22.8 percent his anti-immigration Chega party achieved in last year’s general election. Ballots in large cities such as Lisbon and Porto are counted towards the end.

Two exit polls have placed Seguro in the 67-73 percent range, and Ventura at 27-33 percent.

A succession of storms in recent days has failed to deter voters, with turnout at about the same level as in the first round on January 18, even though three municipal councils in southern and central Portugal had to postpone voting by a week due to floods. The postponement affected some 37,000 registered voters, or about 0.3 percent of the total, and is unlikely to influence the overall result.

Portugal’s presidency is a largely ceremonial role, but it holds some key powers, including the ability to dissolve parliament under certain circumstances.

Ventura, 43, who had trailed Seguro in opinion polls, had argued that the government’s response to the fierce gales and floods was “useless” and called for the entire election to be postponed.

However, the authorities rejected the demand.

Seguro, during his last campaign rally on Friday, accused Ventura of “doing everything to keep the Portuguese from turning out to vote”.

Despite his loss on Sunday, Ventura, a charismatic former television sports commentator, can now boast increased support, reflecting the growing influence of the far right in Portugal and much of Europe. He is also the first extreme-right candidate to make it through to a run-off vote in Portugal.

Meanwhile, Seguro has cast himself as the candidate of a “modern and moderate” left, who can actively mediate to avert political crises and defend democratic values. He received backing from prominent conservatives after the first round amid concerns over what many see as Ventura’s populist, hardline tendencies.

But Prime Minister Luis Montenegro – whose minority centre-right government has to rely on support from either the Socialists or the far right to get legislation through parliament – declined to endorse either candidate in the second round.

While the role is largely ceremonial, the head of state has the power to dissolve parliament and call early elections.

The new president will succeed outgoing conservative Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in early March.

The Palestinian presidency calls the decision a ‘dangerous’ Israeli ‘attempt to legalize settlement expansion’.

Israel’s security cabinet has approved new rules aimed at strengthening Israeli control over the occupied West Bank, according to local media reports, drawing condemnation from Palestinian authorities.

The Palestinian presidency, in a statement on Sunday, called the decision “dangerous” and an “open Israeli attempt to legalize settlement expansion” and land confiscation. The office of President Mahmoud Abbas called for the United States and the United Nations Security Council to intervene immediately.

Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the decision, which it said was “aimed at imposing illegal Israeli sovereignty” and entrenching settlements.

The Hamas group called on Palestinians in the West Bank to “intensify the confrontation with the occupation and its settlers.”

The rules will make it easier for Israeli settlers to buy land in the occupied West Bank and give Israeli officials stronger powers to enforce laws on Palestinians in the area, Israeli media reported.

The West Bank is among the areas that Palestinians seek for a future independent state, along with Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem. Much of the West Bank is under direct Israeli military control, with extremely limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas, governed by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA).

According to the Israeli news outlets Ynet and Haaretz, the new steps include removing rules that stopped private Jewish individuals from buying land in the occupied West Bank.

The measures also include allowing Israeli authorities to take charge of managing some religious sites, and increasing Israeli supervision and enforcement in areas run by the PA, according to the media reports.

The office of far-right Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, in a statement said “we will continue to bury the idea of a Palestinian state”.

Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh said the reports about expected Israeli steps to increase annexation and create new facts on the ground in the occupied West Bank are a total violation of all signed and binding agreements, a serious escalation, and a violation of international law, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

He emphasised that these unilateral measures aim to eliminate any political prospects, obliterate the two-state solution, and drag the entire region into further tension and instability.

The reports come three days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC.

Feb. 8 (UPI) — Louisiana House District 60 has a new representative.

Democrat Chasity Verret Martinez beat out her Republican opponent Brad Daigle, accumulating some 5,159 votes during the Saturday special election.

The former representative for the district, Chad Brown, had vacated his post to helm the Department of Alcohol and Tobacco Control.

The results mark the eighth time that Democrats have flipped a special election seat amid President Donald Trump‘s second term, CBS reported.

Kenn Barnes and Sidney J. Barthelemy II will face off for the Senate District 3 spot, while Ed Murray is projected to win State House District 97.

Voters will choose between Dana Henry and Kenya Rounds to represent District 100 in a runoff election.

Machado ally says ‘there’s a lot to talk about regarding the present and future of Venezuela’ after release.

Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa has been freed from jail, his family said in a statement.

Guanipa’s release on Sunday is the latest high-profile liberation by the government in Caracas, which is under pressure from the United States to free political prisoners.

Rights group Foro Penal says it has verified 383 liberations of political prisoners since the government announced a new series of releases on January 8.

“Ten months in hiding and almost nine months detained here,” Guanipa said after being released.

“There’s a lot to talk about regarding the present and future of Venezuela, always with the truth front and centre.”

Guanipa, a well-known politician in Venezuela and a close ally of Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, was arrested in May 2025 after months in hiding for allegedly leading a “terrorist” plot. His family and political movement have strenuously denied the allegations.

Earlier this month, Guanipa’s family said they had also been able to see him in person for the first time in months, and that he was in good physical health.

Machado celebrated Guanipa’s release in a statement on X, calling for all political prisoners to be released.

Exiled Venezuelan opposition figurehead Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia also demanded “the immediate release” of all political prisoners.

“These releases are not synonymous with full and complete freedom,” he posted on X.

“As long as legal proceedings remain open and restrictive measures, threats or surveillance remain, the persecution continues,” he added.

Venezuela’s opposition and human rights groups have said for years that the country’s government uses detentions to stamp out dissent.

The government has, however, denied holding political prisoners and says those jailed have committed crimes.

The country’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez has also announced a proposed “amnesty law” for hundreds of prisoners in the country, and said the infamous Helicoide detention centre in Caracas, which rights groups have long denounced as the site of prisoner abuse, will be converted into a centre for sport and social services in the capital.

The legislation, which would grant immediate clemency to people jailed for participating in political protests or critiquing public figures, return assets of those detained and cancel Interpol and other international measures previously issued by the government – passed in an initial vote at the National Assembly this week. It will, however, need to be approved a second time to become law.

Rodriguez, who took office after the US abducted and deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro last month, has been releasing the political prisoners and complying with US demands on oil deals.

Tehran, Iran – Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on the United States to respect his country as the two nations look ahead to another round of nuclear negotiations next week following mediated discussions in Oman.

“Our reasoning on the nuclear issue is based on rights stipulated in the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” he wrote in a post on X on Sunday. “The Iranian nation has always responded to respect with respect, but cannot withstand the language of force”.

Pezeshkian described the indirect talks held in Oman on Friday as a “step forward” and said his administration favours dialogue.

