The United States president may have declared the war in Gaza over, but life is anything but normal for Palestinians there. They are still living in tents, with no access to basic services.

Now there is the added hardship of cold and rainy winter weather. Recent flooding has exposed just how vulnerable displaced families remain.

Israel is continuing to block the entry of humanitarian aid, basic supplies and adequate shelter. Calls from the US-established Board of Peace, the United Nations and the European Union have gone unanswered.

What can be done to ensure the humanitarian crisis doesn’t deepen?

Presenter: Tom McRae

Guests:

Tamer Qarmout – Associate professor of Public Policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

Eyad Amawi – Representative of the Gaza Relief Committee and a humanitarian consultant

Chris Doyle – Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding and a specialist in Middle East politics

KATIE Price wraps her legs around ex-hubby Lee Andrews in a raunchy move that will fuel theories they are back together. 

The couple writhed together at an outdoor disco days after she said she would be hooking up with him in Dubai. 

Footage shows 48-year-old Katie cavorting with conman Lee, 43, at beach-front bar February 30 in the early hours of Saturday. 

The ex-glamour model, wearing a black sequinned mini-skirt and white top, was lifted into the air by Lee in front of revellers. 

She raised her arms in the air before wrapping her legs around Lee’s waist in a sexy manoeuvre in front of the DJ’s booth. 

A security guard stopped the pair from getting carried away as dance music blasted out at the lounge and restaurant bar at West Palm Beach. An onlooker told The Sun: “They could have been honeymooners.

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“They were really getting intimate. You’d never have guessed at all the problems they’ve had between them.” 

Another witness said: “She was in the bar all night, then they started acting outlandishly.  

“It attracted a lot of attention. She didn’t care who saw them. It’s hard to keep up with Katie’s love life.” 

Katie revealed in a podcast last Thursday that she was going to Dubai. She said: “I’m having some bum filler, I’m having some face stuff done, and I will see Lee. There you go, there’s no speculation, you’ve heard it here.” 

Katie and Lee ended their marriage in September. They had got married in January, days after they met online. 

The Sun later exposed Lee as a crook who had swindled women out of hundreds of thousands of pounds. 

He was arrested over a civil matter in the United Arab Emirates in May and held in jail for four weeks. 

A three-month prison stint followed in July, before we revealed that Katie had dumped him by WhatsApp. 

The Sun told how Katie ditched Lee, her fourth husband, after discovering he had £2.22 in his crypto bank account — not the £37million he had promised. 

Furious Katie told him: “I have been played and you are not who you say you are. Why have you lied to me?” 

Lee, who proposed to Katie within ten days of meeting, denies all the allegations about being a prolific con-artist. 

But he has been caught out telling several increasingly embarrassing lies. They include claiming he has a diplomatic passport and that he has an engineering PhD from Cambridge. 

Following his arrest in May, he told Katie he had been arrested on suspicion of espionage. It was actually because of outstanding fees on a car rental. 

His reunion with Katie came after it emerged he bragged about having her name tattooed on his willy. 

He flashed his new inking — said to spell out “Katie P” in italics — to pals. The swindler already has “Owned by Katie” daubed across his back, and “Katie” scrawled on his hand and stomach. 

During her latest sunshine trip, mother-of-five Katie flaunted her new boobs in a teeny white top. 

Her 18th boob job, in September, took her bust size up to GG. 

Diamondback Energy (FANG) is closing in on an approximately $5 billion acquisition of Double Eagle V, an EnCap Investments-backed company with oil and gas holdings in the Texas Permian Basin, the Financial Times reported Sunday, citing people familiar with the discussions.

A sold-out away end helped fill out the 32,000-strong crowd at the Emirates on Sunday as many hoped for an end-to-end encounter.

They were not disappointed as fearless London City showed bravery against an Arsenal side who played with a spark following their 1-1 draw with Barcelona.

The visitors were helped out by Arsenal’s wastefulness – the Gunners had 17 shots and only converted one – but London City caused plenty of problems of their own.

Maestre said after their defeat by Manchester City that their opponents showed more experience and know-how but against Arsenal, his side matured.

They were under pressure early on and fell a goal down thanks to Frida Maanum’s opener but it took just 98 seconds for Izzy Goodwin to equalise for London City.

That killed Arsenal’s momentum and when the pressure increased again from the hosts in the second half, goalkeeper and player of the match Mary Earps stepped up to make crucial saves.

“The performance was there. We had the chances to score and get a better result but Arsenal had chances too. The game was very open,” said Maestre.

“The way we faced and challenged every circumstance in the game shows we are here, and able to play with that mentality in these big games.

“We came here to take risks. Our energy was good. We were brave and weren’t scared about the context or the opponent.

“We tried to play as if we were at home. I always want to feel that my teams are brave and go for the win.”

That bravery showed as Alexia Putellas came close twice with long-range efforts, Goodwin could have been onside when she was played in behind later on.

London City hit the crossbar through substitute Delphine Cascarino and had 14 shots compared to Arsenal’s 17, including four inside the box.

Arsenal are still yet to win at home this season in the WSL but this was still an impressive showing from London City, who came to the Emirates to play.

But while they were willing to take risks, they were smarter than they were against Manchester City, choosing when to press aggressively and when to hold off.

“We tried to match the pace of the ball and not expose ourselves as much to the players that Arsenal have,” added Maestre.

“We were trying to mix the moments we were more clinical in our press. We made some adjustments at half-time and were much better at recognising those.”

Eight arrests made in connection with an attempted arson, which Tallinn says was ordered by Russian intelligence.

Estonia will close its border crossings with Russia, after an attack on an Estonian defence company that Tallinn blames on Moscow.

The foreign minister made the announcement on Sunday, after eight people were detained overnight in connection with an attempted arson attack on drone maker Threod Systems.

Estonian authorities said the attacks had been ordered by Russia’s GRU military intelligence. There was no immediate comment from Moscow.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna wrote on X, “Russia must understand that hostile actions against Estonia come with consequences. Attempts to intimidate, destabilise, or undermine our security will not go unanswered.

“Closing the border crossings will reduce Russia’s ability to conduct hostile activities in Estonia and strengthen our efforts to prevent sanctions circumvention.”

He did not specify how long the border closure would last.

Latvia’s Interior Minister Janis Dombrava thanked Estonia’s Internal Security Service on X, saying that several “Latvian citizens and non-citizens” were arrested.

“Since the collapse of the USSR, there have been people among us who are willing to commit serious crimes in Russia’s interests. We will continue our work to ensure that such people cannot endanger the lives of those who love Latvia and want to live in safety,” Dombrava wrote.

