Month: May 2025

On May 10, United States President Donald Trump announced a “full and immediate” ceasefire between India and Pakistan brokered by his administration. US media reported that, alarmed by intelligence signalling further escalation, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles drove urgent mediation. Vance warned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of catastrophic risks and encouraged direct talks between India and Pakistan.

The announcement of the ceasefire was received across the world with a sigh of relief. The spectre of a nuclear exchange, which according to one 2019 study could kill up to 125 million people in less than a week, had fuelled regional anxiety and spurred the US diplomatic frenzy.

In India, however, Trump’s announcement was seen differently in some quarters. Former Indian army chief Ved Prakash Malik posted on X: “Ceasefire 10 May 25: We have left India’s future history to ask what politico-strategic advantages, if any, were gained after its kinetic and non-kinetic actions.” MP Asaduddin Owaisi wrote on the same platform: “I wish our PM @narendramodi had announced the ceasefire rather than the President of a foreign country. We have always been opposed to third party intervention since Simla (1972). Why have we now accepted it? I hope the Kashmir issue will not be internationalised, as it is our internal matter.”

The latter comment likely refers to Trump’s statement that he is willing to work with India and Pakistan “to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir”.

The ceasefire announcement by the US president appears to have been perceived by some in India as a sign of the Modi government’s retreat under US pressure while his offer to mediate on Kashmir is being seen as an indication that India’s longstanding rejection of third-party intervention is being undermined.

In South Asian geopolitics, perception often outpaces reality – until reality bites. India has long projected regional dominance, bolstered by economic growth and nuclear might. Yet its actions in the aftermath of the April 22 massacre carried out by the Resistance Front (TRF) in Kashmir exposed its vulnerabilities. Intended to assert strength, India’s response faltered, boosting Pakistan’s regional standing and leaving Modi’s government diplomatically weakened.

On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor to dismantle terrorist bases linked to groups like the TRF, which, it claims, is supported by Pakistan. Backed by French-made Rafale jets, the operation sought to project Modi’s strongman image amid domestic outrage. Yet its success was contested. Pakistan reported civilian casualties, including children, while India insisted only terrorist sites were hit.

Pakistan’s air force scrambled its own jets to deflect the attack and claimed it downed five Indian jets, including three Rafales. Two US officials confirmed to the Reuters news agency that a Chinese-made J-10 jet shot down at least two Indian planes, aided by Chinese intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) support. India has not acknowledged any losses.

Indian media initially claimed devastating strikes on Pakistani cities, including Karachi’s seaport, but these reports, which were clearly part of propaganda efforts, were proven false.

On May 9, India launched missile attacks on Pakistani bases, including one near Islamabad, Pakistan claimed. The Pakistani army retaliated with short-range missile and drone strikes targeting Indian airbases at Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj. Indian air force officer Vyomika Singh reported Pakistani drones and munitions hit civilian and military targets.

India’s image as a regional hegemon frayed. The Indian government clearly overestimated its Rafale jets and underestimated Pakistan’s Chinese-backed ISR systems, which enhanced battlefield precision.

China’s military support for Pakistan has increased significantly in recent years. Since 2020, it has accounted for 81 percent of Islamabad’s military imports.

For years, some Indian defence analysts warned that India’s military was unprepared for a China-supported Pakistan, given its limited US or Russian backing for its high-risk Kashmir gamble. Others criticised the government’s foreign policy for encouraging China-Pakistan rapprochement. Their warnings remained unheeded in New Delhi.

The events of the past few days exposed India’s strategic limits, replacing ambiguity with global scrutiny. The kneejerk reaction in New Delhi may be to increase the defence budget and deepen even further the militarisation of Kashmir.

As the Indian government plans its next steps, it should do well to consider that the status quo of shadow war and the cycle of covert aggression fuelling unrest is untenable. Both nations’ intelligence agencies have long backed proxies, driving instability from Kashmir to Afghanistan.

The path forward rests on New Delhi and Islamabad making wise choices. Restraint, not rhetoric, should shape policies moving forward. Failure to do so risks geopolitical turmoil, economic stagnation and hardship for millions. Home to a quarter of the world’s poorest people and more than 350 million illiterate adults, India and Pakistan cannot afford prolonged strife. Continued tensions could derail India’s growth and cripple Pakistan’s fragile economy, dwarfing any tactical gains.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Great Britain win gold in the women’s 4x100m at the World Relay Championships as they stun a Jamaica team including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.

WATCH MORE: Jamaica bid ruined as Forte suffers injury in 4x100m

Available to UK users only.

The race for rare earths is heating up as the world pushes for clean energy and tech advancements. But behind the push for wind turbines and electric vehicles lies a complex web of geopolitics, environmental challenges, and human costs.

European leaders have given Russia’s president an ultimatum on agreeing to a 30-day Ukraine ceasefire or else face ‘massive’ new sanctions. Vladimir Putin instead proposed direct peace talks in Istanbul, which Zelenskyy has called ‘positive’.

Underneath the giant costumes of the characters that grew up with millennial children were real-life people, who have been involved in scandal and tragedy in life after the hit show

We all remember the four giant-sized, alien-like creatures running around in our screens causing mischief when we were little.

The Teletubbies could be considered one of the most iconic children’s TV shows in British history since they debuted in 1997. Their gibberish language and the differently shaped antennas coming out of their heads make them easily memorable.

The four Teletubbies were Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po, and would be watched over by the Sun Baby and the Voice Trumpets. They all spread joy and laughter on the show to anyone who watched. However, they were quite renowned for mating so much so that they had to make a scene less X-rated, where one episode was banned.

The show originally ran from 1997 until 2001 on the BBC before being revived from 2015 to 2018. And in November 2022, Netflix launched a big comeback. But what happened to the original faces behind the masks?

READ MORE: Mystery animal that mauled and ate multiple dogs’ vital organs identified

Tinky Winky

Tinky Winky was the largest and oldest Teletubby was played by three actors, Dave Thompson, Simon Shelton, and Jeremiah Krage. Dave, who was the first to play the purple giant left the series after viewers started to question Tinky Winky’s sexuality.

Hardline US evangelist Jerry Falwell once attacked the show, saying: “Tinky Winky is purple, the gay pride colour, and his antenna is shaped like a triangle: the gay pride symbol.”

The official line was that he walked due to “creative differences”, but it was later reported that the show’s production company felt the actor had misinterpreted the role by “implying” Tinky Winky was gay.

“I am proud of my work for them. I was always the one to test out the limitations of the costume. I was the first to fall off my chair and roll over. I took all the risks,” Dave said regarding his departure. Since leaving the show Dave went into the business of standup comedy and performed with the Naked Balloon dance troupe in 2014.

After Dave’s departure, Simon, who was a ballet dancer and choreographer, took over the role as the Teletubbies grew in popularity in the UK and US. “We used to receive a lot of fan mail from kind and parents, I suppose we were a bit like The Beatles or Take That of children’s television,” explained Simon.

Tinky Winky’s orientation has also been a question Simon has had to answer. “People always ask me if Tinky Winky is gay,” he said. “But the character is supposed to be a three-year-old so the question is really quite silly.”

Tragically, Simon was found dead from hypothermia in Liverpool in January 2018 at the age of just 52-years-old. He had a high concentration of booze in his system and had known to have had problems with alcohol.