Iranian officials are highlighting sovereignty and independence and are signalling eagerness for nuclear-only negotiations, while rejecting a military build-up in the region by the US.

Speaking at a forum hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran, the country’s chief diplomat Abbas Araghchi pointed out that the Islamic Republic has always emphasised independence since overthrowing US-backed Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in a 1979 revolution.

“Before the revolution, the people did not believe their establishment to have possessed true independence,” Araghchi said.

The messaging comes as the anniversary of the revolution approaches on Wednesday, when state-organised demonstrations have been planned across the country. Iranian authorities have in previous years exhibited military equipment, including ballistic missiles, during the rallies.

Araghchi said during the event in the capital that Iran is unwilling to forego nuclear enrichment for civilian use even if it leads to more military attacks by the US and Israel, “because no one has the right to tell us what we must have and must not have”.

However, the diplomat added that he told US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Muscat on Friday that “there is no way but negotiations”. He said China and Russia have also been informed of the content of the talks.

“Being afraid is lethal poison in this situation,” Araghchi said about Washington amassing what US President Donald Trump has called a “beautiful armada” near Iran’s waters.

‘Push the region back years’

Iran’s top military commander on Sunday issued a new warning that the entire region will be engulfed in conflict if Iran is attacked.

“While being prepared, we genuinely have no desire to see the outbreak of a regional war,” Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi told a gathering of air force and air defence commanders and personnel.

“Even though aggressors will be the target of the flames of regional war, this will push back the advancement and development of the region by years, and its repercussions will be borne by the warmongers in the US and the Zionist regime,” he said in reference to Israel.

According to Mousavi, Iran “has the necessary power and preparedness for a long-term war with the US”.

But many average Iranians are left in limbo without much hope that the talks with the US will lead to results, including for the country’s heavily declining economy.

“I was 20 when the first negotiations with the West over Iran’s nuclear programme were held about 23 years ago,” Saman, who works at a small private investment firm in Tehran, told Al Jazeera.

“Our best years are behind us. But it’s even more sad to think that some of the youth who were born at the start of the negotiations were killed on the streets during the protests last month with many hopes and dreams.”

‘They never returned’

Iran is witnessing tense time and threats of a massive US military strike. But the Islamic Republic has not overcome anti-government protests that shook the nation, denouncing the collapse of the national currency, soaring prices and economic hardship.

State television continues to broadcast confessions of Iranians arrested during the nationwide protests, many of whom are accused by the state of working in line with the interests of foreign powers.

In a report aired late on Saturday, a woman and multiple men with blurred-out faces and in handcuffs could be seen saying they were led by a man who allegedly received weapons and money from Mossad operatives in neighbouring Iraq’s Erbil.

“He only wanted more people to die; he shot at everyone,” one of the confessing men said about what allegedly transpired during unrest in the Tehranpars district in the eastern part of the capital, backing the state’s claim that “terrorists” are responsible for all deaths.

Iranian authorities have accused the US, Israel and European countries of instigating the protests.

But international human rights organisations and foreign-based opposition groups accuse state forces of being behind the unprecedented killings during the protests, which were carried out mostly on the nights of January 8 and 9.

The Iranian government claims 3,117 people were killed, but the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says it has documented nearly 7,000 fatalities and is investigating more than 11,600 cases. The United Nations special rapporteur on Iran, Mati Sato, said more than 20,000 may have been killed as information trickles out despite heavy internet filtering.

Al Jazeera cannot independently verify these figures.

Amid numerous reports that dozens of medical staff were arrested for treating wounded protesters and remain incarcerated in harsh conditions, Iran’s judiciary issued a rejection of the allegations late Saturday. It claimed that only “a limited number of medical personnel were arrested for participating in riots and playing a role in the field”.

A large number of schoolchildren and university students were also reportedly among tens of thousands arrested during and in the aftermath of the nationwide protests. The Ministry of Education claimed last week that it did not know how many schoolchildren were arrested, but could confirm that all have since been released.

The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations on Sunday released the four-minute video below, titled “200 empty school desks”, which shows the schoolchildren and teenagers confirmed killed during the protests. Many were accompanied by their parents when killed.

One month after the killings, countless families are left grieving and continue to release videos commemorating their loved ones online.

A message on Instagram calling on the international community to keep talking about the people of Iran has now been shared more than 1.5 million times.

“One month ago today, thousands woke up and ate breakfast for the last time without knowing it, and kissed their mother for the last time without knowing it,” the message reads. “They lived for the last time and never returned.”

Abdel Hamid Karimeh says seven people injured as rescue teams search for people trapped under rubble.

At least six people have been killed and seven others were wounded when two adjoining buildings collapsed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, the head of ⁠the municipal council said.

Abdel Hamid Karimeh, speaking at a press conference in Tripoli on Sunday, did not say how many people might still be ‌trapped under debris in the northern city’s Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood.

Search and rescue operations were under way, with civil defence teams, supported by the Lebanese Red Cross and emergency and relief agencies, leading efforts.

Residents of the neighbourhoood also took part in rescue efforts, rushing to help remove debris and create openings in the collapsed building.

Members of the Internal Security Forces and Tripoli municipal police have evacuated residential buildings adjacent to the collapsed building, fearing their collapse, amid a heavy deployment of army personnel, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported. It said eight injured people had been rescued.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun ordered all emergency services to be on high alert to assist in rescue operations and to provide shelter for the residents of the neighboring buildings, according to the NNA report.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in a statement that the government is fully prepared to provide housing allowances for all residents of buildings that need to be evacuated.

“Given the magnitude of this humanitarian catastrophe, the result of years of accumulated neglect, and out of respect for the lives of the victims, I urge all those involved in politics, in Tripoli and elsewhere, to refrain from exploiting this horrific disaster for cheap and short-sighted political gains,” he said.

Lebanon’s infrastructure has suffered from decades of neglect, economic collapse, corruption, and damage caused by conflicts with Israel. Key issues include chronic electricity shortages, an unreliable water supply with contamination risks, and crumbling roads and buildings.

Erling Haaland’s penalty in second-half stoppage time kept Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge alive with a chaotic 2-1 win away at Liverpool.

Haaland’s spot kick sealed a comeback victory for Pep Guardiola’s team in an explosive football game at Anfield on Sunday and brought the gap on first-place Arsenal back to six points.

City’s title prospects looked in dire shape when Dominik Szoboszlai crashed a stunning long-range free kick in off the post in the 74th minute.

And even when Bernardo Silva equalised 10 minutes later, second-place City was still looking at ending the match eight points adrift of the leader.