‘Shadow war’

Estonia, a European Union and NATO member state and a strong ally of Ukraine, currently has three open border crossings with Russia at Narva, Luhamaa and Koidula.

Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Estonian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told Al Jazeera that the arrests demonstrated that Estonia was “prepared to respond swiftly to such attacks”.

“It is essential that Russia’s state-sponsored campaign of terror does not remain merely a matter of diplomatic protests, either in Estonia or among our allies elsewhere,” Mihkelson said.

“Russia is waging a shadow war to divide Europe and undermine support for Ukraine. European countries must respond with asymmetric measures of their own. Closing borders with Russia is one such measure.”

Strictly Come Dancing star Kai Widdrington looked emotional as he watched his dance partner Delta Goodrem perform. Kai is recovering at home after being in hospital

Strictly star Kai Widdrington was emotional as he recovered at home after going to hospital.

Kai fell ill during the week, and his celebrity partner Delta Goodrem was instead partnered with Aljaz Skorjanec, who stepped in for him. Resting at home, Kai was watching on from the sofa as Delta and Aljaz scored 35 out of 40.

Speaking on the show, Delta revealed Kai was rushed to the hospital, sharing: “It was an extremely crazy week, and obviously we’re so sad that Kai got so unwell yesterday; he had to go to the hospital. We’re both sending him so much love watching tonight. I’m so proud of my dance partner and no doubt he’ll be strong and come back.”

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Kai later shared videos of himself watching from home as Delta and Aljaz danced the Argentine Tango to “Missing” by Everything But The Girl. The dancer seemed emotional as he held his head in his hands before clapping at the TV for Delta and Aljaz.

He later shared a post by his girlfriend Chloe, who wrote: “Different Saturday night tonight watching with my patient Kai. But we’re cheering everyone on from the sofa, especially Delta and Aljaz.”

In a statement confirming Kai’s illness, Strictly wrote: “Due to illness, Kai is unable to dance on tomorrow night’s show. Instead, Aljaž will step in to dance the Argentine Tango with Delta. We’re sending Kai all our love and hope he feels better very soon.”

It’s been a tough competition for Strictly stars Delta and Kai, as Delta suffered a rib injury a few weeks back.

Per the competition rules, other professional dancers can step in for their fellow pros, but when the celebrity is sick or injured, they are granted a bye to the next week of the competition.

However, if their injury persists and they have to miss another week, they have to leave the competition. Luckily, Delta was able to return – and Kai previously told The Mirror how glad he was to have her back.

He told us: “Delta really enjoyed it too. It is nice being back in training. We’re looking forward to Saturday. She is doing good. She has a heart of gold, and her spirit is so pure and honest.

“She brings that energy to the training room and to the dance floor. She is unapologetically herself. She is such a professional with the way she carries herself around the place and the way she conducts herself on and off the dance floor, so to have that energy around me every day is very inspiring.”

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More than 1,600 U.S. flights were canceled and nearly 3,600 delayed Sunday as airlines worked through a third day of disruption following Friday’s nationwide ground stop, according to FlightAware. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said operations should fully recover by Monday.

HAVANA — Thousands of people ran Sunday in Cuba’s most important international marathon, with some using the race to protest U.S. economic sanctions against the island.

The Marabana marathon, held every November to commemorate the founding of Havana, took runners along city’s iconic streets and landmarks, such as the Paseo del Prado and the Capitol building. Many wore signs expressing solidarity with Cuba.

“Cuba is not a threat; the blockade is,” read the signs that many of the 3,000 participants wore on their backs.

The U.S. embargo against Cuba was first imposed in 1960, after Fidel Castro led a revolution that toppled American-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista and nationalized properties belonging to U.S. citizens and corporations. As a result, the Caribbean country has endured decades of economic and financial troubles and is now being pushed to a breaking point after President Trump announced in late January that he would impose tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba.

The warning has effectively cut off fuel to the island, leading to widespread power outages that disrupt water supplies and internet and telephone services.

“The blockade is suffocating the Cuban people,” Yuraldi Cava, a 58-year-old state employee, said while running. “We are going to win this fight.”

Mayté Vigoa, Havana’s provincial government coordinator for sports, said the city had to make a major effort to hold the international race because of the island’s precarious economic conditions. She confirmed that the sportswear brand Adidas, a longtime sponsor of the competition, did not provide support this year.

Other companies with long-standing ties to Cuba, including Meliá Hotels International, said they were withdrawing from the island because of the tightening of sanctions.

Participants included families with children and people with disabilities dressed in sportswear and carrying water bottles as enthusiastic onlookers cheered them on from the sidewalks.

Those protesting the sanctions included foreigners who wore red-and-white sweatshirts with the message “Cuba is not alone.”

The marathon is recognized by the Assn. of International Marathons and Distance Races, and runners can use their times as official qualifying marks. The event also features a half-marathon as well as the more popular 10-kilometer and 5-kilometer races.

Rodriguez writes for the Associated Press.

British Royal says he’s ‘taken a risk’ in fourth surprise visit to Ukraine since 2022 to meet wounded veterans.

Britain’s Prince Harry has met wounded veterans and medics in Ukraine during a surprise visit.

The royal family member attended Ukraine’s National Invictus Games and a conference for medics in the western city of Lviv on Saturday. It was organised by Superhumans, a clinic that specialises in the rehabilitation of war-wounded.

“Every single time I come back to Ukraine, I feel welcome, I feel warmth,” Harry said, adding that he’d “taken a risk to come here”.

Ukraine has about 1.4 million combat veterans, more than 10 percent of whom have disabilities.

“You’re going to win the war,” the 42-year-old British royal said during his fourth trip to the country since the start of the conflict with Russia in 2022.

The prince watched wheelchair rugby players competing for a place in Ukraine’s team for next year’s Invictus Games in Birmingham in England.

Around 500 people have registered to compete to qualify for the 60-member squad – the largest ever team – that Ukraine is planning to send to the 2027 event.

“You’re going to win the war and then you’re going to be set up for success,” he said.

Prince Harry is the founder and patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, which he established in 2014 to support wounded, injured and recovering military service personnel and veterans through adaptive sports, e-sports and recovery programmes.

“When the war is over and when Ukraine wins, we will be ready to support you in holding an Invictus Games,” Harry told wounded veterans later on Saturday.

At a rugby game, he hugged Valery Odainyk, a contestant at the Invictus Games in Canada last year. The leg amputee is “still an active serviceman” in the Ukrainian forces.