Dipsy

Dipsy may have been considered the coolest of the Teletubbies, played by stand-up comedian John Simmit. Explaining how he influenced the character, John explained: “Dipsy would say, ‘Papa Come Papa Come To Po’, which was actually my take on a classic reggae rhythm track called The Whip.

“And I’d slip in Jamaican dance moves, a Bogle there and a Tatty here. People spotted my little wink to my culture and I’m proud of that.”

John never hid from the truth of how hard and sweaty it was to work in the big suit they had to wear. “We had to wear really ugly underwear like those old Western long johns, which was essentially a onesie, but it was so it could absorb the sweat,” he said.

“When we were out of costume, you’d have to turn your face the other way and speak to us at a distance because we were reeking and so sweaty you could wring us out. Huge props to our dressers for putting up with us!”

Once the show came to an end after four years, John went back to being a comic and toured the country. John once said he has never revealed on stage that he was the man behind the Dipsy costume, but he does tweet about his time on the show and replies to fans’ messages. “The stand-up circuit is pretty close-knit so people got to know that I was Dipsy – but I never mentioned it on stage,” he previously said.

Laa Laa

The third Teletubby is Laa Laa with the curly antenna, the sweetest and most supportive of the gang, and was played by trained dancer Nikky Smedley. The 53-year-old got the role of Laa Laa after replying to newspaper ads for an actor to star in a new children’s TV show and stayed for the original four-year run.

But it wasn’t all fun and games as Nikky explained that the hot and heavy suits were a nightmare as they filmed for 11 hours at a time.

Once Teletubbies came to the end of its first run in 2001, Nikky stayed working for Ragdoll Productions on other shows. As well as Boohbah, Nikky has been involved in choreographing CBeebies favourite In The Night Garden – another popular kid’s show featuring strange, colourful characters.

Po

The baby of the family was little Po, who was by far the cutest and smallest of the lot. Softly-spoken Po could be seen blowing bubbles using her circular-shaped antenna and hurting around Tubbyland on her scooter.

Actress and presenter Pui Fan Lee took on the role shortly after leaving drama school – and in one incredible picture was seen lying down fast asleep with the body of her Po costume still on.

After the show ended, Pui raised a few eyebrows by taking part in lesbian sex scenes during Channel 4 show Metrosexuality. “Yes, I was Po, but I am an actress, and the role looked interesting. I didn’t take the lesbian role to be deliberately controversial,” explained the actress.

Pui would later return to children’s TV and was one of the first ever presenters on the CBeebies channel along with Chris Jarvis, who she also hosts Show Me Show Me with. The actress also had a minor role in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and made a guest appearance in EastEnders in 2019.

The Sun Baby

The adorable Sun Baby popped up at the beginning of every episode to wake the Teletubbies up and as a signal for the end of the day. The original Sun Baby was played by Jess Smith, between 1997 and 2001, and is now in her 20s and was expecting her first child.

The child star also previously revealed that she was actually cast in the role when she was being weighed in hospital. At the time, producers let the baby Jess sit in front of a mirror and a camera while she watched her dad play with toys. Luckily, the sweet moment made baby Jess laugh so much that she was instantly cast in the coveted BBC role.

Speaking to BBC South East in 2017 about landing the role, Jess explained: “I was being weighed at the hospital. “My mum took me and it just happened to be the same time that the producer of the old series had come in and wanted the hospital to get in contact with them if they’d seen any smiley babies.

“It was just a case of sitting in front of a mirror and a camera and my dad playing with toys and race cars and that sort of thing to try and get me to laugh at the camera.” When the show was revived in 2015, a new baby called Berry took over the role and was even seen being cuddled by Jess in a cute snap.

Many Christians of the Holy Land rejoiced at the election of Pope Leo XIV as the successor to Saint Peter. Many of us hope that the new pope will follow the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, particularly with regard to issues of justice and peace.

The Holy See has historically played an important role in supporting the Christian presence in the Holy Land, whether through church activities, engagement with influential parties in and around the region, or through material and moral support. This has been reflected in the establishment of institutions such as the Pontifical Mission in Jerusalem, Bethlehem University, the Benedictus Center in Nazareth, and most recently, the donation by Pope Francis of the Popemobile to serve as a mobile clinic for children in Gaza.

Some of the most impactful moments in our recent history have been papal visits to our land — starting with Pope Paul VI in 1964, followed by Pope John Paul II in 2000, Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, and concluding with Pope Francis in 2014.

We, Christians in the Holy Land, hope that Pope Leo XIV will not only come to visit us but also help address some of the challenges we face today in the birthplace of Christianity. As a community of 230,000 people, we are working to strengthen the Christian presence as an active component of the local society, in collaboration with its other components. However, we do need help.

One of the main issues affecting Christian lives in Israel and Palestine is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is a persistent source of regional instability that fuels violence in various forms, which kills many, including Christians.

Rising religious and political extremism makes many of us feel like strangers in our own homeland. Economic deterioration and the declining number of people coming for pilgrimage in the Holy Land due to the conflict are leading to a loss of livelihood and worsening socioeconomic conditions. Widespread despair is driving many to emigrate or plan to leave in the near future, dwindling the numbers of our community.

Many local Christians want the Holy See to engage with key global and regional players to achieve a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In his last sermon, Pope Francis spoke about the urgent need for peace in Gaza. In his first sermon, Pope Leo XIV called for an immediate ceasefire and delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip. We welcome these statements and hope he will continue to do his utmost to promote peace in the Holy Land.

In Palestine, the situation remains unclear due to the Israeli occupation of all territories meant to form a Palestinian state, the ongoing war in Gaza, and the limited authority of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank — not to mention Israel’s full annexation of East Jerusalem. This reality calls for thoughtful action by the Church, both at the level of the Holy See and locally, to provide people with hope in these dark times.

In Israel, there is a pressing need for cooperation between the Holy See and the local church — bishops, priests, and believers — to resolve many issues that affect the Christian and non-Christian communities. It is crucial to work with all segments of the local society to pressure the state to treat all its citizens equally and preserve their dignity.

Christians hope that the Holy See can collaborate with us in our efforts to achieve equality. We, as a community, face Israeli laws that discriminate against us based on ethnicity and religion; we need support in our efforts to have such laws repealed.

It is also essential to work towards resolving painful issues that have negatively impacted the Christian presence, such as the case of the villages of Iqrit and Biram, whose Catholic Christian residents were expelled before their homes were destroyed by the Israeli authorities in 1951. Since then, the residents and their descendants have been demanding to return to their ancestral lands, but are being denied this right.

There is also a need for stronger intervention by the Holy See to support Christian institutions operating under Israeli control, which face growing challenges, such as attempts by some municipalities to impose heavy taxes in violation of past agreements, the clear discriminatory underfunding of Christian schools by Israeli authorities, and threats against church property.

Many Christians of the Holy Land also hope that Pope Leo XIV will work to enhance unity among them, including efforts to reach a unified date for major religious holidays, especially Christmas and Easter. They also call for increased joint efforts among churches to organise pilgrimages to the Holy Land that include not only visits to religious sites but also interactions with the faithful who live there. This is important because it would help us raise global awareness about the challenges we face and feel an integral part of the universal Church.