But Haaland sent the away fans wild by firing into the bottom corner from the spot in the 93rd after Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson brought down Matheus Nunes in the box.

Then City substitute Rayan Cherki scored from the halfway line – only for VAR to overrule it and send off Szoboszlai for a foul on Haaland in the process of the ball crossing the line.

These two clubs have combined to win the last eight titles in English football’s Premier League. But both showed the flaws that have opened the door for Arsenal to potentially end their long wait to be crowned champions once again.

Haaland has scored just once from open play in his last 13 games, and an uncharacteristic lack of confidence from the Norwegian showed with the best chance of the first half inside the opening two minutes.

Silva’s clever pass split the Liverpool defence, but Haaland’s shot lacked conviction under pressure from Milos Kerkez, and Alisson Becker was able to save low to his left.

Haaland hooked another effort straight at Alisson among 10 first-half City attempts without a breakthrough.

Second-half slumps have been a consistent feature of City’s season, and the visitors again faded in the second period until a late flurry saved their title challenge.

Hugo Ekitike should have opened the scoring when he completely miscued his header just before the hour mark after a lightning-fast Liverpool break.

Marc Guehi was fortunate to escape with just a yellow card when he dragged down Mo Salah just outside the box.

But it was City who were left fuming at the award of the free kick that led to the opener when Ryan Gravenberch went down under minimal contact.

Szoboszlai scored the only goal with an outrageous free kick when Arsenal visited Anfield in August and produced another stunning strike that clipped the inside of the post before finding the net.

However, the Hungarian went from hero to villain when City levelled six minutes from time.

Szoboszlai played Silva onside as he slid in to volley home Haaland’s header for City’s first second-half goal in the Premier League this year.

Alisson then wiped out Matheus Nunes to concede a penalty and Haaland kept his cool from the spot to put City in front.

Pep Guardiola’s men still needed a stunning save from Gianluigi Donnarumma to tip behind Alexis Mac Allister’s deflected shot.

With Alisson remaining forward from the resulting corner, the Liverpool goal was open when Cherki took aim from the halfway line to roll the ball into an empty net.

However, Haaland and Szoboszlai’s grappling as the ball trickled towards the goal saw the strike ruled out, with a free kick awarded to City instead, and the Liverpool player given his marching orders.

Silva, who was named player of the match, told Sky Sports that it was a vital win for City.

“I feel the whole team knew before the game if we lost it then the title race was probably over. We felt like we needed to win,” he said.

“The hope is there, and we are going to fight until the end. We need to keep doing our job that we haven’t lately.”

Liverpool boss Arne Slot said he was disappointed not to come away with a result and claimed that several key decisions had gone against his side.

“You cannot compare this game with three or four months ago. We have improved so much – but we need to improve the results,” he told Sky.

“So many times this year we haven’t got what I think we deserve, and this is another time.”

Palace end dire run at Brighton

Earlier on Sunday, Crystal Palace ended a 12-game winless run in all competitions by beating rival Brighton 1-0.

Ismaila Sarr scored the only goal of the match at the Amex Stadium to move Palace nine points clear of the relegation zone and leapfrog Brighton into 13th place.

“It was an unbelievable atmosphere and what a way to start my Palace career, a win in a derby,” said Palace’s record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen, who joined from Wolves on deadline day. “It was really important to win, as there has been a run without wins before I joined.

“This is the most intense game I have ever played, so I’m tired now, but it is worth it.”

Sarr’s winner came after running through in the 61st minute and firing past goalkeeper Bart Verburggen. It was his second goal in as many games and his 10th of the season.

In recent months, Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea of supporting rebel fighters on Ethiopian soil.

Ethiopia’s ‌foreign minister has accused neighbouring Eritrea of military aggression and of supporting armed groups inside Ethiopian territory, amid growing tensions between the neighbours.

The two longstanding foes had waged war against each other between 1998 and 2000, but signed a peace deal in 2018 and became allies during Ethiopia’s two-year war against regional authorities in the northern Tigray region.

But Eritrea was not a party to the 2022 agreement that ended the Tigray conflict, and relations between the two nations have plunged into acrimony since then.

In recent months, Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea of supporting rebel fighters on Ethiopian soil – allegations Asmara denies.

In a letter dated Saturday, February 7, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos told his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh Mohammed that Eritrean forces had occupied Ethiopian territory along parts of their shared border for an extended period.

He also accused Eritrea of providing material support to armed groups operating inside Ethiopia.

“The incursion[s] of Eritrean troops further into Ethiopian territory … are not just provocations but acts of outright aggression,” his letter said.

Timothewos demanded that Asmara “withdraw its troops from Ethiopian territory and cease all forms of collaboration with rebel groups”.

He also said that Ethiopia remained open to dialogue if Eritrea respected its territorial integrity. He said Addis Ababa was willing to engage in good-faith negotiations on all matters of mutual interest, including maritime affairs and access to the Red Sea through the Eritrean port of Assab.

There was no immediate comment from Eritrea on the letter.

Eritrea, which gained independence in 1993 after decades of armed conflict with Ethiopia, has however, bristled at repeated public declarations by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed that his landlocked country has a right to sea access. Many in Eritrea, which lies on the Red Sea, view his comments as an implicit threat of military action.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni slams anti-Olympics protesters as ‘enemies of Italy and Italians’.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned anti-Olympics protesters as “enemies of Italy and Italians” after violence on the fringes of rallies in Milan and the alleged sabotage of train infrastructure.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also joined the criticism on Sunday, condemning violence linked to the protests in Milan on Saturday, stating such behaviour has no place at the Games.

The incidents ⁠happened on the first full day of competition in the Winter Games that Milan is hosting along with the Alpine town of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Meloni praised thousands of Italians who are working to keep the Games running smoothly, many of whom are volunteers.

“Then there are those who are enemies of Italy and Italians. The protesters demonstrate ‘against the Olympics,’ causing these images to end up on televisions around the world. After others cut the railway cables to prevent the trains from leaving,” the prime minister wrote in a statement on Facebook on Sunday.

The Italian Transport Ministry said that an investigation into suspected “terrorism” had been launched after the railway sabotage near the city of Bologna on Saturday and that those responsible would face a multimillion-euro damages claim.

Thousands of people took to the streets in Milan on Saturday to protest against the Olympics’ environmental and social consequences, including concerns over excessive public spending and ecological damage.

The march, which began peacefully, turned tense when some protesters set off smoke bombs and firecrackers near Olympic venues. Milan police responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, leading to clashes in areas close to the Olympic Village and a nearby highway.