“So when do you find time to train?” Harry asked in surprise.

The 41-year-old Odainyk said he told Harry that his involvement in disability sport “all started and continues with the Invictus Games.”

They feature a mix of adaptive core and winter sports, such as alpine skiing, archery, track and field, cycling, wheelchair basketball, rugby and tennis.

JOE Jonas has reportedly split from model girlfriend Tatiana Gabriela after one year of dating – as ‘things shifted’.

The singer-songwriter, 37, is best known as a member of the Jonas Brothers alongside brothers Kevin and Nick.

According to an Us Weekly report, Joe and Puerto Rican model Tatiana, 30, ended their romance a few weeks ago.

A source told the publication: “They had a really fun summer travelling together, but then things shifted in the relationship.”

The insider added: “Things started to shift as Joe got busier with work commitments and they were spending more time apart.”

The report also claimed Joe and Tatiana “had a lot of fun together” and “were a really good match”.

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This reportedly has left friends hopeful that the pair could still work things out.

The source concluded: “But right now, they just have different lifestyles.”

The Sun has contacted reps for Joe Jonas for comment. 

Joe was previously married to Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner, 30, with whom he has two daughters.

The former couple began dating in 2016 and married three years later in Las Vegas.

In September 2023, the pair announced their intention to divorce after four years of marriage.

Sophie shared a statement to Instagram, which read: “After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage.

“‘There are many speculative narratives as to why but truly, this is a united decision and we sincerely hope that everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children.’”

Joe took to his own Instagram profile to share the same exact message, also turning off the comment feature.

The singer has also previously dated Gigi Hadid, Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato.

United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket lifted off Sunday after a nine-month hiatus, carrying 40 satellites for Amazon’s (AMZN) Leo broadband network. The mission departed Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 12:40 p.m. local time, marking a return for a rocket whose limited flight history has been

NEW YORK — A nascent rebellion is underway against President Trump’s handpicked chairman at the Republican National Committee, and it’s already getting ugly.

Some members are calling for a forensic audit of spending decisions, including hair and makeup services for Trump and other officials, as well as the hiring of the daughter of Trump’s former chief of staff. Feuding Republicans are leaking emails and opposition research on rival factions. The White House is threatening to cut off fundraising assistance if the rebels don’t fall in line.

The emerging fight, which will shape the 2028 presidential nominating contest, represents a rare challenge to Trump’s dominance, even after the party’s worst midterm performance in more than a generation. Despite the heavy losses, Republican leaders across Washington have shown little desire to move past Trump and have largely stood behind his most unpopular policies.

But inside the RNC, an organization of 168 members elected from every state who oversee the party’s national political operation, a small yet growing group is backing an attempt to depose Joe Gruters. Trump wants to keep him in charge.

The dissidents are rallying behind Kentucky’s KC Crosbie, the RNC’s second in command, who launched her bid two days after the Nov. 3 election in a letter that drew the fury of the White House and Gruters’ allies.

Crosbie remains a vocal Trump supporter who backs his “Make America Great Again” agenda, but her opponents view her gambit as a direct challenge to the president and his power.

“We have an obligation to serve the Republican Party the most effective way we can. And if all we do is say yes to what the White House wants, I’m not sure that’s doing what’s best for the Republican Party,” said RNC member Oscar Brock of Tennessee, who is supporting Crosbie’s candidacy. “Our job is to elect Republicans broadly, not to support one man all the time.”

He said that requires a change in leadership.

“There’s so much frustration that Chairman Gruters didn’t pull his weight in this election, that the RNC was far less effective than it should have been,” he said.

In her letter, Crosbie described the midterms as “a serious setback” and called for the RNC to provide “an honest account” of what went wrong.

“We should preserve what we built and be equally willing to confront where we fell short,” she wrote.

Crosbie declined to be interviewed. The leadership election will be held in January at the RNC’s winter meeting in Arizona.

Inside the rebellion

It’s unclear how many RNC members will back Crosbie, although the number so far is believed to be small. Some would-be supporters privately acknowledge that they’re worried about a backlash from the White House, especially with Stephen Miller taking over as Trump’s new White House chief of staff. Others believe in the committee’s tradition of having presidents pick their own party chiefs.

Gruters also has vocal backers.

Lauren LePage, an RNC member from Maine, praised the chairman’s leadership and his efforts to help her father, Paul LePage, flip a congressional seat — a rare bright spot for Republicans this election cycle.

She described Gruters as “highly responsive” during the campaign and praised his “record-setting fundraising.”

“From my perspective, as chairman, he did his job,” she said, adding that Trump’s endorsement is “something that the committee should take very seriously.”

Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald called Crosbie a “dear friend,” but said Trump is “the leader of our party” and “you always have to fall in line with the leader.”

“I don’t have a bad word to say about KC at all. It’s just that the president wants to go with Joe Gruters,” he said. “The president made his choice.”

The Republicans who have lined up behind Crosbie insist a leadership change is needed to send a clear message that the party will do things differently after losses even in conservative strongholds such as Texas, South Carolina and Mississippi.

Patti Lyman, an RNC member from Virginia, said it would be “catastrophic” and “insulting” to the party’s base “to keep the same leadership and pretend that we don’t need to do anything different, that we don’t need new players and a new plan.”

Lyman described Crosbie as “by far the best candidate currently running to lead the RNC forward to victory in 2028.”

Sue Cienki, an RNC committee member from Rhode Island, predicted that Crosbie would have the backing of at least two members from 10 states — for a total of 20 — at the committee’s January meeting. That number is the minimum required for a successful nomination.

She insisted that she wouldn’t be scared off by backlash from Trump or the White House, which has been actively lobbying RNC members.

“We should not be influenced by any one person or other. It’s our organization,” Cienki said. “We have to hold an election, not a selection.”

Trump is furious with Crosbie

Trump and senior White House officials were livid about Crosbie’s Nov. 5 letter and the fact that they were given no heads-up.

During a White House meeting Nov. 6, Trump threatened to punish the RNC if members crossed him and said he would refuse to help the organization, including appearing at fundraisers or allowing his name and image to be used in mail and digital solicitations. That’s according to a senior White House official with direct knowledge of the meeting who was not authorized to publicly discuss the private gathering and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Such a threat would be catastrophic to the party because Trump remains its most effective fundraiser.

An Axios story that first reported the threats was distributed via text message to all 168 RNC members.