As a whole, Christians in the Holy Land, like their fellow Christians around the world, desire to see a father in Pope Leo XIV — a father who visits them and welcomes their visits, consults with them and listens to their concerns, protects them from harm, stands with them when they are attacked or oppressed, and follows in the footsteps of the Church’s founder, who never hesitated to defend the oppressed regardless of how powerful the oppressor might be.

Pope Leo XIV should know that he has many children in the Holy Land who love him and understand how busy he and the Holy See are with so many issues around the world.

In the Holy Land, Christians have prayed — and continue to pray — for his success in his mission, fully aware of how complex it is. But above all, the children need their father — and that is what they expect the most: that he will always stand by their side, despite how busy he might be.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

THE guest list of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ supposed freak-offs is set to be exposed in his upcoming federal trial, and any celebrity who engaged in the alleged drug-fueled sex marathons should be concerned, experts have warned.

Opening statements in the highly anticipated sex trafficking trial of Combs are expected to get underway on Monday morning as the once-prominent music mogul and executive faces a potential life sentence if convicted.

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At the core of the federal government’s case against Combs is the disturbing 2016 hotel surveillance footage depicting him physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura and the suspected video recordings of the alleged freak-offs.

Prosecutors said Combs, with the help of his assistants, managers, and security team, organized and hosted freak-off events at hotel rooms and undisclosed locations.

Combs ensured female and male prostitutes were present and stocked the rooms with drugs, alcohol, as well as baby oil and lubricant, according to the five-count federal indictment.

The guests would be forced into drug-fueled, days-long sex marathons with commercial sex workers, which would often leave victims disoriented and requiring IV fluid to recover, prosecutors allege.

Federal prosecutors said Combs would participate in, masturbate, and secretly record the sex gatherings.

DAMNING EVIDENCE

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor not involved in Combs’ trial, told The U.S. Sun it would not be shocking if one of the government’s witnesses namedrops a celebrity during the trial.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we start hearing the names of other people who participated in the freak-off,” said Rahmani, the president and co-founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers.

“Now, they haven’t been charged in this case, but some of them have been named in civil lawsuits brought by Diddy’s victims, many of whom are represented by attorney Tony Buzbee.

“So, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the victim witnesses in this case mentions another celebrity.

“Now, that celebrity being mentioned may not result in criminal charges, but it will certainly tarnish their reputation.

“And the last thing any celebrity wants right now is to be associated with Sean Diddy Combs.”

Rahmani told The U.S. Sun that if the alleged freak-off recordings exist, two sets of people should be concerned.

“The most powerful evidence that was seized by the government has to be the videos,” he added.

“And we’ve only seen one video of Diddy seemingly beating Cassie Ventura at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles in about 2016.

“Criminal defendants can lie. Only when CNN got a copy of that video in May of last year did Diddy finally issue an apology.

“That’s how powerful video evidence is. And that’s why the government wanted to get the hard drives, the iPhones, the iPads, because Diddy reportedly videotaped these freak-offs.

“And if you believe Cassie Ventura, and I do, he did so for his own sexual gratification and pleasure, but also potentially to maintain control over the participants.”

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Rahmani continued, “The video of the freak-offs, if they exist, may be the most damning evidence in this case.

“It may be the reason Combs gets convicted.

“There are two sets of people that should potentially be worried. Obviously, if anyone participated in these freak-offs and sexually assaulted victims, they can be charged or sued civilly.

“But there are also individuals in Diddy’s entourage that maybe helped set up the freak-offs.

“People buying the baby oil, people contacting prostitutes, people getting the hotel rooms, setting up the lights and cameras.

“Those individuals could potentially also be charged.”

Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom – inside the trial of the decade

By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun:

The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs began with jury selection on May 5.

Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan – an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried.

Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him.

When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable.

Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial.

As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers.

All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector.

Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip.

The courthouse uses a poker chip system to sort the number of electronic devices visitors are in possession of.

Electronic devices, such as Bluetooth-powered headphones, voice recorders, laptops, cellphones, and smart watches, are confiscated before you’re allowed to enter the courthouse’s main hallway.

As about a half-dozen reporters and I waited in the gallery for jury selection, we witnessed how Combs entered the courtroom shackle-free.

Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors.

The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors.

As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed “thank you” to a handful of supporters in the gallery.

Combs’ trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian’s courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks.

We’ll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun.

BOMBSHELL LIST OF NAMES

On the first day of jury selection, potential jurors were given an expansive 17-page form containing a list of 31 personal and triggering questions regarding history of domestic violence, sexual assault, or harassment.

In addition to the questions, the pool of prospective jurors received a list of people and places connected to Combs in various ways and who could come up during the trial.

The list of people included well-known names like actors Michael B. Jordan and Mike Myers, as well as rappers Kid Cudi and Kanye West.

However, why the celebrities could be named in the trial remains unclear.

The celebrities have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Rahmani warned that the celebrities named in civil lawsuits should be concerned if Combs is convicted.

“The other celebrities, they’ve been able to avoid potential criminal charges, but if Diddy is convicted and others are implicated, they should certainly be worried that they may be next,” the former federal prosecutor said.

Lisa Bloom, the attorney representing a John Doe and Dawn Richard – the former Danity Kane member previously signed to Bad Boy Records – in their civil lawsuits against Combs, said her clients are looking forward to justice being served.

“I can tell you that [Richards] wants justice to be done,” Bloom, the founder of the Bloom Firm, told The U.S. Sun.

“Of course, it’s a time of high anxiety, I think, for all of the accusers. And, you know, glad I think that the trial is finally getting underway.”

Judge Arun Subramanian, who is presiding over the case, said the trial is expected to last eight weeks.

Combs has pleaded not guilty on all five federal counts and rejected a last-minute plea deal from prosecutors a week before the start of jury selection.

Through 48 years of covering high school baseball in Southern California, watching so many prolific pitchers develop into legendary pro players has been one of the funnest parts of being a prep sportswriter. I’ve learned to always look for someone who can throw strikes.

There was Jack McDowell of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Bret Saberhagen of Cleveland in the 1980s. They became Cy Young Award winners for the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals, respectively.

In the 1990s, there was Jeff Suppan of Crespi, Russ Ortiz of Montclair Prep and Randy Wolf of El Camino Real. In the 21st century, there were Cy Young winners Gerrit Cole (Orange Lutheran), Shane Bieber (Laguna Hills) and Trevor Bauer (Hart); and standouts Paul Skenes (El Toro), Hunter Greene (Notre Dame), Jack Flaherty (Harvard-Westlake) and Max Fried (Harvard-Westlake).

Bringing up these names is to remind everyone how stunningly good Seth Hernandez of Corona has been this season as he prepares for the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs and heads off to be the next great pitcher from the Southland.

In 42 1/3 innings, he has struck out 88 batters while walking only three. Never has there been someone throwing a 98 mph fastball as a teenager with so much pinpoint control. In fact, he’s only hit one batter all season. Teenagers who throw in the 90s normally hit and walk lots of batters.

Not Hernandez. His command is freakishly good.

“That was his goal,” coach Andy Wise said of improving over his junior season. “What are we going to do to get better and that was his No. 1 thing to do.”

Hernandez has never suffered a pitching defeat since he started playing high school baseball. He went 9-0 and had 15 walks in 56 innings last season. This season he’s 8-0 with an 0.17 ERA. Showing off his athleticism, he has also hit five home runs.