International Olympic Committee spokesperson Mark Adams told reporters on Sunday that peaceful protest is legitimate, but “we draw a line at violence”, which “has no place at the Olympic Games”.

Separately, protesters have also rallied against Israel’s participation in the games and against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, which has deployed agents to provide security to the US delegation at the Games.

During Friday’s opening ceremony, Israel’s small delegation marched into Milan’s San Siro Stadium to a smattering of “boos” from the crowds. The four Israeli athletes, waving their national flag and smiling, saw the jeers quickly drowned out by the loud music and overall festive atmosphere.

United States Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, received a similar hostile reception when they appeared on the stadium’s big screen.

With 30 percent of polling stations reporting results, Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party has a commanding lead.

Thailand’s ruling Bhumjaithai Party has taken an early lead in general elections, according to a preliminary vote count.

With around 30 percent of polling stations reporting results, the party, led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, took a commanding lead over the progressive People’s Party, showed partial results released by the country’s election commission.

The populist Pheu Thai Party, backed by the billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was jailed last year, was in third place, the results showed.

People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut appeared to concede defeat as the results came in, telling reporters, “We acknowledge that we did not come first.”

“We stand by our principle of respecting the party that finishes first and its right to form the government,” said Ruengpanyawut.

Nevertheless, the three-way battle is unlikely to see any single party win a clear majority, meaning parties will likely have to resort to coalition-building to form the next government.

Bhumjaithai, seen as the preferred choice of the royalist-military establishment, centred its campaign on economic stimulus and national security, tapping into nationalist fervour stoked by deadly border clashes with neighbouring Cambodia.

Its leader, caretaker premier Anutin, stepped in as prime minister last September, after his predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was forced out of office for an ethics violation.

Threatened with a no-confidence vote, Anutin dissolved the National Assembly or parliament in December to call a snap election.

The rival People’s Party, which many had expected to win a plurality of seats, had promised to curb the influence of the military and the courts, as well as break up economic monopolies. Pheu Thai campaigned on economic revival and populist pledges like cash handouts.

Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng, reporting from Bangkok, said there was a sentiment of “political fatigue” in the run-up to elections, but voters turning out Sunday were still hopeful about the prospect for change.

Constitutional referendum

Thai voters were also ‌asked during the vote to decide if a new constitution should replace a 2017 charter, a military-backed document that critics say concentrates power in undemocratic institutions, including a powerful Senate that is chosen through an indirect selection process with limited public participation.

The election commission’s early count showed voters backing constitutional change ‌by a margin of nearly two to one.

Thailand has had 20 constitutions since the end of absolute monarchy in ⁠1932, with most of the changes following military coups.

If voters back the drafting of a new national charter, the new government and lawmakers can start the amendment process in parliament with two more referendums required to adopt a new constitution.

“I believe that the party that wins in the next election will have an outsized influence on the direction of constitutional reform, whether we move away from the junta-drafted constitution or not,” said Napon Jatusripitak of the Bangkok-based Thailand Future think tank.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff has quit over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States after files revealed the extent of Mandelson’s relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the government. The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself,” Starmer’s top aide Morgan McSweeney said in a statement on Sunday.

“I advised the Prime Minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice,” he added.

Labour members of parliament had called for McSweeney’s resignation after new evidence about Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was revealed in the latest tranche of documents and photos from the investigation into the American financier were released by the US Department of Justice. The lawmakers blamed McSweeney for the appointment of Mandelson and the damage caused by the publication of the crude exchanges between him and Epstein.

McSweeney, 48, who was a protege and friend of Mandelson, was accused by some Labour lawmakers and his political opponents of failing to ensure that there were proper background checks when the ambassador was appointed.

In a statement on Sunday, Starmer said it had been “an honour” to work with McSweeney, who had held the role of chief of staff since October 2024.

Mandelson’s payout

Mandelson was sacked by Starmer in September over his friendship with Epstein and last week also quit the Labour Party and House of Lords, the upper chamber of the UK Parliament. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it is reviewing an exit payment made to him after he was fired.

Mandelson, a pivotal figure in British politics and the Labour Party for decades, received an estimated payout of between 38,750 pounds and 55,000 pounds ($52,000 to $74,000) after only seven months in the job, according to a report in the Sunday Times newspaper.

Documents released on January 30 by the US Justice Department appeared to show that Mandelson had also allegedly leaked confidential UK government information to Epstein when he was a British minister, including during the 2008 financial crisis.

The Foreign Office said in a statement that it has launched a review into Mandelson’s severance payment “in light of further information that has now been revealed and the ongoing police investigation”.

Mandelson’s lawyers have said he “regrets, and will regret until his dying day, that he believed Epstein’s lies about his criminality”.

“Lord Mandelson did not discover the truth about Epstein until after his death in 2019,” said a spokesperson for the law firm Mishcon de Reya, which represents Mandelson.

“He is profoundly sorry that powerless and vulnerable women and girls were not given the protection they deserved,” the law firm added.

Starmer’s political future in peril?

The departure of McSweeney has thrown the future direction of the government into doubt, less than two years after the Labour Party won one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern British history.

With polls showing Starmer is already hugely unpopular with voters, some in his own party are openly questioning his judgement and future, and it remains to be seen whether McSweeney’s exit will be enough to silence his critics.

Cabinet minister Pat McFadden earlier insisted Starmer should remain in office despite his “terrible mistake” in appointing Mandelson.

The close Starmer ally told broadcasters the party should stick with the prime minister.

“He [Starmer] should be realistic and accept that this has been a terrible story, that this appointment was a terrible mistake,” McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, told BBC television.

He said the real blame lay “squarely with Peter Mandelson”, who put himself forward for the job despite knowing the extent of his relationship with Epstein.

But according to a report by the Sunday Telegraph, Starmer’s deputy, David Lammy, has become the first cabinet minister to appear to distance himself from Starmer.

The deputy prime minister had not been in favour of appointing Mandelson due to his known links to Epstein, the report quoted friends of Lammy as saying.

Welcome to your daily review and preview of this year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics. My name is John Cherwa and I’m your tour director for the Games wondering when the United States will get off the schneid and win a medal. Educated guess alert: How about today? Can you say team figure skating?

Saturday was the first day that medals were awarded at the Milan-Cortina Games and not unexpectedly, the host country is doing the best, sweeping all three medal types with a gold in the women’s 3,000 speed skating (Francesca Lollobrigida—before you ask, yes, a grand-niece to Gina) and silver and bronze in the men’s downhill (Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris).

The U.S. squeezed out a 21^st in speed skating with Annika Belshaw and 10^th in the downhill courtesy of Kyle Negomir.