The same senior White House official said staff convinced Trump that he should not go after Crosbie personally that day. Instead, he released a lengthy statement on his social media platform hailing Gruters as a “MAGA Warrior” and giving him his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”

The leadership fight comes as Trump has shown no interest in relinquishing power.

The Constitution bars Trump from seeking a third term, but he is expected to play a central role in picking the party’s next presidential nominee. Trump’s team contends that he remains the most popular Republican in the country, and House Republicans last week elected a slate of new leaders closely aligned with him.

The White House, in response to questions about the leadership fight, referred to Trump’s social media post.

The party’s future

The RNC will oversee the party’s presidential primary process, including setting the nominating calendar, the debate schedule, the national convention and the rules governing the selection of the nominee.

People close to Gruters, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, said Crosbie’s campaign was “100% a challenge” to the president’s power and described the RNC as “the president’s political operation.”

Allies argued that a leadership change now would put the RNC at a severe disadvantage heading into the next presidential cycle because a new team would need time to get up to speed, and they warned that friction between the president and the committee’s leadership would curtail their ability to organize and raise money.

They also rejected Crosbie’s call for a postelection review, which they said would do little more than rehash the past and put all their grievances on paper. Similar demands for a retrospective were a headache for Ken Martin, the then-embattled leader of the Democratic National Committee, after Trump won in 2024.

But they said Gruters has taken the criticism seriously and has been soliciting feedback to make adjustments heading into 2028.

Gruters spent much of last week holding private phone conversations with committee members. Those who participated in the calls said Gruters listened to their grievances but said little about what he would do differently.

Spending faces scrutiny

The opposition to Trump’s choice to lead the RNC has little to do with Trump’s leadership or policy decisions, according to nearly a half-dozen Crosbie supporters.

Instead, they focused on the RNC’s spending decisions under Gruters. Republicans had a massive fundraising advantage and still lost the House and Senate.

“There’s clearly a groundswell of support for a forensic audit,” said Brock, the RNC member from Tennessee.

In a letter to RNC members sent Thursday night and obtained by the Associated Press, Gruters acknowledged concerns.

Gruters defended a $22,500 expenditure for hospitality space at the Presidents Cup, a golf event, saying it was offered to major donors and “resulted in $2.5 million in renewed contributions to the RNC.”

He also addressed concerns about “a brief contract” between the RNC and Caroline Wiles, a longtime Republican consultant who is the daughter of Susie Wiles, Trump’s former chief of staff. Gruters said she was hired by his predecessor at the committee, Michael Whatley.

“While I have no reason to doubt Caroline Wiles’s value to the RNC or Chairman Whatley’s reasons for bringing her on, this was a brief six-month engagement that ended when I was elected Chairman,” he wrote.

Gruters also defended the RNC’s decision to pay for “hair and make-up services” for senior White House officials, including Trump, Vice President JD Vance and former Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“This was a request made of us so that the expense did not fall to taxpayers,” Gruters wrote. He said the beneficiaries “generously gave so much of their limited time and energies to help the RNC this cycle” and “did not ask for much of us in return, so we felt this was a request we could accommodate.”

Gruters promised to provide members “honest and direct answers to concerns raised” as conversations continue.

“I pledge to listen and learn from you about what happened in the field,” he wrote, “so together we can move forward stronger than ever.”

Peoples and Colvin write for the Associated Press.

Brazil legend Ronaldinho made his comeback aged 46 for Ravenna in their Italian third-tier derby against Forli.

The 46-year-old came out of retirement for the Serie C club he joined as an investor in August, having last played in 2015 for Fluminense.

He started Sunday’s game and showed some bright touches, and he was involved in the opening goal.

The former Barcelona superstar held off a defender before playing the pass that came before the assist for Giulio Donati’s drive from outside the box.

He had earlier set up a chance for Donati from a corner, with the defender having his header saved.

At half-time there was a media circus around Ronaldinho, with journalists surrounding him, and former Brazil and AC Milan team-mate Dida joined him on the pitch.

Ronaldinho was substituted at the break.

A temporary stand, named the R10 in reference to Ronaldinho and his familiar shirt number, was built for the sold-out fixture at the Stadio Bruno Benelli.

The game was streamed in several countries around the world.

Ronaldinho trained once with the team, on Saturday, before Sunday’s debut.

A team graphic beforehand showed him on the left side, but he mostly played centrally.

In his peak playing years, Ronaldinho was one of the best players in the world – as well as one of the most popular for his joyful demeanour and exuberant skill.

He won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, the 2006 Champions League with Barcelona, and league titles with Barca and AC Milan – plus the Ballon d’Or and Fifa World Player of the Year awards in 2005.

He also played for Paris St-Germain as well as Gremio, Flamengo, Atletico Mineiro and Fluminense in his homeland, plus Mexican side Queretaro.

Ronaldinho scored 299 goals in his regular career and had been hoping to have a chance for number 300 for Ravenna. He would have taken a penalty had they been awarded one.

It is not clear if he plans to play again for Ravenna, who are second in their Serie C group.

Morocco becomes the only Arab country, and first African nation since Nigeria in 1994, to be ranked fifth in the world.

Morocco have become the first Arab country to enter FIFA’s top five men’s team rankings after moving up by two places from their previous best position of number seven.

The two-time World Cup quarterfinalists leapt ahead of Brazil and Portugal on points on Sunday, following their strong performance in recent continental football matches.

Morocco are also the first African and Arab country to reach back-to-back quarterfinals at the World Cup, where the continent’s top-ranked nation was knocked out by France in consecutive tournaments.

The Atlas Lions’ 2026 finish did not improve or match their semifinal run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they surpassed all expectations to become Africa and the Arab world’s first semifinalists and the darlings of the tournament.

Following the World Cup in North America, Mohamed Ouhabi’s team have maintained a 100 percent record in the current round of qualifying matches for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027.

Morocco thumped Niger 5-0 in their latest qualification match on Friday, as the star-studded lineup shone in front of a raucous home crowd in Rabat.

AFCON’s defending champions lead Group A by nine points.

However, their AFCON title is contentious and is subject to a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following an appeal by losing finalists Senegal.

Senegal were stripped of this year’s AFCON title and Morocco were declared champions by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), despite Senegal beating the hosts ⁠⁠⁠⁠1-0 after extra time in January’s final in Rabat.

Senegal walked off the pitch for 14 minutes ‌‌‌‌after a penalty was awarded against them late in regulation time, with several players returning to the dressing room in protest before they resumed play.

Morocco missed the spot kick, sending the match into extra time, where Senegal scored the winner to secure victory.

