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Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has praised the backing he has received from the club’s fans and says he is “not offended” by the protest planned before Sunday’s Premier League encounter with Fulham.

Carrick has a 100% record in his second spell in charge following unexpected wins against Manchester City and Arsenal.

Despite the improvement following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal and the fact United moved into the Premier League top four for the first time this season following the Arsenal success, the 1958 fans’ group is pushing ahead with its protest.

The group claims it expects between 5,000 and 6,000 fans to attend the protest march, although given it will start an hour before kick-off from either side of the stadium and meet in the middle by the ‘Law, Best, Charlton’ statue outside Old Trafford, exact numbers will be difficult to quantify.

Organisers say they have “a few surprises in store”.

“Our protest has never been about performances on the pitch, not now, and not once in the last 21 years,” they argue.

“We are judging a dysfunctional ownership model that has repeatedly failed.”

In his autobiography, Carrick said the Glazer family were “great owners”.

Few fans agree with those sentiments, regardless of whether they intend to join the protest or not.

Anti-Glazer songs are a feature of every game United play, while recently minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been the focus of negative supporter sentiment.

Asked for his thoughts on the issue, Carrick preferred to focus on the support both he and his team have received rather than address the wider issue.

“I don’t think it [the protest] connects with the two wins, to be honest,” he said.

“I fully respect the supporters. I’m not offended by it or anything, and the players certainly aren’t.

“Within the stadium, the support we’ve felt, and that’s been there for all the games that I’ve watched for quite some time, has been of the highest level and I’m sure it will continue to be like that.

“The connection we’ve had over the last couple of weeks has been pretty special and we’ve both fed off that. That’s exactly how we wanted it to be and is something we need to keep building on moving forward.”

The Coordination Framework said that selecting a PM is an internal constitutional matter and should take place without foreign interference.

Iraq’s main Shia alliance, which holds a parliamentary majority, has reiterated its support for reinstating Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister, despite United States President Donald Trump threatening to end US support to the country.

The Coordination Framework said in a statement on Saturday that it “reiterates its support for its nominee, Nouri Kamel al-Maliki, for the premiership.”

“Choosing the prime minister is an exclusively Iraqi constitutional matter … free from foreign interference.”

Earlier this week, Trump warned Iraq that if al-Maliki were chosen as Iraq’s next prime minister, then Washington would withdraw support, the latest in a growing list of interventions in the politics of other nations made by Trump or members of his administration.

Al-Maliki rejected Trump’s threat on Wednesday in a post on X, condemning the “blatant American interference in Iraq’s internal affairs” and insisting that he would not withdraw his candidacy for the top job.

Trump has been running a campaign to curb the influence of Iran-linked groups in Iraq, which has long walked a tightrope between its two closest allies, Washington and Tehran.

Al-Maliki, 75, is a senior figure in the Shia Islamic Dawa Party. His tenure as prime minister from 2006 to 2014 was a period marked by a power struggle with Sunni and Kurdish rivals, accusations of corruption and growing tension with the US.

He stepped down after ISIL (ISIS) seized large parts of the country in 2014, but has remained an influential political player, leading the State of Law coalition and maintaining close ties with Iran-backed factions.

The US wields key leverage over Iraq, as the country’s oil export revenue is largely held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York in an arrangement reached after the 2003 US invasion that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

The Night Manager season 2 star Indira Varma has shared some devastating news on social media

A Night Manager star has shared some devastating news, with her co-stars sending their support. 52-year-old actress Indira Varma is currently portraying villain Mayra Cavendish in the popular BBC spy thriller’s second series.

Just days before the eagerly awaited finale broadcasts, the star revealed some heartbreaking news following the death of her mother. Taking to Instagram on Wednesday (January 28), Indira shared multiple photographs of her beloved mum throughout the years, accompanied by a moving tribute.

She wrote: “My dear eccentric Mama has gone at the age of 93. Everything she lived for was Art and adventure. She created for the love of doing not for recognition just for joy. My parents met in the 60s when mixed relationships were frowned upon.

“They didn’t care what other people thought. Life is to be lived with love and joy. Fear is the only thing that makes us hate. That’s it. I’m now an orphan. I miss their tempestuous interactions in a shared 3rd language and how they communicated through music, art, food, travel and Nature,” reports the Express.

Citing Nobel Peace Prize winner Rabindranath Tagore, Indira concluded: “I came to your shore as a stranger, I lived in your house as a guest, I leave your door as a friend, my earth.”