There is no doubt there is a home country advantage for a variety of reasons: familiarity with the competition venues, easier qualification (the home country gets in every event) and enthusiastic crowds urging them on.

Let’s look. 2022 Beijing, China had 15 medals, only nine in South Korea; 2018 PyeongChang, 17 in 2018, eight in Sochi; 2014 Sochi, Russia had 29 that year to 13 four years earlier; 2010 Vancouver, closer with a 26-24 edge for Canada; 2006 Turin, no edge as Italy had 11 compared to 13 in Salt Lake City; 2002 Salt Lake City, the U.S. had 34 medals in Utah and only 13 in 1998 in Nagano.

Italy had 17 medals in Beijing, meaning it has only 15 more medals to top 2022.

Elsewhere on Saturday:

— The U.S. women’s hockey team beat Finland, 5-0, to go 2-0 in pool play.

— The U.S. mixed curling team, after starting 2-0, lost both matches on Saturday to Britain (6-4) and South Korea (6-5).

— Sweden went 1-2 in the women’s 10K skiathlon as Jessie Diggins topped the U.S. team finishing eighth after a crash on the first lap. The U.S. has never won a medal in cross-country skiing and Diggins was a pre-race medal contender.

— Norway won the women’s normal hill ski jumping competition, with Annika Belshaw being the tops at 21^st for the U.S.

— Japan won gold and silver in the men’s snowboard Big Air competition. Ollie Martin of the U.S. was bounced off the stand by the last competitor and finished fourth.

— Despite a mediocre second-place performance by the “Quad God” Ilia Malinin, the U.S. holds the lead with one day to go in the team figure skating. Madison Chalk and Evan Bates of the U.S. won Saturday’s ice dance competition.

NBC GoldZone gets demoted

We have taken the unusual step to demote NBC’s GoldZone (on Peacock) to the SilverZone after a dreadful gaffe on Saturday. In the U.S.-South Korea mixed team curling match, the U.S. rallied with three points in the final frame to tie South Korea sending it to an extra frame. It was down to the last stone to be sent by South Korea with the match on the line. GoldZone, at this moment, cuts to commercial seconds before the final throw. When it came back from the break it went to a canned package on Malinin before picking up figure skating coverage. South Korea won on the last stone and the U.S. and NBC (now) SilverZone lost. Another big gaffe and they could drop to the BronzeZone. Presumably, NBC won’t repeat and pull a Heidi (from 1968) during today’s Super Bowl game.

In case you were wondering

During the Games, we’ll try and answer some questions you might have but didn’t know who to ask. Now you have a spot. We’ll generate a lot of the questions but if you have one, please send to my boss, newsletter editor Houston Mitchell at his email. He prefers to be called Mr. Mitchell as he’s really tired of people saying “Houston, we have a problem.”

In honor of today’s big events:

— Why do they indicate winners when only about a fourth of the downhill field has gone down the course? Unlike sports in which the best people start last (like golf, figure skating etc.) the best skiers go first . So, if you are seeded higher than 15^th, your chances of winning are small and highly unusual. The seeding is decided by FIS points and a random bib draw of the top 15 skiers. There are two reasons, the course gets choppier every time a skier goes down the hill so the earlier you run the better chance of fresh and fair snow you have. And, the later in the day it is, the less firm the snow is because of the sun.

— What’s the difference between ice dancing and pairs in figure skating? In short, pairs is way more athletic. In ice dance there are generally no jumps or throws as there are in other disciplines. Skaters also have to stay within two lengths of each other, unlike pairs. Ice dancing is also the most scandal plagued discipline because of the subjectivity of scoring since there are few jumps, throws or lifts. There have also been rumors of deals made between countries. There have been fixing scandals in 1998, 2002 and 2014.

Best Thing to Watch on TV today

It’s going to sound a lot like Saturday, but the big story today is the likely first medal for the United States in the team competition in figure skating. It starts with the pairs at 10:30 a.m. PST and ends with the men’s singles, starring Ilia Malinin , at 2:55 p.m. Anything short of a gold will be a disappointment. If you are up early enough, the other big event is the women’s downhill with the return of Lindsey Vonn, who tore her ACL last week. It starts at 2:30 a.m. PST with Vonn being the 13^th woman down the hill. If you want to just hang all day, there are four medal events today in snowboard, starting around 4 a.m. PST and going until about 6 a.m. PST.

Sunday’s full Olympic TV and streaming schedule

Sunday’s live TV and streaming broadcasts for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics unless noted (subject to change). All events stream live on Peacock or NBCOlympics.com with a streaming or cable login. All times Pacific. 🏅 — medal event for live broadcasts.

MULTIPLE SPORTS
7:45 p.m. — “Primetime in Milan” (delay; after Super Bowl): Figure skating, skiing, luge, curling, cross-country skiing and more. | NBC

ALPINE SKIING
2:30 a.m. — 🏅Women’s downhill | USA
6:20 a.m. — Women’s downhill (re-air) | NBC

BIATHLON
5:05 a.m. — 🏅Mixed 4X6-kilometer relay | Peacock
5:45 a.m. — Mixed 4X6-kilometer relay (delay) | NBC

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING
3:30 a.m. — 🏅Men’s skiathlon | USA
8:50 a.m. — Men’s skiathlon (re-air) | USA

CURLING
Mixed doubles (round robin)
1 a.m. — Norway vs. Czechia | Peacock
1 a.m. — South Korea vs. Estonia | Peacock
1:55 a.m. — Mixed doubles highlights | USA
5:30 a.m. — U.S. vs. Estonia | USA
5:35 a.m. — Canada vs. Sweden | Peacock
5:35 a.m. — Britain vs. Switzerland | Peacock
5:30 a.m. — Italy vs. Czechia | Peacock
10 a.m. — U.S. vs. Sweden | Peacock
10 a.m. — Canada vs. South Korea | Peacock
10 a.m. — Italy vs. Britain | Peacock
10 a.m. — Switzerland vs. Norway | Peacock
2 p.m. — U.S. vs. Estonia (re-air) | CNBC
4 p.m. — U.S. vs. Sweden (delay) | CNBC
6 p.m. — Italy vs. Britain (delay) | CNBC

FIGURE SKATING
🏅Team competition
10:30 a.m. — Pairs, free skate | USA
11:45 a.m. — Women’s free skate | USA
12:55 p.m. — Men’s free skate | USA
10:30 p.m. — Team competition, final day (re-air) | USA