However, they were stripped of the title two months later after CAF’s Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match by walking off the pitch, overturning the result and awarding a 3-0 victory to ⁠⁠⁠⁠Morocco.

The controversial 2025 title was the northwestern African side’s second AFCON title since 1976.

Morocco is one of the cohost nations for the FIFA World Cup 2030.

Scotland suffered a blow even before the first whistle when captain Sione Tuipulotu was ruled out with a knee injury. Tom Jordan replaced him in the midfield and Rory Darge took over the leadership role.

Both are stand-up operators, but any Scotland team without Tuipulotu is a weaker outfit.

Huge question marks hung over the pair before the start – Scotland having been blown away by the All Blacks last weekend as the Wallabies went down in flames at Twickenham.

Depending on how it went – Scotland were warm favourites – this was going to be some sort of redemption for one and all sorts of retribution for the other. All of that was in the balance right until the end.

Scotland now move above Wales into fourth in the northern hemisphere table, but their lack of a bonus point on Sunday could cost them. They’ll take the win, though.

In the scrappiest encounter, the home side drew first blood. They owned the ball in the early moments, wasted one opportunity to score off a lineout maul, but then struck at the second time of asking.

Finn Russell started it all with a lovely grubber that had Carter Gordon in trouble. It eventually led to a scrum and men over for Scotland. An isolated Fagerson on the right touchline had been calling for it for what must have felt like an age to him. When it did come, he had the easiest job of sliding over.

Russell missed the conversion, but he missed something – or somebody – else just after and it proved costly. One of the many things holding Scotland back is how easy they are to score against – and here was another case for the prosecution.

Rob Valetini and Gordon helped put the Wallabies on the front foot but, when they swept to the left touchline, the whole thing might have come to a halt had Russell made his tackle on Potter. He didn’t – and the wing ran on to finish with class.

Scotland thought they’d scored just after but the ball was deemed out of play – a marginal call – when Kyle Steyn mid-air volleyed to Graham, who touched down.

In this week’s episode of The Envelope podcast, director Peter Farrelly, writer Peter Gamble and the cast of “I Play Rocky” share stories from re-creating one of the greatest films of all time live at AFI Fest.

Kelvin Washington: Hello and welcome to the latest episode of The Envelope. Kelvin Washington [here with] Yvonne Villarreal [and] Mark Olsen as usual. And listen, Oscar season is upon us. Football season is — I’m looking at you, [Yvonne] — football season is upon us, which means a lot of people play fantasy football. It’s the reason why a lot [of] work is not getting done at offices. For Oscar season, give me your pick. You know, if I have No. 1 fantasy pick, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the biggest, but maybe it’s of value. Like, this is a sleeper that can gain a lot of respect. Or maybe you wanna go with an obvious pick as well. But just the film that you’re saying, “I’m telling you, I got a lot riding on this one.” Either of you can set it off. Mark, maybe if you got one, you wanna go?

Mark Olsen: I’ll say, I think a movie that I think probably is going to have strong support across the board is “The Invite,” which came out over the summer. It’s the kind of movie that in some ways could be easily forgotten in awards season. But I think there’s enough enthusiasm for it and also the team behind it. Olivia Wilde, the director and star of the movie, she’s shooting another movie in London right now, but she has been as strong of a presence at screenings in New York and Los Angeles as people who, as far as I know, are not also shooting in the movie in another country right now. And also I think it’s the kind of movie that has the possibility of very broad support: actor, actress, supporting, the crafts categories, screenplay, cinematography, editing. I just think that movie could pick up a lot of nominations, and if in fact you were doing a fantasy draft, I think it would be really strong on your roster.

Washington: Are you fantasy footballing at all?

Olsen: No. [But] I’ve heard enough movie draft rigmarole that I’ve picked up the lingo.

Washington: What do you have, Yvonne?

Villarreal: I don’t know how to play this game. I’m just assuming that I should go with something that’ll take me far. Are there brackets involved?

Washington: No. Sort of. There’s matchups.

Villarreal: Whatever. I’m going to pick “You Can See Everything,” because this is a movie that launched a million think pieces. It follows notorious Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and her partner Billy Evans in the lead-up to her sentence in federal prison, and it’s just so striking the sort of conversations that are happening around this film. I gave six hours of my life to it. I saw it twice, OK, just because I wanted to see someone I know watch it and get their experience. I was, I guess, my own Nathan Fielder in the moment. Like, I wanted see how they were responding and just staring at them watching it. But I think it’s fascinating how much conversation has erupted over this, and I’m curious to see how much of that will serve it well in the lead-up to Oscars.

Washington: I think you hit on something — the conversation. There may have been films that did bigger [box office], or maybe you got the billboards all around town kind of thing, but this is the one that just did the watercooler conversation. Folks were bringing up whether they thought she was crazy, whether they thought there was some other angle to it that they didn’t consider, whether it was a conversation about her eyes. We’re gonna not address that?

Villarreal: The baby bouncing.

Washington: One that [I picked] for different reasons and [came out] some time ago, “Project Hail Mary.” We’ve seen where you can be a big time A-list actor, actress, but that moment that kind of takes you to the next level is when you have, the only thing I can call it is “castaway theory,” where you’re kind of playing a role by yourself to an extent. And you know, “The Martian” [is] another example. And I feel like Ryan Gosling has that with this. There was some warmth to it, and it was a bigger budget , but I just think it was one of those films that universally was so loved and well received. That was some time ago, but that’s one that I’m keeping my eye on as well. Any objections?

Olsen: I think that’s a great choice because it’s interesting in relation to awards season that when the movie came out earlier in the year, people talked about it as “hopecore” — they were sort of saying it felt like this beacon of light at what felt like a dark moment, and I think now that the national mood is shifting a little bit [and it looks like we’re going to a brighter time, it will be interesting to see that become sort of a beacon as it moves forward through awards season.

Washington: Yeah, if it’s going to be able to regain its traction a little bit. I want to get to you, Yvonne. You had a chance to have a conversation with the folks behind “I Play Rocky.” Tell us a little more about that.

Villarreal: Well, talk about “hopecore.” This is a biographical drama that tracks the true underdog story of an unknown and struggling Sylvester Stallone as he was writing the script for “Rocky,” which is a film we all know today. I don’t think any of us remember a time when it wasn’t in our consciousness. But he wrote that in three and a half days, and then we sort of see his journey of trying to get this made and how many times they were trying to pay him off for this script. But he was adamant that he wanted to play Rocky. He wasn’t gonna sell it so that someone else can star in it. And it comes from Peter Farrelly, who’s known for comedies like “Dumb and Dumber,” the script’s from Peter Gamble, and Anthony Ippolito plays Sylvester Stallone. And he has familiarity with playing these well-known legendary actors. He did Al Pacino in “The Offer,” which tracked the making of “The Godfather.” So he’s really well versed in this. And so it was interesting to talk to the creatives and the cast at AFI Fest.