As comparison, probably the pitcher closest to having a season with this much control was Flaherty in 2013, when he walked 10 in 89 innings, struck out 112 and went 13-0 as a junior. But he didn’t come close to Hernandez’s velocity. Greene was throwing 101 mph fastballs and had 10 walks in 55 2/3 innings in 2016, his junior season.

Greene’s coach at Notre Dame, Tom Dill, said of Hernandez, “You take an arm like that with the ability to throw strikes and the upside is fantastic.”

The Washington Nationals have the first pick in this summer’s amateur draft. Their general manager attended a Corona game to see Hernandez pitch.

Attending high school baseball games is free, so the best ticket around might be going to watch Hernandez pitch when he’s expected to be on the mound next Tuesday in Corona’s playoff opener. The pairings will be released on Monday, and Corona is expected to have a first-round bye when the playoffs begin on Thursday.

It’s not only his control and fastball that are impressive, it’s his poise and his breaking pitches. He really does have all the qualities scouts want in a pitching prospect, from work ethic to competitiveness to the ability to deal with pressure situations.

If opponents want him to autograph a ball during the playoffs, that wouldn’t be acting silly. That would be someone understanding they are in the presence of someone they’ll be watching from their living room one day pitching at a major league stadium.

New Delhi, India – Mukeet Shah had not slept for days, doomscrolling on his mobile phone as he remained hooked to news updates on the spiralling India-Pakistan conflict.

A phone call from his mother, Tanveera Bano, on Saturday made it worse. “Please, come back [home]. Why be apart when we can at least die together?” she urged her younger son, who studies at a university in New Delhi, the national capital.

Shah, 23, said her appeal shattered him. An hour or so later, another news flash popped up on his phone: “US President Donald Trump says India and Pakistan have agreed to a ‘full and immediate’ ceasefire.” Moments later, the South Asian rivals confirmed the ceasefire, mediated by dozens of countries besides the United States.

“It was such a relief,” Shah recalled. Happily, he called home. “Both countries have agreed to peace. We will spend more time soon, don’t be afraid, mother,” he told 48-year-old Bano, who asked him to focus on his studies and return home only after his annual exams.

However, barely three hours after that phone call, the sense of relief was blown away. A barrage of drones had hit Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir, forcing another electricity blackout. Similar reports of firings and drone sightings came from other cities in the region, including Jammu, Anantnag, as well as the border districts of Rajasthan and Gujarat states.

On the Pakistan side as well, several villages along the Line of Control (LoC) – the de facto border that divides Kashmir – reported alleged ceasefire violations by the Indian forces. As Pakistan and India denied each other’s allegations and reaffirmed their commitment to the ceasefire, questions were raised on whether the fragile agreement between the nuclear-powered neighbours would hold.

Bano called her son again, crying.

“In her intermittent pauses, I could hear sounds of blasts behind her as she broke down. The jets were loud as well,” Shah told Al Jazeera on Saturday night, sitting in a huddle with his Kashmiri friends in a New Delhi neighbourhood, 800km (about 500 miles) away from home.

Eighteen days after gunmen killed 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir’s resort town of Pahalgam, nearly 1.6 billion people on either side of the border reeled under the fears of another India-Pakistan war over Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region claimed in full by both the nations that rule over parts of it.

An armed rebellion against New Delhi’s rule erupted on the Indian side in 1989. Since then, tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, have been killed in the conflict. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of backing the rebellion, but Pakistan denies the allegation and claims to provide only diplomatic support to the Kashmiris’ struggle for an independent state or a likely merger with Pakistan.

‘Kashmiris stuck in the middle’

Abbas, a Srinagar resident who requested to be identified by his last name only, told Al Jazeera the loud explosions his family heard on Saturday night were terrifying.

“Each blast came out of nowhere and left us scared and confused. As a Kashmiri, I have lived through tough times before, but this [current conflict] feels different,” he said.

Abbas said he had been waking up to toddlers crying amid explosions at night.

“It feels like a psychological war has been waged on us. The fear isn’t just from the blasts; it is from the uncertainty and a lack of transparency,” he said. “Kashmiris are once again stuck in the middle, with no refuge, no escape.”

Yet, the ceasefire announcement on Saturday evening was met with jubilation in several frontier districts on the Indian side, especially among thousands of displaced residents since the cross-border tensions mounted earlier this month.

Deepak Singh, a 40-year-old resident of Poonch, one of the most affected border districts in Indian-administered Kashmir, said in a brief phone interview that his family of four looked forward to leaving their shelter and being home.

“We have known a life that gets disturbed by the border clashes, but I am hopeful to return to my home soon,” Singh told Al Jazeera.

But that was before the explosions were reported from Srinagar. As both sides accused each other of breaching the truce, Singh said he felt devastated.

“Not again,” he later said. “Till how long are we supposed to sleep in this shelter? Will this ceasefire hold at all?”

More than 1,000km (620 miles) away, Pradyot Verma was having similar feelings.

A resident of Jodhpur, a border town in India’s western state of Rajasthan, Verma said their joy and relief were short-lived as they witnessed another round of blackouts and siren alerts on Saturday night, keeping the residents in an anxious loop.

“The ceasefire announcement was met with cheers here,” said the 26-year-old law student as he sat in darkness in his rented room. “Indian defence system keeps on intercepting [Pakistan-origin missiles] and we are hoping that they keep doing it.”

‘Back from the brink of war’

After four days of military escalation, during which Indian and Pakistani forces attacked each other’s military installations, they agreed on a ceasefire, which Trump said was reached after “a long night of talks” mediated by the US and other countries. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two nations have also agreed to “start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site”.

However, geopolitical and military experts argue the ceasefire is fragile and does not promise much.

“The Indian government has already signalled rebutting Rubio’s assertion that India and Pakistan have agreed to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site,” Sumantra Bose, a political scientist, told Al Jazeera. “It is something [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s government just can’t do, given its commitment to unilateralism on Kashmir and rejection of diplomatic engagement with Pakistan.”

Bose said the ceasefire was merely a “band-aid slapped on a profusely bleeding wound that was threatening to turn gangrenous if not fatal”.

While the escalation might have stopped due to intervention by foreign governments, “the problem is all the other parameters and vectors of the India-Pakistan relationship and the Kashmir conflict remain as before”, Bose said, adding, “in an even more bitter and toxic form than was the case earlier”.

However, Michael Kugelman, an expert on South Asia politics, stressed that the subcontinent was “back from the brink of war”.

“This ceasefire, so long as it holds, even with some violations, does bring an end to what had been the biggest regional security threat by far in decades,” he told Al Jazeera.

“This is going to be a very difficult ceasefire to uphold. It was very quickly put together at a moment when India-Pakistan tensions were soaring [and] this is also a ceasefire that appears to have been interpreted differently by India,” added Kugelman, referring to India’s historic position on Kashmir, which has been a consistent rejection of any attempt by Pakistan at internationalising the issue.

But for the people living along the tense borders between the South Asian rivals, a cautious optimism is their only recourse.

“We are holding this ceasefire very dear to us,” said a Kashmiri political analyst, who requested anonymity, fearing reprisal from the Indian authorities.