Several of Indira’s famous friends and co-stars flooded the comments with messages of support, including Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd, who wrote: “I’m so sorry for your loss Indira. Sending much love to you today.”

Ex-Coronation Street actress Millie Gibson commented: “So much love. Thinking of you,” whilst Ariana DeBose and Aimee Lou Wood posted multiple heart and dove emojis.

Countryfile presenter Anita Rani also wrote: “Sending you all my love darling. What a beautiful photo,” with Richard Armitage responding: “Sending my love and condolences to you and your family Indy. What an incredible life your mama had.”

Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies expressed similar sentiments, posting: “I’m so sorry, lots of love darling,” whilst Celebrity Traitors star Mark Bonnar said: “Oh Indira I’m so sorry – what an amazing photo.”

This news comes just days before The Night Manager’s highly anticipated second series finale. The continuation of the acclaimed spy drama sees undercover operative Jonathan Pine (Tom Hiddleston) infiltrate the criminal enterprise of Colombian tycoon Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva).

Viewers subsequently discovered that Teddy was actually the son of series one antagonist Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie). Furthermore, the illegal weapons trafficker was shown to have staged his own death, aided by Indira’s character Mayra – head of the Secret Intelligence Service.

Jonathan and Richard, aka Gilberto Hanson, were at last reunited last week, with the MI6 operative hell-bent on dismantling Richard’s criminal enterprise. He subsequently won Teddy’s allegiance after exposing Richard’s intention to cast aside his illegitimate son upon achieving his objectives.

The official synopsis for the finale states: “Pine works with Teddy to bring down Gilberto Hanson’s Colombia coup from the inside. But Hanson has found a new ally of his own. It’s winner takes all.”

Can Jonathan finally defeat Richard for good? That remains to be seen. What we do know is that the drama will return for another series, following lead actor Tom’s confirmation of the show’s renewal earlier this week.

The final episode of The Night Manager season two will air on Sunday (February 1) at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer

In a state that’s home to nearly 40 million people and the fourth largest economy in the world, the race for California governor has been lost in the shadow of President Trump’s combustible return to office and, thus far, the absence of a candidate charismatic enough to break out of the pack.

For the first time in recent history, there is no clear front-runner with less than five months before the June primary election.

“This is the most wide-open governor’s race we’ve seen in California in more than a quarter of a century,” said Dan Schnur, a political communications professor who teaches at USC, Pepperdine and UC Berkeley. “We’ve never seen a multicandidate field with so little clarity and such an absence of anything even resembling a front-runner.

“There’s no precedent in the modern political era for a campaign that’s this crowded,” Schnur said.

Opinion polls bear this out, with more voters saying they are undecided or coalescing behind any of the dozen prominent candidates who have announced bids.

Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine) led the field with the support of 21% of respondents in a survey of likely voters by the Public Policy Institute of California released in December. Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, also a Democrat, and former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton, a Republican, won the support of 14% of poll respondents. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, also a member of the GOP, won the backing of 10%, while everyone else in the field was in the single digits, though some Democratic candidates who recently entered the race were not included.

Recent gubernatorial campaigns have been dominated by larger-than-life personalities — global superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger, eBay billionaire Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown, the scion of a storied California political family.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who vaulted into the national spotlight after championing same-sex marriage while he was mayor of San Francisco, has become a national force in Democratic politics and is pondering a 2028 presidential run. Newsom won handily in the 2018 and 2022 races for California governor, and easily defeated a recall attempt during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is barred from running again due to term limits.

Porter cheekily alluded to California’s political power dynamic at a labor forum earlier this month.

“Look, we’ve had celebrity governors. We’ve had governors who are kids of other governors, and we’ve had governors who look hot with slicked back hair and barn jackets. You know what?” Porter said at an SEIU forum in January. “We haven’t had a governor in a skirt. I think it’s just about … time.”

Gubernatorial contests in the state routinely attract national attention. But the 2026 contest has not.

Despite California being at the center of many policies emanating from the Trump administration, notably the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants, this year’s gubernatorial race has been overshadowed. Deadly wildfires, immigration raids, and an esoteric yet expensive battle about redrawing congressional districts are among the topics that dominated headlines in the state last year.

Additionally, the race was frozen as former Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso weighed entering the contest. All opted against running for governor, leaving the field in flux. San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s entry into the race on Thursday — relatively late to mount a gubernatorial campaign — exemplifies the unsettled nature of the race.