Anthony Ippolito as Sylvester Stallone in “I Play Rocky.”

(Claire Folger / Amazon Content Services)

Yvonne Villarreal: How does it feel watching it with a crowd?

Peter Farrelly: That was such a high, I can’t even tell you. Watching that movie is like being at a concert for me. That’s the beauty of being in film, having it here in a theater. You could feel what everyone is going through, and you’re sharing an emotion and it’s really great.

Villarreal: I want to start things off by talking about the person whose story is why we’re here today: Sylvester Stallone. He wasn’t directly involved with this project, but you sought his blessing early on. He also saw a final cut of the film at his home and gave you feedback right after. Tell me why it was important to you to get his blessing and what it was like knowing that this person, who’s still very much alive, was about to watch it?

Farrelly: This doesn’t happen without Sylvester Stallone. I don’t care what happens with this movie — who likes it, if the world loved it — but if Sylvester didn’t like it, it would really be disappointing. The first thing we did was go to him. We sent him Peter Gamble’s great script. I met with him and I said, “I won’t do it unless you want us to.” He said, “Do it.” Then we had a discussion about “Should he be involved and come on as a producer?” I said, “Personally, I think it’ll hurt you because you come across so well here. And if at the end we see ‘Produced by’ you, people are gonna think, ‘Oh, that’s why. He shaped it.’ ” And he agreed with me. I said, “I think you should separate from it.” And about a week later, he did an interview and someone said, “What do you think about the movie they’re doing about you?” He goes, “I know nothing about it.” And all of a sudden, the internet went crazy. … I called Sylvester. I said “What are you doing?” He goes, “You told me to separate myself.” I said, “Not that far.” He goes, “OK, well, going forward, I will remember that.”

Villarreal: Peter [Gamble], what was it about Stallone’s early days that you felt were worth a story today?

Peter Gamble: Being an underdog is a universal feeling. And I think feeling unseen is a universal feeling. And there was something about that that I connected to. I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I’ve been trying for a long time. I was talking to my manager about it and we were talking about biopics and his name came up, and I just felt this thing in my heart and I was like, “That’s the one.” So many people just want to figure out how to take what’s in their heart and in their soul and just make the universe see it and do something great. I feel like this is the original story that everybody knows that shows them the way. That was what drew me to it.

Villarreal: I’m still stuck on the fact that he wrote this screenplay in three days.

Gamble: Three and a half.

Villarreal: Was there a piece of information as you started doing research that you didn’t know that really informed or fueled what you were doing?

Gamble: There was so much. He’s told the story so many times, and in so many different ways. It was going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole on the internet, and it was so fun. It was so glorious because he’s not someone who tells the story exactly the same way every time. He kissed the Blarney Stone. He likes to explore language as he’s doing it. But there was this one day I went down this one rabbit hole where his former roommate in college talked about him living in a closet under the stairs like Harry Potter. All he had was room for this bed and [was] recording poetry to work on his lisp. I was like, “You can’t make that up.” I would never invent something like that. I took that with the other part I knew about him living in this flop house above a porn theater. That unlocked everything for me. This guy who’s got poetry in his soul, just surrounded by darkness and just trying to let that light shine. That did it for me.

Villarreal: What rabbit holes did [the rest of] you find yourselves going down in sort of researching your characters? Matt [Dillon, who plays Frank Stallone]?

Matt Dillon: I was first very taken with the script. I know Peter, we’d worked together. And “Rocky” was such a big, important movie in my youth. I remembered seeing it on my mother’s black-and-white TV in the kitchen. I remember seeing this guy hitting the meat with the hat, and I was like, “What is this? Who is this?” This feeling of authenticity of it. So the idea of playing the father of that guy that I saw when I was a little boy on TV originally… [“Rocky”] really changed my world. It really did. That’s the power of cinema, That’s what this film really did. Then I spoke to Peter and Peter, and what I got back from them was, “Well, this guy’s pretty brutal.” Peter told me that Sly said, “You can’t go too far with how tough he was on me.” But there is humanity there, and I think that he doesn’t know how to show the love, but he has the love for Sly, and that was really important.

Villarreal: Was that a tough thing to balance of showing how he challenges his son? Because he does tell him, “You don’t have the physique, you don’t have the voice to make it” —

Dillon: He said a whole lot more, but they cut it out. Stallone’s a good-looking guy; by the way, so is this guy here, Anthony. To keep saying that he’s ugly, it really wasn’t the case with him.

Villarreal: Anthony, I know that you spoke with Stallone. As an actor at the beginning stages of your career, what did you learn about yourself and how you want to navigate this business in living his story and in hearing directly from him?

Anthony Ippolito: First and foremost, by the time I got to speak to him, I had already done a year and a half or so of research. We were about to [start shooting] a month later. It was very built up by that point. I was just so grateful that he was willing to take the time and share some of the stuff because it’s such a pivotal period of time in his life. He was down and out and very isolated. This is a vulnerable thing. And seeing what he was able to persevere through and his endurance is something that really stuck out to me. And prevail. Seeing that just shows you that you could do a lot more than you think sometimes.

Villarreal: When you see how often he said no in those negotiations, did you put yourself in that place and wonder where you might have cracked? Because I did.

Ippolito: I don’t know, there’s a fine line between madness and creativity. It was his baby by that point, and it represented more than the money. It’s the principle of it. To this day it’s really a perplexing thing, the amount he was [able] to say no to and the things that were going against him at the same time. It’s remarkable. It’s part of the reason we’re making the movie.

Farrelly: By the way, the message to this movie — people have asked me — is listen to your heart; be true to yourself. To me, it’s an anti-money movie. Everybody today wants to be a billionaire, and that’s never gonna make you happy. I know a couple. That doesn’t make you happy. What makes you happy is being true to yourself, and I hope this inspires people to do that.

Villarreal: Do you think it’s possible to still have that sort of grit and perseverance to say no and stick with it?

Farrelly: Absolutely. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did it when they wrote “Good Will Hunting.” They got the same thing this went through. And they had a mantra. They were saying, “Rocky.” Seriously, they talk about it. … They really held out because if they hadn’t held out, they wouldn’t have had the careers they had. I don’t think those days are over. And in fact, in some ways, it might even be easier now because there are so many new people coming up and people will take a chance on you easier.