“Be it anyone’s war, India or Pakistan, people on the border, Kashmiris and Punjabis, have been losing their lives for generations. I hope this madness stops here.”

The move comes after a call for a commission to investigate the killing of protesters and establish national unity.

The interim government of Bangladesh has banned all activities of the party of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted last year after a student-led uprising.

The interim cabinet, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, decided to ban the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act, Bangladesh’s law affairs adviser, Asif Nazrul, said late on Saturday.

The ban would remain in place until the trial of the party and its leadership over the deaths of hundreds of protesters at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is completed, the government said in the statement.

Awami League’s student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, was banned in October after being labelled a “terrorist organisation” for its role in violent attacks on protesters during the uprising.

Thousands of protesters, including supporters of a newly formed students’ party, had been taking to the streets in Dhaka for days to demand a ban on the Awami League.

The members of the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami party also prominently took part in the protests.

A mass uprising that began with student-led protests in July last year led to the ousting of Hasina, who had ruled Bangladesh with an iron fist for 15 years.

Up to 1,400 people may have been killed during three weeks of protests against Hasina and her government, according to a February report by the United Nations human rights office. Hasina and many of her senior party officials have been accused of murder and other offences as a result.

In his announcement, Nazrul also said the cabinet expanded the scope for trying any political parties involving charges of killing during the protests.

The change to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act clears the way for the Awami League to be tried as a collective entity for alleged crimes committed during its time in power.

The move to ban the party came hours after Nazrul said a Truth and Reconciliation Commission would be formed to underscore national unity. The latest move, political analysts say, will elude the unity needed for a smooth transition of power in this South Asian nation of 170 million people.

The National Citizen Party convener, Nahid Islam, who is also a student leader, applauded the government decision.

But the Awami League, founded in 1949, dismissed the decision as illegitimate, posting on its official Facebook page: “All decisions of the illegal government are illegal.”

Hasina has been living in exile in India since August 5, with her official residence in Bangladesh also stormed by protesters soon after she left.

Earlier this month, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia returned to Dhaka after four months of medical treatment in the British capital, London, raising pressure on the interim government to set a date for national elections.

Yunus has pledged reforms to political institutions and said the polls could be delayed until 2026.

A WOMAN has been dubbed ”sad” after revealing the extreme lengths she went to in order to get accepted on Mounjaro.

TikToker Black Country Princess insisted she’s struggled with weight all her life and has since resorted to the so-called fat jabs to achieve her dream figure by summer.

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According to the woman, her weight needed to be at least 12 stone and 7lbs to qualify for Mounjaro.

However, as the scales were showing less than the required minimal weight, the TikTok came up with a rather bizarre solution.

To add the extra necessary pounds, rather than eating more food – which would be harder to burn off – the woman tucked several water bottles into her leggings.

According to the NHS website, Mounjaro can be prescribed to manage your weight on the NHS as of March 23, only if it is prescribed by a specialist weight management service, and if they feel it is the right treatment for you.

Meanwhile, Superdrug Online Doctor reported that you can qualify for Mounjaro on NHS if you have a BMI of at least 35 and at least one other weight-related illness.

Sharing the drastic measures she took to get accepted on the popular medication, the TikToker posted a video online.

”Me making myself heavier to get accepted on Mounjaro,” Black Country Princess said, as she revealed the final weight.

Once all the water bottles were attached to her waist – both at the front and the back – she stepped on the scales.

Zooming into the final number, the blonde beauty revealed she had ”topped” the scales at 12 stone and 7lbs.

”I actually thought about putting stones in my pockets,” she added in the comments.

”I will be thin for the summer.

”I’m deadly serious, I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life.”

The short clip, posted just a day ago under the username @blackcountryprincess, has already taken the internet by storm, winning her over 115k views, as dozens of people flooded to comments to share their thoughts.

‘This is sad’

But while Black Country Princess may have been all chuffed with her solution, not everyone was so impressed, as many slammed the TikToker.

One said: ”This is sad if true.”

Another chimed in: ”U don’t need the Mounjaro Hannah your figure is beautiful.”

Someone else commented: ”please tell me you’re joking.”

Be aware of the dangers

Although many were impressed with Gemma’s weight loss, those debating whether to start using Mounjaro should know that it can have fatal consequences.

And experts and NHS medics have shared a stern warning about the dangers of taking such medications without a prescription.

Sun GP Dr Zoe Williams acknowledged that Mounjaro, which could soon be rolled out on the NHS, can save the lives of people with “life-threatening levels of obesity.”

But despite this, the NHS advised people to “never take an anti-obesity medicine if it has not been prescribed to you.”

The NHS warned: “These types of medicines may not be safe for you and can cause serious side effects.”

Mounjaro works by suppressing ­your appetite, making you feel fuller for longer.

The injections, which are administered every seven days, are licensed for patients with type 2 diabetes.

They are also available to assist those who are clinically obese (with a Body Mass Index of 30 or over).

The drugs, which have been widely regarded as ‘fat jabs’, can be prescribed by a practitioner – such as a doctor, nurse or a pharmacist-independent prescriber.

Following the death of a man from Burton upon Trent, Staffs, who died after taking Mounjaro, his family are now calling for a probe into the jab’s “potential to kill.”

Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club

Wood was returning to the ring after a 19-month break, but following wins over Cordina and Josh Warrington, Cacace has now beaten three two-time champions in succession.

“I don’t know if I fought the best Leigh Wood, but I fought Leigh Wood as again he’s another two-time world champion,” he said.

“He’s beaten some really good names. It was a fight he’s been asking for, a fight that he’s been telling everyone he was going to knock me out.

“It just shows you that I’m better than what I look like sometimes and I hit harder than my records suggest.”

Cacace will turn 37 in February but, after his late rise through the division, said he has to “keep going”.

“Never in my wildest dreams, genuinely, did I ever think that I would be where I’m at and that’s the truth,” he added.

“We’re living in dreamland compared to two years ago.

“I can’t just stop now, can I? I’ll have to keep going. I don’t have many miles on the clock.”

United States President Donald Trump has offered to work with India and Pakistan to achieve a “solution” for the long-disputed Kashmir region, days after his administration brokered a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed rivals.

“I will work with you, both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.

The US president doubled down on a historically inaccurate assertion that India and Pakistan have been fighting for “a thousand years” or more.

The Muslim-majority territory has been contested since the partition of British India in 1947 into India and Pakistan. The two countries have fought three wars over the region. They both stake a claim over Kashmir as a whole but control parts of it.

India-administered Kashmir has seen decades of armed rebellion either for independence or a merger with Pakistan. New Delhi has deployed more than 700,000 soldiers to quash the rebellion.

The government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has so far remained committed to a decades-old policy of refusing international mediation to find a solution to the Kashmir issue. In 2019, Modi’s government stripped India-administered Kashmir’s semiautonomy, further alienating the Kashmiris.

In its response, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday that it appreciates Trump’s willingness to resolve the Kashmir issue, which has implications for peace and security in South Asia and beyond.

“Pakistan reaffirms that any just and lasting settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute must be in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and must ensure the realization of the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people, including their inalienable right to self-determination,” it said.

India’s leaders have not directly commented, but Indian media quoted unnamed government sources as saying no decision has yet been made to engage in talks on anything beyond the ceasefire.