“We’ve made a lot of progress in San José, but getting to the next level requires bold leadership in Sacramento that’s going to take on the status quo,” Mahan said in an interview before he announced his campaign. ”I have not heard anyone in the current field explain how they’re going to help us in San José and other cities across the state end unsheltered homelessness, implement Prop. 36 [a 2024 ballot measure that increased penalties for certain drug and theft crimes], get people into treatment, bring down the cost of housing, the cost of energy.”

A critical question is who donors decide to back in a state that is home to the most expensive media markets in the nation. Candidates have to file fundraising reports on Feb. 2, data that will indicate who is viable.

“I know from first-hand experience that there comes a day when a candidacy is no longer sustainable because of a lack of resources,” said Garry South, a veteran Democratic strategist who has worked on national and state campaigns.

“You have to pay the bills to keep the lights on, let alone having enough cash to communicate with our more than 23 million registered voters,” he added. “They don’t have much time to do it. The primary is just months away.”

The state Democratic and Republican conventions are quickly approaching. A Republican may be able to win the GOP endorsement, but it’s unlikely a Democrat will be able to secure their party’s nod because of the large number of candidates in the race.

Political observers expect some Democratic candidates who have meager financial resources and little name identification among the electorate to be pressured to drop out of the race by party leaders so that the party can consolidate support behind a viable candidate.

But others buck the orthodoxy, arguing that the candidates need to show they have a message that resonates with Californians.

“There’s a lack of excitement,” Democratic strategist Hilda Delgado said. “Right now is really about the core issues that will unify Californians and that’s why it’s important to choose a leader that is going to … give people hope. Because there’s a lot of, I don’t want to say depression, but hopelessness.”

After Paul Dano came under unexpected fire from filmmaker Quentin Tarantino in December, the “There Will Be Blood” star received support from fellow artists including Daniel Day-Lewis and Ben Stiller. A month after the drama, he is now returning the love.

Dano finally publicly addressed Tarantino’s controversial comments at the Sundance Film Festival during a 20th anniversary screening of “Little Miss Sunshine.” Speaking to Variety, he said the groundswell of support “was really nice.”

Tarantino appeared on Bret Easton Ellis’ podcast in December to rank his top 10 films of the century. The “Django Unchained” and “Pulp Fiction” filmmaker placed Paul Thomas Anderson’s oil drama “There Will Be Blood” at No. 5 on his list, and said specifically Dano — not his performance — was the “big, giant flaw” in the Oscar-winning film. “There Will Be Blood” stars Dano as fiery preacher Eli Sunday and Day-Lewis as oil tycoon Daniel Plainview.

When the movie was released in 2007, former Times film critic Kenneth Turan praised Dano as “smoothly effective” and gifted. Clearly, Tarantino thought otherwise.

“He is weak sauce, man. He’s a weak sister,” Tarantino said, adding that he thought “Elvis” star Austin Butler (who was a teenager launching his career on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon when the movie came out) would have been a better actor for the part. “He’s just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy,” he said.

Tarantino added: “You put [Day-Lewis] with the the weakest f— actor in SAG?”

A handful of Dano’s collaborators immediately defended him. “Escape at Dannemora” executive producer Stiller praised him as “brilliant” and Reese Witherspoon called her “Inherent Vice” co-star an “incredibly gifted, versatile actor” and a gentleman. Matt Reeves, Josh Gad, Alec Baldwin and Simu Liu also voiced their support for Dano, whose credits include Steven Speilberg’s Oscar-nominated “The Fabelmans,” Bong Joon Ho‘s “Okja” and Oscar-winning director duo Daniels’ (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) “Swiss Army Man.”

“I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn’t have to,” Dano said at the Sundance screening.

Before Dano responded, though, Toni Collette (who played his mom in “Little Miss Sunshine”) chimed in, dismissing “that guy” Tarantino and speculating that “he must’ve been high.”

“It was just confusing. Who does that?,” she said, according to Variety. “Little Miss Sunshine” directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris also criticized Tarantino and praised their star.

During his podcast appearance in December, Tarantino also slammed Owen Wilson and scream king Matthew Lillard. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly published Wednesday, Lillard brushed off the shade and recalled the ensuing social media praise for his talents. “It was like living through your own wake,” Lillard told EW.

“All those R.I.P. emails or tweets and Instagram posts and TikToks, all of the things we see after somebody passes are so sweet,” he added. “And the reality is I just got to live through all of it firsthand — alive and kicking! I can’t imagine a more lovely reaction to what happened.”

Foreign minister announces apparent reversal of France’s stance, saying Iran protest crackdown ‘cannot go unanswered’.