Villarreal: AnnaSophia, Sasha was an artist. How did learning about her own creative passions outside the relationship inform your approach to playing her as this active character that played a big role in this outside of just being “supportive partner”?

AnnaSophia Robb: Sasha was such a gift to play. First, [just] reading about her and learning about her in the script because the world doesn’t really know her story. She’s a private person. Reading the beautiful character that Peter Gamble brought to life based on a lot of research, and then doing my own research, I think that there was a freedom to her. She was an artist herself. She took photos on set. She was a photographer. That artist spirit of, “Let’s just try and if things fail, then so be it, but let’s at least give it a shot and have that hope” is really important to centering her. And I shot on the Minolta 65 all throughout the shoot — the camera that she used. That was sort of my physical grounding. I have a lot of beautiful photos of the whole cast. It was also a way to center Anthony because I was physically focusing and trying to put my energy on capturing the moment and being really present. Sly wrote me a note that was passed along to me about both of them, their marriage being like rocks leaning together and that she was sunshine. It was really tangible things that I was trying to bring in as well. We all have Sashas in our lives as filmmakers. It’s those people who support us. I used my husband as a reference for inspiration.

Villarreal: I want to talk about a moment that I think we all can relate to in some way, which is the fibbing on a resume. Stephan and Kiki, we see how your characters have to find a way to get it done. Has there been a moment of that for you in real life where you had to embellish the truth?

Stephan James: This is where I really resonated with Carl [Weathers]. I’ve lied about all kinds of things for a job. I speak German, I swim, I do ballet, archery, all types of things. My agents know. They’re all here today. My agents and my managers know. All types of lies to get the job. Whatever we got to do, right?

Villarreal: Did you fib for this one?

James: Yes, but I won’t let you in on that yet. Pete still likes me, so I won’t give away all my secrets, but, yeah, all kinds of lies.

Kiki Seto: I have a little bit of a funny story about this, which is that the second [assistant director] called me about a week before filming — I had already booked the part — and he asked me if I knew how to ice skate. I told him I went [skating] in middle school a lot. It was the thing to do on Friday nights. I was telling the truth. And I called someone on my team after to let them know, “Hey, the production just called. They want to know if I know how to ice skate. I told them, ‘I think enough.’ ” And he goes, “Oh, yeah, I already told him you know how to ice skate.” He said, “You can do anything.” And I thought, “Yeah, that’s nice. I like that.”

Villarreal: Watching what goes on during the negotiations to make “Rocky” between PJ and Tracy’s characters [producer Irwin Winkler and Sandy Maddox, a composite studio executive, respectively] is like watching “Rocky” in the ring. PJ, what was it like developing that chemistry with Toby Kebbell, who plays your producing partner [Robert Chartoff], in terms of really getting across that you guys have been at this a long time and know how this works?

PJ Byrne: First of all, before you talked about going down the rabbit hole. I got to meet the rabbit in the rabbit hole. Irwin Winkler is in the room. He’s still producing. He’s 95 years old. He remembers 50 years ago like it’s 15 minutes ago. He’s a legend; he is still intimidating. If you think it’s intimidating playing someone that’s still alive, you should be in the same room and watching yourself portray him. It’s a very intimidating moment. But that being said, I think he and Bob Chartoff are one of the legendary [producing teams] and they had one mind and they complimented each other. When producers are on set — if there’s any in the room — they don’t talk a lot. They are observers. They are in the backdrop. They’re the ultimate backstop if the ball gets by the catcher; they’re there to put out fires. There is a lot of communication that Toby and I have just in looks. And Toby Kebbell, I’m not [giving] this performance without him. He’s an extraordinary actor. There is so much going on in his brain and his mind, and he’s a spectacular person to work with.

Villarreal: Tracy, you look like you’re having so much fun as Sandy. As somebody that’s been on the other side of notes or pushing back, what was it like playing that kind of arrogant executive that wants it his way? Were you modeling it after anyone you know?

Tracy Letts: My guy’s fictional, so I didn’t have to do any research. I was just able to make it up. When Peter and I first spoke, I had a long-winded explanation as to why I wanted a wig. I don’t remember why I wanted to wig, but I had long explanation for it. I got to the end and Peter said, “You can have whatever you want. It’s fine.” And they gave me a wig and I’m still not really clear why I’m wigged, other than I asked for it. It was great fun, and the script was great, and I love “Rocky” — though for the longest time I kept calling this movie “I Hate Rocky.” People would say, what are you working on? I’d say, “Oh, I’m making this movie called ‘I Hate Rocky’ ” and they’re like, “ ‘What?’ ” I was like, “Oh no. It’s not called ‘I Hate Rocky,’ it’s called ‘I Play Rocky.’ ” It was a great time; it’s great fun. I will tell you one funny story. One day, Peter gave me a note. He asked me to tone it down. I turned to PJ and Toby and I said, the director of “Dumb and Dumber” just told me I was a little too big.

Byrne: That’s very true. That was a 10-minute laugh.

Villarreal: Jay, you’re playing a guy who directed a massive studio underdog story but had to shoot it like an indie. You’re familiar with that. You’re a champion of indie filmmaking. Did playing John [John G. Avildsen, the director of “Rocky”] give you a new technical appreciation for what he achieved? Did you find yourself thinking, “How would I have handled this if it were me?”

Jay Duplass: It made me think maybe I should be more of a d—. It was a real treat to just bark at people and holler and yell and demand what I needed because, as Pete knows, in this culture, we gotta be real sweet. We gotta be real sweethearts. But there was something incredibly refreshing about just playing a guy who is not trying to be nice. He’s trying to make an excellent piece of art. And that’s almost impossible to do. And I applaud Pete Farrelly for doing it here today.

Villarreal: Peter, the original “Rocky” crew had to sprint through 28 days to get the film done. You had a tight 34 days.

Farrelly: That’s correct.

Villarreal: What scene or day on the set of the movie gave you the most “Rocky”-like challenge to pull off?