HOCKEY
7:40 a.m. — France vs. Sweden | Peacock
12:10 a.m. — Czechia vs. Finland | Peacock
2 p.m. — Czechia vs. Finland (delay) | USA
5:30 p.m. — France vs. Sweden (delay) | USA

LUGE
4:30 a.m. — Men’s doubles, training | Peacock
8 a.m. — Men’s singles, Run 3 | USA
9:45 a.m. — 🏅Men’s singles, final run | USA
7:30 p.m. — Men’s singles, runs 3-4 (re-air) | USA

SKI JUMPING
10 a.m. — Men’s normal hill, training | Peacock

SNOWBOARDING
Midnight — Men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom, qualifying | USA
4 a.m. — 🏅Men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom, finals | Peacock
4:30 a.m. — 🏅Men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom, finals (in progress) | NBC
4:30 a.m. — Men’s big air, final (re-air) | USA
7:30 a.m. — Men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom, finals (re-air) | USA
10:30 a.m. — Women’s big air, qualifying | Peacock
3:30 p.m. — Women’s big air, qualifying (delay) | USA

SPEEDSKATING
7 a.m. — 🏅Men’s 5,000 meters | NBC

In case you missed it …

Check out the following Milan-Cortina Olympics dispatches from from the L.A. Times team on the ground Italy:

Doctors explain how Lindsey Vonn can ski at Olympics with a ruptured ACL

‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin conserves energy in Olympic debut; U.S. still leads team skate

Hilary Knight and U.S. women’s hockey routs Finland, works to avoid norovirus

Italian police fire tear gas in clash with anti-ICE protesters near Olympics venue

Meet the ‘Quad God.’ Why Olympic star Ilia Malinin might revolutionize figure skating

NBC juggles emotions of Savannah Guthrie’s family tragedy, celebrating the Winter Olympics

Italians embrace unity — except with JD Vance — during Olympics opening ceremony

Review: Winter Olympics opening ceremony was a sleek Italian spectacle, as only they could deliver

Photos from the sweeping 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics opening ceremony

NBC’s Mike Tirico ready to pull off an Olympic-sized feat at Super Bowl

Inside the Milan Olympic village: real beds, free tech and other athlete perks

From cathedrals to Dolomites: Milan-Cortina Olympics pose a massive logistical test

How climate change is threatening the future of the Winter Olympics

Alysa Liu 2.0: How retirement, perspective helped the U.S. star reach new heights

The power of teamwork: Inside U.S. figure skating’s new Olympic golden age

Hilary Knight’s hockey achievements go beyond gold medals and championships

Everything you need to know about ski mountaineering, the newest Olympic sport

Ten U.S. athletes to watch at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics

Until next time…

That concludes today’s Sports Report Olympic Edition newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email newsletter editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here and select The Sports Report.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran is ready to reach a deal with the US that allows for peaceful nuclear enrichment, following talks in Oman. He rejects the notion that Washington should be able to dictate what range missiles Iran produces.

Leqaa Kordia, a 33-year-old Palestinian woman detained in the United States by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency since March, has been rushed to a hospital after a medical episode, according to media reports.

Kordia is being held in Texas after being detained as part of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine protests on college campuses across the country.

Her legal team said she was targeted for her protest against Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza near Columbia University in New York in 2024, but the federal government said she was arrested for allegedly overstaying her student visa.

Since her hospitalisation on Friday, Kordia’s legal team and family said they have not been able to speak with her and do not know her whereabouts.

Here is everything we know about Kordia and why she continues to remain in detention:

Who is Kordia?

Kordia grew up in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah before coming to the US in 2016. She arrived on a visitor’s visa, staying with her mother, a US citizen, in Paterson, New Jersey, home to one of the largest Arab communities in the country.

She later transitioned from a tourist visa to a student visa, according to her habeas corpus petition.

After her mother applied for Kordia to remain in the US as the relative of a citizen, her green card application was approved in 2021. However, she received incorrect advice from a teacher that led to her student visa expiring in 2022, according to her lawyers.

Before her arrest, Kordia worked as a server at a Middle Eastern restaurant on Palestine Way in New Jersey and helped to care for her autistic half-brother.

Kordia was moved to protest against Israel’s war due to personal loss. Since the start of the war in October 2023, Kordia said, more than 200 of her relatives have been killed.

Israel has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded more than 170,000 in a war that human rights groups, a United Nations commission and a growing number of scholars said amounts to genocide. Since a “ceasefire” began in October, Israel has killed more than 500 Palestinians and continues to impose curbs on the entry of aid into Gaza.

If deported, Kordia would be handed over to the Israeli government.

Why was Kordia arrested?

She was first arrested in April 2024 during a protest outside the gates of Columbia University, but the case was soon dropped.

On March 13, 2025, Kordia showed up at the ICE headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, for what she believed to be routine immigration questions. She was detained there, “thrown into an unmarked van and sent 1,500 miles [more than 2,400km] away”, Kordia wrote in the USA Today newspaper last month.

Kordia was neither a student at Columbia University nor a part of political circles.

“Though I was not a student, I felt compelled to participate. After all, Israel, with the backing of the United States, has laid waste to Gaza, forcibly displacing my family, killing nearly 200 of my relatives,” she wrote in USA Today.

Today, Kordia is the only person who remains in detention from the Columbia campus demonstrations. She has been held at Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.

A leader of the protests, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student with Algerian citizenship and a US green card, and others have been released. Khalil, however, is still in a legal battle to remain in the US with his American wife and child. Last month, an appeals court panel dismissed a lawsuit Khalil filed challenging his detention and deportation order. The judges concluded that the federal court that ordered Khalil’s release last year lacked jurisdiction over the matter.

What are the charges against Kordia?

The US government has called Kordia’s money transfers to relatives in the Middle East evidence of possible ties to “terrorists”.

Kordia’s lawyers have continuously argued for her release, saying she was targeted by federal officials for her participation in pro-Palestinian protests.

The federal government has maintained that the case against Kordia is of overstaying a student visa.

“Her arrest had nothing to do with her radical activities,” the Department of Homeland Security said in April. “Kordia was arrested for immigration violations due to having overstayed her F-1 student visa, which had been terminated on January 26, 2022, for lack of attendance.”

Writing in USA Today last month, Kordia said she does not consider herself either a leader or an activist.

“I am a devout Muslim who is deeply committed to my faith and community. I’m a Palestinian woman who enjoys playing the oud, making pottery and hiking,” Kordia wrote. “Speaking out against what rights groups and experts have called a genocide is my moral duty and – I thought – a constitutionally protected right for all in this country. Except, it seems, when that speech defends Palestinian life.”