India and Pakistan agreed to halt all fighting on Saturday, but Trump was the first person to announce the deal on his online platform.

In his post on Sunday, Trump took credit for the ceasefire.

“I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision,” he wrote.

“While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great nations.”

The latest fighting between the two neighbours started when India attacked Pakistan in the aftermath of a shooting attack in India-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians at a tourist location.

New Delhi again accused Pakistan of backing the “terrorist” groups that have launched many deadly attacks in India-administered Kashmir for decades.

Pakistan strongly denies the charges, maintaining that India has supported “terrorism” in its territory for many years and the Pahalgam attack was a false-flag operation to start a war.

The missile, drone and artillery attacks signified the most serious fighting between the two countries since they became nuclear-armed powers decades ago.

‘Neutral’ site for talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that in addition to the ceasefire, the two countries agreed to conduct broad talks over a host of issues at a “neutral” site soon.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said his country believes in the path of peaceful negotiations to resolve problems around distribution of water resources and “all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir”.

But India has for decades refused to hold negotiations over the contested region as it has tried to strengthen its hold over it.

Mohmad Waseem Malla, a research fellow at the International Centre for Peace Studies in New Delhi, told Al Jazeera that Trump’s statement, though not entirely surprising, was “striking both in tone and substance” and likely to raise concerns in New Delhi.

“Any suggestion of third-party involvement, even in passing, crosses a red line for New Delhi – especially under the current government, which has redefined the country’s foreign policy and its emphasis on territorial sovereignty.”

He added that while Trump’s mention of boosting trade and promoting peace may seem conciliatory internationally, India’s domestic political climate and strategic priorities make it difficult to entertain such offers right now.

“The key will be how New Delhi calibrates its response given current sensitivities.”

The two countries also have yet to resolve their differences over water distribution as India’s suspension of its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty remains in place.

In response to the Pahalgam attack, India also expelled Pakistani diplomats, military advisers and visa holders; closed its main land border crossing and suspended trade; and launched a manhunt for the perpetrators.

Pakistan responded by kicking out Indian officials and citizens, closing its airspace to Indian flights and threatening to pull out of the Simla Agreement, which underpins the Line of Control in Kashmir.

Iranian foreign minister says civilian enrichment cannot be subjected to any deal as Tehran and Washington set to hold talks.

Tehran, Iran – Iran has emphasised its right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes as an Iranian delegation led by the foreign minister reached the Omani capital, Muscat, for a fourth round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media on Sunday that the Iranian nation has a legal right to civilian enrichment that cannot be subjected to any deal.

The landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which US President Donald Trump withdrew during his first term, allowed Iran to pursue its civilian nuclear activity but put restrictions on enrichment to prevent Tehran from making a nuclear bomb.

“Enrichment is one of the achievements and honours of the Iranian nation. We have paid a heavy price for enrichment. The blood of our nuclear scientists has been spilled for this achievement,” he said in reference to scientists assassinated by Israel over the years.

But Araghchi said Tehran remains committed to providing verifiable assurances that it will not be able to develop a nuclear bomb – which has been Trump’s main demand.

Araghchi visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar and met with senior officials to coordinate in the run-up to the latest nuclear talks.

In the Omani capital on Sunday, Iran’s top diplomat was accompanied by his deputies and other members of the team tasked with technical talks that Iran still emphasises are held “indirectly” through Omani mediation.

Tehran has also repeatedly expressed concern over “contradictory” remarks made to the media by US negotiators, who are led by Trump’s longtime friend and envoy Steve Witkoff.

In the lead-up to the Muscat talks on Sunday, Witkoff again called for the complete “dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear programme, including key sites in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top officials have suggested Iran must import enriched uranium.

The fourth round of the talks was scheduled for early May but had to be postponed with Oman citing “logistical reasons”.

The delay came after the US did not confirm its participation and amid a string of major fires in several Iranian cities, including one caused by an explosion in the port city of Bandar Abbas that killed dozens of people and injured more than 1,200.

Trump sacked National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, an Iran hawk, this month after Waltz reportedly coordinated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and advocated for war with Iran.

Trump, his team and Israel have repeatedly threatened to launch devastating military strikes on Iran and its infrastructure if the talks fail to produce results soon.

Meanwhile, the US has continued to pile sanctions on Iran with the Treasury Department blacklisting a Chinese chemical group and three port terminal operators on Thursday in an attempt to target Iranian oil exports.

Amid its “maximum pressure” push against Iran, the US has also promised to drive Iranian oil exports to “zero” as Tehran has continued to ship its oil – mainly to China – despite the sanctions.

Trump started the sanctions campaign in 2018 after unilaterally reneging on the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that put verifiable and stringent limits on Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for lifting sanctions on the country.

The accord restricted Iran’s enrichment of uranium to 3.67 percent using first-generation centrifuges at limited sites, but it had time limits and sunset clauses that Trump claimed made it the “worst deal ever”.

Iran is currently enriching up to 60 percent, which is close to the more than 90 percent required to make a nuclear bomb, but the International Atomic Energy Agency said Tehran has made no effort to produce a weapon.

For broadcast networks, the evening news broadcast is a cherished part of their legacies — having brought the likes of Walter Cronkite, Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings into living rooms over the decades.

But with pressures mounting on the traditional TV business, the American institution is in a period of flux.

The traditional TV audience is a slow melting glacier, with network evening newscasts down nearly 1 million viewers in the 2024-25 season compared to the previous year, according to Nielsen. As a result, network news executives will be on edge this year, with two of the three broadcasts undergoing major overhauls.

Next month, NBC will replace longtime “Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt with Tom Llamas, 45, who helms the streaming NBC News Now program “Top Story.” It will mark only the fourth change in the “Nightly” role since 1983.

This comes after “CBS Evening News” in January replaced Norah O’Donnell with a duo of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois. Conceived by outgoing “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens, the new “CBS Evening News” has aimed to do longer segments instead of the headline-driven style the broadcasts are known for.

Although broadcast networks have largely ceded scripted TV shows to streaming, they are still protective of the news programs. Both NBC and CBS are trying to improve their competitive position against “ABC World News With David Muir,” which has its largest lead over the second-place peacock network in 30 years.

Like other TV newscasts, evening programs are in a battle to maintain relevance amid competition from not only cable and streaming but also YouTube, which attracts older audiences as well as younger, digital-savvy viewers.

“No one wants a tombstone that reads ‘Here lies the guy who killed the evening news,’” said Jonathan Wald, a veteran producer who worked with Brokaw on “NBC Nightly News.”

Evening newscasts on ABC, CBS and NBC — all of which launched in the late 1940s — are among the few shows that still drive appointment viewing.

They’ve held up better than most TV network genres. Nielsen data show the programs are watched by an average of 18 million viewers a night and reach 71 million each month despite competition from 24-hour cable news and a barrage of platforms available digitally.

There are many weeks throughout the year when Muir’s broadcast is the most watched program in all of TV, often averaging 8 million viewers.

So far, the audience isn’t buying the changes on “CBS Evening News.” The program has dropped below 4 million viewers in some weeks since its launch and occasionally gets topped by “Special Report With Bret Baier” on Fox News.

NBC News executives believe Llamas can provide a fresh spark for “Nightly News.” They’re encouraged that he led in the 25-to-54 age group on recent nights when he filled in for Holt.