France has said it supports the European Union’s push to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist organisation”, reversing earlier opposition to the move.

In a statement shared on social media on Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot appeared to link the planned designation to the Iranian authorities’ recent crackdown on antigovernment protests across the country.

“The unbearable repression of the Iranian people’s peaceful uprising cannot go unanswered. Their extraordinary courage in the face of the violence that has been unleashed upon them cannot be in vain,” Barrot wrote on X.

“With our European partners, we will take action tomorrow in Brussels against those responsible for these atrocities. They will be banned from European territory and their assets will be frozen,” he said.

“France will support the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the European list of terrorist organisations.”

EU foreign ministers are meeting on Thursday in Brussels, where they are expected to sign off on the new sanctions against the IRGC.

The move, being led by Italy, is likely to be approved politically, although it needs unanimity among the bloc’s 27 member-states.

Established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the IRGC is a branch of the country’s military that answers directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

It oversees the Iranian missile and nuclear programmes and plays a central role in Iran’s defence as well as its foreign operations and influence in the wider region.

While some EU member countries have previously pushed for the IRGC to be added to the EU’s “terrorist” list, others, led by France, have been more cautious.

They feared such a move could lead to a complete break in ties with Iran, impacting diplomatic missions, and also hurting negotiations to release European citizens held in Iranian prisons.

Paris has been especially worried about the fate of two of its citizens currently living at the embassy in Tehran after being released from prison last year.

The push by the EU to sanction the IRGC comes amid global criticism of a crackdown on a wave of demonstrations in Iran, which broke out last month in response to soaring inflation and an economic crisis.

The United States-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it confirmed at least 6,221 deaths, including at least 5,858 protesters, linked to the weeks-long protest movement while it is investigating 12,904 others.

Iran’s government has put the death toll at 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and members of the country’s security forces and labelling the rest as “terrorists”.

Al Jazeera has been unable to independently verify these figures.

The protests also spurred renewed tensions between Iran and the US, as US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to launch an attack against the country in recent weeks.

Trump designated the IRGC as a “terrorist” group in 2019 during his first term in office.

Canada and Australia did the same in 2024 and in November of last year, respectively.

Iran has warned of “destructive consequences” if the EU goes ahead with plans to list the IRGC, and it summoned the Italian ambassador over Rome’s spearheading of the move.

SACRAMENTO — Two of the top Democratic candidates in the race for California governor are taking heat for their past votes to fund and support federal immigration enforcement as the backlash against the Trump administration’s actions in Minnesota intensifies after the shooting death of Alex Pretti.

Fellow Democratic candidates are criticizing Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Rep. Katie Porter for voting — in Swalwell’s case, as recently as June — to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and support its agents’ work.

Swalwell (D-Dublin) last year voted in favor of a Republican-sponsored resolution condemning an attack that injured at least eight people demonstrating in support of Israeli hostages, one of whom later died, in Boulder, Colo., and expressing “gratitude to law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for protecting the homeland.”

He was one of 75 Democrats, including nine from California, to cross the aisle and vote in favor of the resolution.

“The fact that Eric Swalwell stood with MAGA Republicans in Washington to thank ICE while in California masked ICE agents terrorized our communities — despite Swalwell’s notorious and chronic record of absenteeism from Congress, is shamefully hypocritical,” former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a rival Democrat running for governor, said in a statement.

Swalwell’s campaign dismissed the attack as a “political ploy” by “a desperate campaign” polling in single-digits.

“What Eric voted for was a resolution to condemn a horrific antisemitic attack in Boulder, CO that killed Karen Diamond, an 82-year old grandmother,” a campaign spokesman said in a statement. “The truth is no one has been more critical of ICE than Eric Swalwell.”

The exchange comes as Villaraigosa, Swalwell and other Democrats running to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is serving his final year in office, struggle to differentiate themselves in a tight race that lacks a clear front-runner.

In a poll released in December by the Public Policy Institute of California, Porter led the field with support from 21% of likely California voters. She was slightly ahead of former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and conservative commentator Steve Hilton but had far from a commanding lead.

With the June 2 primary election fast approaching, the sparring among the candidates — especially in the crowded field of Democrats — is expected to intensify, with those leading in the polls fielding the brunt of the attacks.

The Trump administration’s immigration tactics face mounting political scrutiny after federal agents fatally shot Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse from Minneapolis, during a protest over the weekend.

Pretti was the second U.S. citizen in Minneapolis to be killed by immigration officers in recent weeks. Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, was shot in the head by an ICE officer Jan. 7. Federal officials have alleged it was an act of self-defense when Good drove her vehicle toward an officer — an assertion under dispute.

In recent days, Swalwell said that if elected, he would revoke the driver licenses of ICE agents who mask their faces, block them from state employment and aggressively prosecute agents for crimes such as kidnapping, assault and murder.

Tony Thurmond, another Democrat currently serving as California’s top education official, in an online political ad criticized Swalwell’s vote as well as several by Porter for bills to fund ICE and Trump’s border wall during the president’s first term.

Porter and Swalwell joined majorities of Democratic House members to support various spending packages in Congress, which included billions for a border wall and in at least one case, avoided a government shutdown.

“When others have stayed quiet, Katie has boldly spoken out against ICE’s lawlessness and demanded accountability,” said Porter campaign spokesman Peter Opitz.

Thurmond’s video touted his own background as a child of immigrants and support for a new law that attempts to keep federal immigration agents out of schools, hospitals and other spaces.

Tom Steyer, a billionaire Democrat also running for governor, said Tuesday that he supports abolishing ICE “as it exists today” and replacing it with a “lawful, accountable immigration system rooted in due process and public safety.”

Republicans blame Democrats and protesters

The two most formidable Republicans running for governor have generally supported Trump’s immigration strategy but have not commented directly on Pretti’s killing over the weekend.

Hilton, a former Fox News host, wrote in an email that “every sane person is horrified by the scenes of chaos and lawlessness in Minneapolis, and most of all that people are getting killed.”

But he linked violence to sanctuary policies in Democratic-run states and cities, including California, which prohibit local law enforcement from coordinating or assisting with federal immigration enforcement.

“The only places we’ve seen this kind of chaos are ‘sanctuary’ cities and states, where Democrat politicians are whipping people up into a frenzy of anti-law enforcement hate, and directly putting their constituents in harm’s way by telling them — from behind the safety of their own security details — to disrupt the enforcement of federal law,” Hilton said.

The conservative pundit said the “worst offender” is Newsom, whom Hilton accused of using “disgustingly inflammatory language designed to rile up his base in pursuit of his presidential ambitions.”

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s campaign did not respond to questions about events in Minnesota. Bianco has repeatedly criticized California’s sanctuary state policy but affirmed last year that his department would not assist with federal immigration raids.

On Sunday, Bianco posted on X that “Celebrities and talking heads think they understand what it’s like to put on a uniform and make life or death decisions,” an apparent reference to the encounter that resulted in Pretti’s death.

L.A.’s coastal and canyon communities are resilient and rebuilding since the Palisades fire destroyed nearly 7,000 structures, including some of the city’s most locally beloved and iconic restaurants. Those that survived the blaze have become even more vital as communal linchpins and gathering places of Palisades, Topanga and Malibu residents.

In the Palisades, Sunset Boulevard snakes past swaths of burned-out lots, some punctuated by scaffolding and excavators beginning the rebuilding process. It winds past signs for road closures, park closures, business closures, and past signs that declare “REBUILDING TOGETHER” and “THEY LET US BURN.”

Neighboring Topanga Canyon saw fewer destroyed structures than the Palisades but faces its own extended rebuilding. Powerline repairs and landslides blocked the canyon’s PCH entry for much of 2025, and this access point, when open, is often whittled down to a single lane. Restaurants, the weekly farmers market and other businesses regularly post to social media to raise awareness that “Topanga is open.”

Farther north along PCH, Malibu restaurants are just beginning to recover. The scenic highway closed to nonresidents for the first five months of 2025. In the time since, business has gradually returned — but chefs, restaurateurs and staff say it still feels far more depleted than before the fire. Even toward the northern edge of the city, where Lily Castro sells burritos far from the Palisades fire’s reach, the popular restaurateur says business fell as much as 50% last year.

Some online listings and maps still mark destroyed restaurants as currently open, misrepresenting how affected many of these businesses remain.

A few restaurants managed to relocate and reopen, such as Flour Pizzeria in Brentwood and Cinque Terre West in Venice, both previously in the Palisades. Others already had additional locations, such as Cholada Thai’s Long Beach outpost or Cafe Vida’s in Culver City and El Segundo. Some are gradually rebuilding and readying to reopen, such as Duke’s, which survived the fire but suffered more than a year of closure due to the ensuing mudslides and flooding. Some, like the Reel Inn, are navigating an arduous rebuilding process rife with red tape and mixed messages.

You can help by visiting and supporting local dining spots. Here’s how to eat your way through some of the best restaurants of the coast and Topanga Canyon, including new Malibu destinations for sake, sushi and oysters; one of L.A.’s most scenic farmers markets; some of the city’s best burritos; and the sibling restaurant to the iconic Moonshadows.

Actor Quinton Aaron, who shared the screen with Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side,” is reportedly showing signs of improvement after he was hospitalized for a blood infection last week.

Margarita Aaron, the actor’s wife, told Fox News and TMZ on Monday that her husband is “making significant progress” in his recovery, making minor body movements including opening his eyes and giving a thumbs-up. Though the actor is partially breathing on his own, Margarita Aaron said her husband remains on breathing assistance and antibiotics, according to Fox News.

A representative for Aaron did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday

“He’s a fighter; he’s a very strong fighter, and you know, he is making progress day by day,” she told Fox News, “and I believe God’s got him, and he believes God’s got him.”

The 41-year-old actor was hospitalized last week in Atlanta after he collapsed while walking up the stairs in his apartment, TMZ reported. He reportedly experienced pain in his neck and back days before his collapse and lost feeling in his legs before he fell. Aaron’s wife said she called 911 and her husband was slipping in and out of consciousness en route to the hospital, where he has since undergone several tests, according to TMZ. The outlet reported on Tuesday that doctors found a “rare cyst” on the actor’s spine.

Nonprofit organization Veterans Aid Network organized a GoFundMe page in support of Aaron, who the organization described as “part of a veteran family himself.” The organization said it has a “longstanding relationship” with the actor and seeks to raise $35,000 to help his loved ones pay for medical expenses and other recovery-related costs. Donors have raised more than $40,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.

“Quinton has spent his life inspiring others, reminding us that compassion and humanity still matter in this world,” reads the GoFundMe description. “Now, as he faces one of the hardest battles of his life, let’s surround him and his loved ones with that same compassion, strength, and care.”

In an update shared to the fundraiser on Monday, Veterans Aid Network said that Aaron “opened his eyes and has some feeling in his foot!” The update also said he remains on life support and will need a wheelchair upon his release.

Aaron has acted in scores of films, according to his IMDb page, but is best known for his turn in “The Blind Side.” The 2009 drama was based on Michael Lewis’ 2006 book of the same name, which tracked the story of football star Michael Oher, who was plucked from homelessness and poverty when taken in by wealthy couple Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy. The family is credited with Oher’s football success. Oher was an All-American player at Mississippi and a first-round draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009.

Aaron starred as Oher and Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards and earned Bullock a prize in the actress in a leading role category.

“The Blind Side” was in the news again in 2023 when Oher sued his self-proclaimed adoptive parents, alleging the pair never officially adopted him and tricked him in 2004 into signing a legal document that deemed them his conservators. The pair denied the allegations and said the athlete’s lawsuit was a “shakedown.”

In September 2023, a Tennessee judge ordered the end of the conservatorship.

Al-Maliki has been nominated by the largest Shia bloc in parliament as its candidate for PM.

President Donald Trump has threatened that the United States will end support for Iraq if Nouri al-Maliki, a former prime minister with ties to the US’s longstanding foe Iran, is reinstated to the post.

Trump, in his latest intervention in another country’s politics, said on Tuesday that Iraq would be making a “very bad choice” with al-Maliki, who just days previously was nominated by the Coordination Framework, the largest Shia bloc in parliament, as its candidate.

“Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq,” he said.

“If we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom. MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!”

Trump’s comments are the starkest example yet of the Republican president’s campaign to curb Iran-linked groups’ influence in Iraq, which has long walked a tightrope between its two closest allies, Washington and Tehran.

In a letter, US representatives said that while the selection of the prime minister is an Iraqi decision, “the United States will make its own sovereign decisions regarding the next government in line with American interests”.

As part of Trump’s pressure campaign, Washington has also threatened senior Iraqi politicians with sanctions on the country should armed groups backed by Iran be included in the next government, the Reuters news agency reported last week.

Al-Maliki, 75, is a senior figure in the Shia Islamist Dawa Party. His tenure as prime minister from 2006 to 2014 was a period marked by a power struggle with Sunni and Kurdish rivals and growing tensions with the US.

He stepped down after ISIL (ISIS) seized large parts of the country in 2014, but has remained an influential political player, leading the State of Law coalition and maintaining close ties with Iran-backed factions.

The US wields key leverage over Iraq, as the country’s oil export revenue is largely held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York in an arrangement reached after the 2003 US invasion that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.