An immigration judge has called for Kordia’s release twice. However, it has been repeatedly blocked through a series of procedural and administrative moves.

“[The] Trump administration has exploited rarely used procedural loopholes to keep me confined, a practice now being challenged in federal district courts across the country, with many finding the practice unconstitutional,” Kordia wrote.

How has Kordia lived in ICE detention?

Since Kordia was moved to the ICE detention facility in Alvarado in March, she has been facing a range of issues, from sleeping on a bare mattress on the floor to being denied religious accommodations, including halal meals.

“Inside the ICE facility where I’m being held, conditions are filthy, overcrowded and inhumane,” Kordia wrote in her piece for USA Today. “For months, I slept in a plastic shell, known as a ‘boat,’ surrounded by cockroaches and only a thin blanket. Privacy does not exist here.”

Last year, when Kordia’s cousin Hamzah Abushaban visited her a week after her arrest, he told The Associated Press news agency in an interview that he was taken aback by the dark circles under her eyes and her state of confusion.

“One of the first things she asked me was why she was there,” Abushaban said. “She cried a lot. She looked like death.”

Rights groups and some Democratic Party leaders have called her a “political prisoner”, condemning the way her case has proceeded.

State Representative Salman Bhojani said the conditions at the detention facility were “suffocating”.

Kordia’s dorm, he said, had 60 mattresses crammed into a space designed for 20 women.

“She does not even have clothing that fully covers her body. Community organizations have tried to provide more appropriate clothing and have been turned away,” Bhojani said. “Male staff enter the dorm at any time, leaving her body exposed in violation of her religious obligations.”

Calling for her release, Amnesty International noted that ICE has “repeatedly violated” Kordia’s religious rights. “She has been served almost no halal meals, forcing her to eat food that doesn’t meet her dietary requirements and causing significant weight loss,” the human rights group said in a statement.

“During Ramadan, staff refused to let her save food for when she could break her fast, forcing her either to go hungry or to break her fast early,” Amnesty said. “She has not been provided with clothing suitable for prayer or a clean prayer space.”

Why was Kordia hospitalised?

On Friday, Abushaban said he heard about Kordia’s hospitalisation in the morning from a person formerly detained with his cousin.

Kordia had fallen, hit her head and suffered a seizure in a bathroom at the Prairieland Detention Center, he told The Dallas Morning News newspaper.

In a statement on Saturday, Kordia’s attorneys and family members demanded answers from the Department of Homeland Security and Prairieland Detention Center regarding her health and whereabouts.

“[Kordia] was reportedly hospitalised yesterday morning after fainting and having a seizure at the Prairieland Detention Center,” the statement said, adding: “Neither her legal team nor family have been provided answers about where she has been hospitalised, the specifics of her health status, and whether and how ICE will ensure her health upon discharge from the undisclosed, off-site hospital.”

“We have since learned that she is expected to spend another night there, but we still have not been able to speak with her directly or have any confirmation of what brought her to the hospital in the first place,” the statement said.

The family members told US media that they called all hospitals in the vicinity but could not locate Kordia.

What were the Columbia protests about?

In 2024, pro-Palestinian student encampments at Columbia University helped ignite a global movement against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

The protest sites, however, were broken up after Columbia University allowed hundreds of New York City police officers on campus, leading to dozens of arrests.

The student protesters demanded an end to Israel’s war in Gaza and the university’s divestment from companies linked to the Israeli military.

Columbia University imposed severe punishments, including expulsion and revocation of academic degrees, on dozens of students who participated in the protests. University President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, who was criticised for the handling of the student protests, stepped down.

The protests also put Columbia at odds with the Trump administration, whose officials alleged anti-Semitism on campus. Campaigners said the campus crackdown violated US free speech rights.

Trump also cancelled millions of dollars in federal funding for the university, accusing it of failing to protect Jewish students. Later, Columbia settled and agreed to pay $200m to the government over three years. In exchange, the Trump administration agreed to return parts of the $400m in grants it froze or terminated.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud responds to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland – a self-governing Somali territory, allegations of a possible Israeli military presence near the Red Sea and shifting power dynamics in the Horn of Africa. He addresses criticism by the United States as well as President Donald Trump’s remarks on Somalia, growing ties with regional allies and fears of wider instability as tensions rise between Israel, Iran and their rivals. At home, Mohamud faces pressing questions over security, human rights, media freedom and whether he will seek a third term ahead of crucial elections.

Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party and coalition partner could secure as many as 366 of the 465 seats in the lower house, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s party is set to win 274 to 328 of the 465 seats in Japan’s lower house of parliament, well above the 233 needed for a majority, according to exit polls published by public broadcaster NHK.

Together with its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) could ⁠secure as many as 366 of the 465 seats in the more-powerful lower house in Sunday’s election, according to NHK.

“We have consistently stressed the importance of responsible and proactive fiscal policy,” Takaichi told reporters after media projections showed her party triumphing in the snap lower house election.

“We will prioritise the sustainability of fiscal policy. We will ensure necessary investments.”

While Takaichi is hugely popular, the ruling LDP, which has governed Japan for most of the last seven decades, has struggled due to funding and religious scandals. The PM called Sunday’s snap elections only after three months, in hopes of turning the party’s political fortunes.

However, Takaichi’s election promise to suspend the eight percent sales tax on food to help households cope with rising prices has spooked investors, who are concerned about how the nation with the heaviest debt burden among advanced economies will fund the plan.

Nevertheless, residents trudged through winter weather to cast their ballots with record snowfall in parts of the country snarling traffic and requiring some polling stations to close early.

“It feels like she’s creating a sense of direction – like the whole country pulling together and moving forward. That really resonates with me,” Kazushige Cho, 54, told Reuters news agency.

Meanwhile, Niigata resident Mineko Mori, 74, padding through the snow with her dog, said she worried that Takaichi’s tax cuts could saddle future generations with ‌an even bigger burden.

‘She can push any legislation’

Craig Mark, a lecturer at Hosei University, says Takaichi’s apparent success in early election results likely gives the LDP the ability to “override the opposition parties”.

“Essentially, she can push through any legislation she wants, whether it’s the record budget that was recently approved or defence spending,” Mark told Al Jazeera from the capital Tokyo.

It is also the “greatest chance” for Takaichi to change the country’s image as a pacifist nation, he added. Japan’s post-World War II constitution does not officially recognise the military, and limits it to nominally self-defensive capabilities.

The head of Japan’s top business lobby, Keidanren, welcomed the result as restoring political stability.

“Japan’s economy is now at a critical juncture for achieving sustainable and strong growth,” Yoshinobu Tsutsui said.