“We think he’s exactly the right guy at this moment,” said Janelle Rodriguez, executive vice president of programming for NBC News. “He is someone who has worked at this literally since he was a kid.”

But there is always risk involved when an anchor change occurs — programs typically see a shift of 500,000 viewers in the aftermath. A single audience share point decline in the Nielsen ratings can mean about $10 million less in ad revenue.

NBC’s Tom Llamas in Rome covering the death of Pope Francis in 2025.

(NBC News)

Evening news broadcasts are still profitable businesses and have benefited from increased advertiser demand for audiences watching live TV. In 2024, ad spending on the three network evening newscasts, including the weekend editions, hit $669 million, according to measurement firm iSpot.tv, an increase of 12% over the previous year.

The programs also still provide an identity for ABC, CBS and NBC. A recent study by research firm Magid found that 50% of consumers cite news as their top reason for watching a network TV affiliate.

Most of the people tuning in at 6:30 p.m. to watch are older viewers who likely grew up with the habit, as evidenced by the commercial breaks. The data from iSpot show around 46% of the ad dollars spent on the programs are for pharmaceutical products.

Competitors have long taken shots at “World News,” calling it a shallow broadcast that delivers a lot of of stories without much detail. ABC News executives counter that Muir has traveled around the world to do lengthier reports that are expanded into documentaries for Hulu.

“We spend a lot of time making sure the show is informative visually and reflects a modern, elegant broadcast,” said Chris Dinan, Muir’s executive producer. “David knows television. He’s a student of it.”

Viewers, who like Muir and the visual sizzle of “World News,” have made it No. 1 for nine consecutive years.

“You can’t listen to the chattering classes,” said Wald. “The show is watchable and consistent. You know what you’re going to get.”

Muir’s success has been rewarded. After sharing special coverage anchor duties with George Stephanopoulos, he is now the dominant face of ABC News. Muir’s former longtime executive producer, Almin Karamehmedovic, became president of the division last year.

For most of his tenure, Muir has maintained a neutral image that protected him from right-wing claims of bias made against many mainstream journalists.

That changed last fall as Muir and colleague Linsey Davis became targets after they vigorously fact-checked President Trump at the second presidential debate in September. “I’m not fans of those guys anymore,” Trump said during a Fox News appearance. “And his hair was better five years ago.”

Trump’s anger at Muir has had no impact on the ratings for “World News,” which have remained steady. Nielsen data show the program’s audience is down only 1% in the 2024-25 TV season compared to a year ago, while “NBC Nightly News” is off 6% and “CBS Evening News” is down 8%.

While Holt’s departure from “Nightly News” was presented as his decision, NBC News is historically unsentimental when it comes to making talent transitions, always looking for the next generation.

Llamas, 45, has spent three years at the helm of “Top Story” on NBC News Now, the network’s 24-hour streaming news service that draws a younger audience than the broadcast network.

Like Muir, Llamas has been immersed in TV news since he was a teenager.

Muir worked in a local Syracuse TV newsroom where staffers tracked his growth spurt with pencil marks on a wall. A 15-year-old Llamas landed an internship at a Miami TV station with the help of Jorge Ramos, the longtime Univision anchor. (Ramos’ children were patients of Llamas’ father, who has a dental practice in Miami.)

Llamas interned at “NBC Nightly News” and went on to jobs at MSNBC and as a local anchor at NBC’s Miami and New York stations. He moved to ABC News in 2014, where he was anchor of the weekend newscast and often filled in for Muir. He returned to NBC in 2021, leading to immediate speculation that he was being developed as Holt’s heir apparent.

“He’ll be a great steward for what ‘Nightly’ is now and maybe even extend its lifespan by injecting some youth,” said Wald.

The question at CBS News — which has been distracted by a lawsuit filed by Trump against “60 Minutes” and the pending sale of parent company Paramount Global to Skydance Media — is whether it will make tweaks to its evening news format before viewers start sampling again after Holt departs.

“CBS Evening News” co-anchors Maurice DuBois, left, and John Dickerson.

(Gail Schulman / CBS News)

CBS News declined to provide an executive to speak on the record about the newscast. But two people close to the show said management continues to support the alternative approach to the broadcast and there are no imminent changes.

People who work on “CBS Evening News” but were not authorized to comment publicly said the program has already moved to shorter pieces. The producers are also expected to get some notes from Tom Cibrowski, the new CBS News president who comes from ABC News, where there is an emphasis on being viewer-friendly.

But the challenges faced by CBS demonstrate how hard it is to make changes to evening news when continuity and familiarity matter to the audience.

Muir was a longtime weekend anchor and then primary substitute for Diane Sawyer during her five-year run on “World News.” Holt was a fill-in for Brian Williams before his abrupt departure in 2015.

CBS has likely been hurt by changing evening news anchors six times since Dan Rather ended his 20-year run at the desk in 2005. The program has long suffered from a weak audience lead-in from its local stations, a problem that goes back to the mid-1990s, when a number of its affiliates switched to Fox after CBS lost its NFL package.

But broadcast networks are aware that the downward trend in appointment viewing on traditional TV is never going to reverse. It’s why the networks have expanded their evening news programs online.

Llamas will continue to do “Top Story” on NBC News Now after he takes over for Holt in June. Dickerson has done an additional half-hour, which includes a longer newsmaker interview and a brief commentary at the end, on “CBS Evening News Plus,” which is shown on CBS News Streaming after the network broadcast.

All of the evening newscasts stream full episodes on YouTube, each attracting several hundred thousand viewers a night, as well as getting repeat airings on the 24-hour streaming news channels. “NBC Nightly News” clips reached 43 million on TikTok in the first quarter of 2025.

“As people move across different distribution points, we need to be ready for them,” Rodriguez said.

At least seven people have died, and main roads were cut off after heavy rains led to flooding in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

The regional administration spokesperson, Abdinasir Hirsi Idle, said on Saturday that rescue efforts were continuing.

“The death toll could rise because the rains were heavy and lasted for several hours, causing nine houses to collapse across different neighbourhoods, and at least six major roads to suffer severe damage,” he said.

Somalia has in the past suffered extreme climate shocks, including prolonged dry seasons that have caused droughts and heavy rains resulting in floods.

Friday’s rains went on for about eight hours, leaving waist-high waters in neighbourhoods where some residents were trapped and others were forced to move to higher ground.

A resident, Mohamed Hassan, told The Associated Press news agency that some older people were still trapped.

“We spent the night on rooftops, shivering from the cold, and I haven’t even had breakfast,” he said.

Floodwaters also damaged key infrastructure, halting public transport and temporarily disrupting operations at the main Aden Abdulle airport. Officials later confirmed flights had resumed.

The Somalia Disaster Management Agency has not yet released an official death toll, but it said the assessment was under way to determine the extent of the damage.

The country’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources said in a statement on Saturday that “a substantial amount of rainfall, exceeding 115mm, was recorded in over 8 consecutive hours” and warned of flash floods in other regions outside the capital.

A Darts icon has backed a proposed venue change for the PDC World Darts Championships.

Alexandra Palace has been the tournament’s home since its 2008 move from the Circus Tavern in Essex.

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But the iconic venue’s future hosting the annual competition is in doubt as Saudi Arabia has been mooted as a potential new location for the tournament.

And retired referee Russ Bray believes a change of venue could make sense given the recent growth of the sport and the potential increase of prize money.

During an appearance on talkSPORT, he said: “The PDC’s [Professional Darts Corporation] a business, like you say, it is a business.

“Barry and Eddie [Hearn, respective chairman and ex-chairman] and Matt [Porter, CEO of PDC], these guys, they’ll sit down and talk.

“Obviously, if they can pay the players £2million for winning the World Final because we’ve got to go somewhere else, then I’m pretty certain that’s what they will do. It makes sense.”

Matchroom supremo Barry Hearn has already been approached by the Saudis about bringing the competition to The Kingdom.

But he knocked them back after they informed him fans wouldn’t be able to drink alcohol at events.

The 76-year-old said: “The Saudis asked me for [the] darts about a couple of months ago.

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List of all-time Darts World Champions

BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year.

The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions.

That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once – Barney also won four BDO titles – and none of Eric Bristow’s five BDO titles are included.

• 1994 – Dennis Priestley
• 1995 – Phil Taylor
• 1996 – Phil Taylor (2)
• 1997 – Phil Taylor (3)
• 1998 – Phil Taylor (4)
• 1999 – Phil Taylor (5)
• 2000 – Phil Taylor (6)
• 2001 – Phil Taylor (7)
• 2002 – Phil Taylor (8)
• 2003 – John Part
• 2004 – Phil Taylor (9)
• 2005 – Phil Taylor (10)
• 2006 – Phil Taylor (11)
• 2007 – Raymond van Barneveld
• 2008 – John Part (2)
• 2009 – Phil Taylor (12)
• 2010 – Phil Taylor (13)
• 2011 – Adrian Lewis
• 2012 – Adrian Lewis (2)
• 2013 – Phil Taylor (14)
• 2014 – Michael van Gerwen
• 2015 – Gary Anderson
• 2016 – Gary Anderson (2)
• 2017 – Michael van Gerwen (2)
• 2018 – Rob Cross
• 2019 – Michael van Gerwen (3)
• 2020 – Peter Wright
• 2021 – Gerwyn Price
• 2022 – Peter Wright (2)
• 2023 – Michael Smith
• 2024 – Luke Humphries
• 2025 – Luke Littler

Most World Titles

• 14 – Phil Taylor
• 3 – Michael van Gerwen
• 2 – John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright
• 1 – Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler

“I asked them a simple question. ‘Can we have alcohol?’

“And they said no. I said, ‘Well then you can’t have the darts.'”

Hearn, however, does believe The Kingdom could make a good home for the World Snooker Championships.

The veteran promoter has recently threatened to take the competition away from the Crucible unless the iconic venue is given a major revamp.

When asked if snooker’s biggest tournament will stay put, Hearn told Radio Snooker with Nick Metcalfe: “I hope so but we’ve got to live in the real world.

“So much of professional sport is about money.

“And as much as we want to stay here desperately, it’s got to be something that fits into the overall picture of where the game is going.

“This is a huge game. We mustn’t be parochial in our attitude.

“As long as everyone understands that and comes to the party in a reasonable and respectful way, I’m hopeful we can stay here.

“We must know by the end of the year. The clock is ticking.”

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WASHINGTON — About half of U.S. adults approve of how President Trump is handling transgender issues, according to a new poll — a relative high point for a president who has the approval overall of about 4 in 10 Americans.

But support for his individual policies on transgender people is not uniformly strong, with a clearer consensus against policies that affect youths.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey conducted this month found there’s more support than opposition on allowing transgender troops in the military, while most respondents don’t want to allow transgender students to use the public school bathrooms that align with their gender identity and oppose using government programs to pay for gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youths.

Schuyler Fricchione, a 40-year-old stay-at-home mother from northern Virginia, is one of those who opposes the government paying for gender-affirming care, especially for young people.

She said she doesn’t want people to make major changes that they might later regret. But she said that because of her Catholic faith, she doesn’t want to exclude transgender people from public life. “It’s very important to me that everyone understands their dignity and importance as a person,” she said.

“It is something I am kind of working through myself,” she said. “I am still learning.”

Opinion at odds with science

About two-thirds of those surveyed agree with Trump that whether a person is a man or woman is determined by their biological characteristics at birth.

The poll found that Republicans overwhelmingly believe gender identity is defined by sex at birth. Democrats are divided, with about half saying gender identity can differ from biological characteristics at birth. The view that gender identity can’t be separated from sex at birth contradicts what the American Medical Assn. and other mainstream medical groups say: that extensive scientific research suggests sex and gender are better understood as a spectrum than as an either-or definition.

A push against the recognition and rights of transgender people, who make up about 1% of the nation’s population, has been a major part of Trump’s return to the White House — and was a big part of his campaign.

He has signed executive orders declaring that people are defined by unchangeable sex rather than gender identity, banning transgender people from the military, and kicking transgender women and girls out of sports competitions for females. Those actions and others are being challenged in court, and judges have put many of his efforts on hold.

Public divide

Although transgender rights and restrictions are a hot-button issue overall, a big portion of the population is neutral or undecided on several key policies.

About 4 in 10 people supported requiring public school teachers to report to parents if their children are identifying at school as transgender or nonbinary. About 3 in 10 opposed it and a similar number was neutral.

About the same proportion of people — just under 4 in 10 — favored allowing transgender troops in the military as were neutral about it. About one-quarter opposed it.

Tim Phares, 59, a registered Democrat in Kansas who says he most often votes for Republicans, is among those in the middle on that issue.

One on hand, he said, “either you can do the job or you can’t do the job.” But on the other, he added, “I’m not a military person, so I’m not qualified to judge how it affects military readiness.”

This month, a divided U.S. Supreme Court allowed Trump’s administration to enforce a ban on transgender people in the military while legal challenges proceed, a reversal of what lower courts have said.

Gender-affirming care for youths

About half oppose allowing government insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid to cover gender-affirming healthcare, such as hormone therapy and surgery, for transgender people 19 or older. About two-thirds oppose it for those under 19.

And on each of those questions, a roughly equal portion of the population supports the coverage or is neutral about it.

One of Trump’s executive orders keeps federal insurance plans from paying for gender-affirming care for those under 19. A court has ruled that funding can’t be dropped from institutions that provide the care, at least for now.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration this month released a report calling for therapy alone and not broader gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youths. Twenty-seven states have bans on the care for minors, and the Supreme Court is expected to rule in coming months on whether the bans can hold.

The view from the left

While Democrats are divided on many policies related to transgender issues, they’re more supportive than the population overall. There is no anguish over the issue or other transgender policy questions for Isabel Skinner, a 32-year-old politics professor in Illinois.

She has liberal views on transgender people, shaped partly by her being bisexual and pansexual, she said, and also by knowing transgender people.

She was in the minority who supported allowing transgender students to use the public school bathrooms that match their gender identity — something that at least 14 states have passed laws to ban in the last five years.

“I don’t understand where the fear comes from,” Skinner said, “because there really doesn’t seem to be any basis of reality for the fear of transgender people.”

The AP-NORC poll of 1,175 adults was conducted May 1-5, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Mulvihill and Sanders write for the Associated Press and reported from New Jersey and Washington, D.C., respectively.