Farrelly: First of all, you know, that is true. This is a relatively low-budget movie and we had 34 days. To put it in perspective, “Rocky” had more extras than we had. We couldn’t afford extras. Making a movie, even starting with a script this good — this is the best script I’ve ever read — when you get in the editing room, you have to let the movie find itself. As “Rocky” did. In fact, the end of the original “Rocky” is they’re in the ring and they’re hugging — that’s the end. But there was more to it. There was a little tail after that where everyone’s gone and it’s Rocky and Adrian and they have a little thing and then they walk out of the room. That’s, by the way, the poster shot from the original “Rocky” — it’s those two walking away. That’s never in the movie. That was something they shot that got cut out. Our thing had the exact same thing. And the hardest thing that we shot in this movie was that fight over the end credits. We took a week to do that. We only had six and a half weeks [total]. We took a whole week to do that thing. That was the one we had to be very careful about. But then when I was in the editing room and showing it to friends, when he runs up those stairs and he’s at the top and we have that music playing, it’s hard to get that high again. Everybody said we should just end there. I said, “I took a week shooting the fight! I don’t want to lose the fight.” It took me a while to just accept [that] you gotta let it end where it wants to end. It ended on top of those stairs, and then we decided to put the thing that was the hardest to shoot in the entire movie over the end credits.

Villarreal: Anthony and Stephan, knowing what this film means for the boxing community or how it was received, were you fixated on brushing up on how to fight, or was it essential to wing it the way they did, figuring it out in the moment like they did?

Ippolito: We got kind of banged up a little bit.

James: There were a couple of inadvertent punches from Anthony that I’m still healing from, but it’s all good. I forgive you.

Ippolito: When you’re trying to learn the depth perception of pulling the punch, sometimes [it] gets mixed up, and then you catch one. And that’s OK, because we’re making a movie. We had to figure out how to do this. I kind of fibbed to Peter when we were at dinner before the movie. I was like, “Yeah, [I’m] boxing, all the time.” I hadn’t. We figured it out, and hitting a speed bag is something that takes some time to learn. There’s tons of stuff, but we know how important it is to people who love the movie.

James: Anthony and I spent a lot of time training at the world-famous boxing gym Gleason’s in downtown Brooklyn — shout out to Gleason’s! — with our incredible trainer, Bobby Beckles. It was amazing to watch Anthony from the other side of that ring and the way he lost himself in Stallone and dedicated every moment; the attention to detail. It really made me want to rise to the occasion just seeing the revelation that he was, witnessing the revelation that was his performance in this film. Thank you for that, Anthony.

Villarreal: Matt mentioned earlier his memory of watching “Rocky.” Some of you were maybe there watching it in theaters. What do you remember about that experience? Jay?

Duplass: This is a pinch-me moment being here right now, having this experience with you guys. One of my first memories of my entire life is sitting on my mom’s lap at a drive-in. It’s called the Do Drive-In in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1977. I was 4 years old. I was watching what I thought was a movie about a man and his two pets, Cuff and Link, the turtles. It’s my favorite movie of all time. It’s just incredible that I got paid to go to Philly and cosplay being the director of my favorite [movie] of all-time and witnessing this incredible performance by Anthony and everybody else here. But in particular, just literally directing Anthony on set and seeing this performance happen, it’s a real mind-blowing moment. Also culturally, in 1976 people had come out of Vietnam. They really needed a movie that could tell them that anything is possible. And I think we’re in a weird moment like that right now. And what’s incredible, and Pete’s been saying this, is that the story of Stallone coming from his car and winning the Academy Award is actually a bigger win than what is portrayed in the original “Rocky.” And what I love so much about it is that it happened. It’s real, and we can rely on that and know that miracles are possible.

Villarreal: Peter Gamble, what do you remember about seeing it the first time? And how many times did you watch it in the writing of this?

Gamble: I would watch it; I would read the script, which was different than the movie, which was really interesting to see. What I just remember is that this movie was one of those movies that would come on TV and you’d be like, “Oh, I’ve seen this before, let me just watch five minutes” and then you just watch it to the end because you couldn’t look away. What’s interesting about this movie to me is that it’s not just a movie that moved people. It’s a movie that is part of people’s culture. You talk to someone from Philadelphia and it’s like a part of their heart and their soul. There’s something special about it. It captured believing in yourself. It captured never giving up it. It captured just going forward and never stopping punching. That is such a powerful message that the universe wants conveyed and still wants conveyed. I was very grateful to be a small part of it.

Villarreal: Before we wrap, Anthony, I don’t mean to put you on the spot, but can you tell me what it was like actually meeting the guy you’re portraying? What is that experience like? Did he put you on the spot and say, “Let me see your impression of me?”

Ippolito: He had seen the materials that I sent Peter and Rick Montgomery, the casting director — both of these guys, I’m very grateful to. Thankfully, he responded positively, or else I don’t know if I’d be sitting here talking to you tonight. Getting to speak to him and really understanding how married to his vision he was and what that is and what it takes to go up against producers or a studio that don’t see it as a possibility, and he had the paralysis in his face since he was born. And just looking at him as an underdog in the context of this story and of his own life, you can’t help but admire all the things that he persevered through. Getting to speak to him was an absolute privilege.

Villarreal: Congratulations on this film. Is there room for a sequel?

Farrelly: “I Play Rambo” in preproduction.

Nvidia (NVDA) urged Taiwanese officials to reconsider the treatment of an employee accused of helping divert advanced AI hardware to China, Bloomberg News reported Sunday. The case is testing the company’s oversight of its distribution network as authorities scrutinize suspected violations

Tenerife played their first game since the death of striker Jesus de Miguel on an emotional day at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez stadium.

De Miguel died at the age of 30 on 3 November, a day after colliding with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono during a home match in Spain’s Segunda Division.

Tenerife beat bottom side Ceuta 2-0 on Sunday, with tributes to De Miguel paid both before and during the game.

Lengthy standing ovations preceded and followed a minute of silence before the match.

In the ninth minute play was stopped and a round of applause took place, while a video of De Miguel was shown in the stadium, as happened at all first- and second-tier games in Spain last weekend.

Tenerife fans displayed a banner that read: “Jesus de Miguel, 9, eternally blue and white.”

Forward Nacho Gil opened the scoring for the home side in the 40th minute and celebrated by holding up De Miguel’s shirt.

Gil revealed a message written under his shirt that read: “Demi, always in our hearts.”

Neal Viereck scored four minutes from time as Tenerife ended a run of six games without a win. They are 14th in the table.

Tenerife’s game with Granada on 7 November was postponed and the club invited fans to the stadium to pay their respects to De Miguel.

Owono was given a 12-match suspension by the Spanish football federation for the challenge which resulted in De Miguel’s death.

The federation has ruled that the game between Tenerife and Andorra, which was abandoned seven minutes into stoppage time after the incident occurred, will not be replayed and the 2-2 score will stand.