China tensions

China will also be keeping a close eye on ‌the results.

Weeks after taking office, Takaichi touched off the biggest dispute with China in over a decade by publicly outlining how Tokyo might respond to a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

A strong mandate could accelerate her plans to bolster military defence, which Beijing has cast as an attempt to revive Japan’s militaristic past.

“Beijing will not welcome Takaichi’s victory,” said David Boling, principal at the Asia Group, a firm that advises companies on geopolitical risk.

“China now faces the reality that she is firmly in place – and that its efforts to isolate her completely failed.”

The US president praises his newly inaugurated ‘friend’ and hails strong US-Honduras security ties.

Donald Trump has met with Honduran President Nasry Asfura in Florida, with the US president hailing what he described as a growing alliance aimed at curbing drug trafficking and irregular migration.

Trump said he met with his “friend” Asfura, a conservative businessman, at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday. Asfura took office last week after a razor-thin election victory.

“Tito and I share many of the same America First Values,” said Trump, using Asfura’s nickname. Trump had strongly backed Asfura during his campaign, even threatening to cut off aid to Honduras if he lost.

“Once I gave him my strong Endorsement, he won his Election!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Following the meeting, Trump praised what he described as a close security partnership between the US and Honduras, saying they would collaborate to “counter dangerous Cartels and Drug Traffickers, and deporting Illegal Migrants and Gang Members out of the United States”.

Asfura is expected to brief Honduran media about the meeting on Sunday, “detailing the issues discussed, the tone of the conversation, and the possible outcomes of the dialogue”, according to Honduras’s El Heraldo newspaper.

The Honduran president’s meeting with Trump comes less than a month after a January 12 meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after which the two countries announced plans for a free trade deal.

Asfura’s rise to power gives Trump another conservative ally in Latin America, following recent electoral shifts in countries including Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Argentina, where leftist governments have been replaced.

Just before the Honduran election, Trump pardoned the country’s former President Juan Orlando Hernandez, a fellow member of Asfura’s party who was serving a 45-year prison sentence in the US for drug trafficking.

That pardon “was widely seen as a gesture of solidarity with the new president’s [Asfura’s] party”, said Al Jazeera’s Phil Lavelle, reporting from Palm Beach, Florida.

The decision drew major backlash, particularly as Trump’s administration invoked the fight against drug trafficking to justify aggressive actions abroad. They include a string of bombings of alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and later the abduction of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, now facing charges including those related to drug trafficking in the US.

Lokesh Bam’s late heroics with the bat are not enough as Nepal are beaten by two-time champions in their Group C match in Mumbai.

Nepal were left heartbroken after they came agonisingly close to pulling off a massive T20 World Cup upset against England but fell short by four runs as the two-time champions won the Group C match in Mumbai.

Lokesh Bam’s heroics with the bat – 39 runs off 20 balls – were not enough to see Nepal over the line at the Wankhede Stadium, which was packed with Nepalese fans on Sunday.

Nepal finished on 180-6, handing England a nervy win to kick off their campaign in the controversy-hit cricket tournament.

When England’s captain Harry Brook (53) and teammate Jacob Bethell (55) hit fifties to power England to 184-7, they seemingly did enough to take the match out of Nepal’s reach.

But Rohit Paudel produced a captain’s innings of his own as he, alongside star all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee, put Nepal on course for a shock win.

The pair’s departure slowed down Nepal’s progress, but Lokesh resumed the big hitting against some wayward bowling by England’s seamers.

Needing 10 off the last over, the Rhinos were unable to get Sam Curran’s accurate bowling over the boundary and could only score six runs.

The Rhinos’ fans, hundreds of whom had travelled from across the border, were left disheartened.

Earlier, electing to bat at the Wankhede Stadium, England slumped to 57-3 in the seventh over to find themselves in a spot of bother.

Sher Malla struck with the first ball on his World Cup debut, dismissing Phil Salt for one, and the pressure mounted on England after Jos Buttler and Tom Banton fell in quick succession.

Bethell had no problem adjusting to the nature of the track, where other batters found shot-making difficult. He and Brook combined in a 71-run partnership during their 45-ball collaboration to rebuild their innings.

Airee (44) and skipper Paudel (39) kept Nepal in the hunt with a stand of 82 from 54 balls.

Curran brought relief to the English camp when he had Airee caught in the deep and Paudel also departed soon afterwards.

Bam hit Jofra Archer for back-to-back sixes to turn the match on its head.

With Nepal needing 10 runs off the last over from Curran, Bam needed to hit the last ball for a six, but he managed only one as England heaved a huge sigh of relief.

A heartbroken Coronation Street star Cait Fitton has shared a sad update online with her fans

Coronation Street’s Lauren Bolton star Cait Fitton has shared a heartbreaking announcement online.

Cait shot to fame playing Lauren Bolton on the ITV soap – making her debut in 2022. As the feisty and loyal teenager, Lauren’s been involved in several big moments on the cobbles.

From growing up with her racist far-right extremist dad Reece Bolton (Scott Anson), to killing her abuser Joel Deering (Calum Lill), Lauren’s time in Weatherfield has not been short of drama.

Away from the ITV soap, Cait is no stranger to keeping her 62k Instagram followers updated on her day-to-day life – from BTS snaps at Corrie to sun-soaked holiday photos.

Last week though, Cait paid an emotional tribute to her grandfather after his funeral. Taking to her Instagram Story Cait uploaded a photo from his funeral, which showed a football T-shirt and ‘Greatest grandad’ cushion.

A heartbroken Cait captioned the emotional post: “Said goodbye to my hero today. My best mate till the day I die, always and forever your little dancing queen RIP GDAD.”

Cait announced last month that her grandad died just days before his birthday. Posting a series of black and white photos with him on her Instagram stories, the young star penned: “Happy heavenly birthday to my best buddy.

“It’s been just over a week since you left us… and I’m still trying to navigate how to get through this without you. Hope you are dancing up there with gran.”

Meanwhile, Cait recently celebrated three years on the cobbles, and wrote on Instagram: “3 years playing the pocket rocket that is Lozza Bolton. Time flies when you really are having fun. Let’s look back on some of my favourite moments so far…”

She added: “Thank you everyone who has shown nothing but love towards Lauren over the past 3 years . I love playing a character that is so complex to play . I love her!

“I feel so proud and privileged to have been given the honour to play out such inspiring stories and raise such important issues throughout my time on the cobbles so far.

“Thank you @coronationstreet and to @brookekinsella my amazing agent for always believing and trusting me within this process. I will forever be grateful to call this my job.”

Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX