The Federal Trade Commission has delayed enforcing the Negative Option Rule, which is the “click-to-cancel” option requiring companies to make it as easy to cancel a subscription. Photo courtesy Microsoft
May 10 (UPI) — The Federal Trade Commission has delayed enforcing the Negative Option Rule, which is the “click-to-cancel” option requiring companies to make it as easy to cancel subscriptions and other programs.
On Friday, commission members by a 3-0 vote deferred required compliance by 60 days to July 14.
“Of course, if that enforcement experience exposes problems with the Rule, the Commission is open to amending the Rule to address any such problems,” the commission said in a statement.
The rule that went into effect on Jan. 19 that includes physical and digital subscriptions as well marketing, including prenotification plans, continuity plans, automatic renewals and free trial conversion offers.
Consumers often found it was difficult to cancel them without a few clicks on a website.
The FTC introduced the Negative Option Rule in 1973 to regulate continuity plans, automatic renewals and free trial offers, regardless of whether they appeared online, on the phone or in person.
The amendments to the Negative Option Rule strengthen the rule. The amendments “require companies that sign consumers up for recurring charges to clearly and conspicuously disclose all material terms of the transaction and to obtain express informed consent to a negative-option feature. And they prohibit companies from making it any more difficult for consumers to cancel than it was to sign up.”
Companies also must provide relevant information about cancellation before they collect customers’ money.
Because of concerns “it would take a substantial amount of time to come into compliance,” the agency originally deferred it until May 14, the commission said.
After “a fresh assessment of the burdens that forcing compliance by this date would impose,” it was delayed another 60 days.
The amended rule was first proposed in 2023.
The Eighth Circuit is considering a challenge to the rule by industry groups. The court declined to stay the implementation dates in January. That circuit includes seven Plains states.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for “direct talks” with Ukraine, saying they should “start without delay, as early as 15 May”.
“We seek serious talks… to remove the root causes of the conflict and start moving towards a lasting, strong peace”, he said on Saturday, in a rare televised late-night address from the Kremlin.
It comes hours after European leaders – including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron – visited Ukraine and urged Russia to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said Moscow would “have to think this through” – but warned that “trying to pressure us is quite useless”.
Political pundit Camryn Kinsey fainted on camera Thursday night while making an in-studio appearance on “Fox News @ Night,” based in Los Angeles. It made for a dramatic television moment — one that she commented on Friday morning on social media.
Kinsey was on the show to comment on former President Biden’s media appearances this week on “The View” and the BBC. “So this is about incompetency,” she said. “It’s not about ideology or, it’s not about — uh,” she trailed off, then suddenly fell from her seat and out of camera range.
“Oh, my goodness, we’re just going to get some help here for Camryn,” said a shocked Jonathan Hunt, the former international correspondent who was filling in for anchor Trace Gallagher. Hunt tried to toss the show back to a second, remote pundit, then seemed to be advised by producers to go to commercial instead.
“We want to give you a quick update. Camryn is up and moving,” he told viewers when the show returned from the break. “We have paramedics checking her. We will keep you updated. We wish her all the best.”
The real update from Kinsey came Friday morning on X. “Wow, sorry for the scare last night,” she tweeted, thanking the Fox News team and EMTs for responding quickly. “It was an unexpected and frightening moment, but thanks to their professionalism and kindness, I’m doing well. … I’m taking it slow, staying hydrated, letting my body rest, and thanking the Lord that everything is okay.
“It may not have been how I planned to end the segment, but I’ll be back on your TV soon. Hopefully long enough to finally finish my point about Kamala!”
“After ‘Fox News @ Night’ guest Camryn Kinsey fainted during a live on-air appearance last night in our Los Angeles bureau, paramedics were called and she was treated and cleared,” a Fox News Media spokesperson told The Times on Friday. “We are happy to hear she is now feeling much better and wish her a speedy recovery.”
So who is Camryn Baylee Kinsey? Let’s take a look.
Camryn Kinsey is young and ahead of the curve
Kinsey, who doesn’t turn 25 until July, was the youngest member of the Trump 45 administration. She was, per IMDb, the external relations director in the White House presidential personnel office from 2020 until the president’s first term ended in January 2021.
She graduated from high school when she was 16, and her Instagram bio mentions a master’s degree in national security.
Her background won’t surprise conservatives
She’s a Kentucky native and proud Christian, according to an interview she gave to the Conservateur website four years ago when she was in the White House.
“I am a 20-year-old model and college cheerleader turned White House staff member — they couldn’t put me in a box even if they tried,” she said.
She has an online audience
Kinsey has some fairly massive follower counts online: 248,000 on Instagram, 225,000 on X and 232,000 on Truth Social.
Democrats need not apply for a date
“I … don’t date across the aisle. I see it as a conflict of interest,” she told Conservateur back in the day. But she had some self-awareness too. “In all honesty, I am not sure I am the one that should be giving dating advice,” she said at the time. “It would be the blind leading the blind, but I will say this: Never lower your standards and know your worth.”
She is a fashionista with a message
Most glam photos on Kinsey’s Instagram are captioned with right-wing messages and reveal she favors a simple black fit. “Abolish the IRS,” reads the text on a shot of her in a low-cut dress. Cut to a newer bathroom selfie in a minidress, captioned “Why does the IRS exist?” “Mood because Trump is doing everything he said he was going to do. #MAGA,” is the message on a video of her with a glass of red wine and a fully made-up face, bopping along to Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love.”
“My college wardrobe consisted of sweat pants and a cheer uniform,” she told Conservateur years back. “Don’t be fooled by my social media — I kept the sweatpants. I just traded my cheer uniform in for a blazer and MAGA hat. My style embodies my story.”
She wants to change the mainstream media’s take on the GOP
What take would that be? Well, “the ignorant narrative that we are all racist and hate poor people,” she told Conservateur, opining that Democratic leadership was the group that had “failed minorities and disregarded low-income households.”
“I hope to change the mainstream perspective,” Kinsey said, “by being living proof that the label the media boxes conservatives in is entirely inaccurate.”
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have unearthed ruins from a hidden ancient palace which housed popes for centuries before the Vatican was established.
The discoveries give a rare glimpse into the dangers faced by the papacy in Rome‘s medieval times.
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Archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of the first residence of popesCredit: Italian Ministry of Culture
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Defensive walls were excavated in the Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano, the square outside the Archbasilica of St. John LateranCredit: Italian Ministry of Culture
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These walls date as far back as the 9th century ADCredit: Italian Ministry of Culture
Archaeologists stumbled upon complex architecture beneath the square outside the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome while making renovations for Jubilee 2025 (the Catholic Holy Year).
They unearthed large walled structures made of volcanic rock bricks, known as tuff, that date back to the 9th through the 13th centuries AD.
Some of these bricks had been reused from earlier buildings, and signs of restoration were visible in some of the walls.
This structure is believed to be part of the Patriarchio – the ancient palace which served as the popes’ official residence from the 4th century until the early 14th century.
This monumental basilica was designed by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century after the famous Edict of Milan (313 AD) legalised Christianity in the Roman Empire.
The palace complex was expanded and renovated during the Middle Ages, according to the Italian Ministry of Culture.
These walled structures are said to have acted as a defensive barrier, shielding the papacy from power struggles among Rome’s aristocratic families and raids by Saracens.
The Italian ministry said: “The construction of the structure just described took place during a long period in which Rome was the object of the raids of the Saracens, and inside it there were continuous struggles, sometimes violent, between the aristocratic families.”
‘Saracens’ was the term used for various Arab groups that launched coastal raids in Italy during the 9th and 10th centuries and later clashed with European armies during the Crusades.
“Hence the hypothesis that this mighty wall, also due to its shape, functioned as a defensive wall around the Basilica’s complex and its annexed buildings,” the ministry explained.
New Pope Leo XIV accused of ‘looking the other way’ over sex abuse allegations against priests in Chicago & Peru
It said this discovery is “of extraordinary importance” to Rome’s history, as these are the most extensive excavations to have taken place in the square.
Gennaro Sangiuliano, the Italian Minister of Culture, said: “The discoveries of Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano are yet another demonstration of the richness of the territory of Rome, an inexhaustible mine of archaeological treasures.”
He added: “Every single stone speaks to us and tells its story: thanks to these important finds, archaeologists will be able to know more about our past.
The Vatican officially became the permanent papal seat in 1377.
This was after Pope Gregory XI moved the papacy back to Rome from Avignon, France, where it had been located for nearly 70 years.
From thereon, a defensive structure was no longer necessary in Rome and the area was abandoned.
This discovery coincides with Cardinal Robert Prevost’s election as the new leader of the Catholic Church – making him the first-ever American pope.
The new pope stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Thursday to greet cheering crowds.
Prevost was born in Chicago in 1955 to immigrant parents of French, Italian and Spanish descent.
After graduating from Villanova University in Pennsylvania with a degree in maths, the future pontiff joined the Order of St. Augustine, taking his vows in 1978.
Ordained as a priest in 1982, he joined a mission in Peru where he spent many years leading a seminary.
While he is seen as more traditional than Francis, he is not the conservative hardliner that some in the church had hoped for after his predecessor’s efforts to make the faith more progressive.
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Pope Leo XIV (formerly Robert Francis Prevost) made his first trip outside the Vatican on SaturdayCredit: Getty
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The pope appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after being elected by the conclave on ThursdayCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
This week, you are the star sign most likely to set exciting new goals, so prepare to shine brightly.
Your social connections are of great importance, so if there has been an extended silence, now is the time to make amends.
For those in relationships, focus on what you share today rather than future desires.
If you’re single, your soulmate is someone with a unique sense of style.
DESTINY DAYS
On Tuesday, your gift for humour shines – why not try writing some comedy?
Double-check financial figures on Thursday.
On Sunday, experiment with stepping out of your fashion comfort zone.
LUCKY LINKS
A friend who works with food.
A song associated with a sports event.
Your favourite spot for quiet reflection.
Horoscope traits
What does your star sign mean for you?
Aries – The best and worst characteristics of the head of the zodiac Aquarius – The traits you need to know for the air sign Capricorn – What does this star sign mean for your personality? Cancer – The key traits for the sign include a keen love of food Gemini – The traits to be aware of for the sign with a symbol of twins Leo – The best and worst characteristics of the fire sign Libra – What does the seventh star sign mean for your personality? Pisces – The key traits for the sign include an interest in the arts Sagittarius – The traits you need to know for the fire sign Scorpio – What does this star sign mean for your personality? Taurus – The best and worst characteristics of the earth sign Virgo – The key traits for the sign include loyalty and kindness
I CHING INSIGHT
The symbol Tranquillity suggests that beneath a cool and casual exterior, there may be unexpressed emotions.
This could apply to you, the person you wish to grow closer to, or both.
In a relationship, moving beyond physical attraction to something deeper is what your partner desires.
If you’re single, show that you seek more than fleeting fun to protect your heart from vulnerability.
Fabulous is the home of horoscopes, with weekly updates on what’s in store for your star sign as well as daily predictions.
About 25 bystanders became unruly, leading to some being charged with crimes while interfering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers Thursday morning in Worcester, Mass. Photo Courtesy of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
May 10 (UPI) — An immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest became chaotic as bystanders tried to stop the federal agents from arresting a woman in a Worcester, Mass., neighborhood late Thursday morning.
A mother and daughter, who had a newborn baby with her, and another relative were trying to enter a vehicle on Eureka Street when ICE agents stopped them, NBC News reported.
About 25 people surrounded the vehicle, which prompted the ICE agents to seek assistance from the Worcester Police Department at 11:13 a.m. EDT, the WPD said in a news release.
“We also received a call from someone saying that ICE officers were on scene and refusing to show a warrant to the crowd,” the news release says.
“Worcester Police officers responded to preserve the peace and prevent anyone from being injured.”
When the police arrived, they described the scene as “chaotic” and said officers from several federal agencies were trying to take the woman into custody.
“The crowd was unruly, and several people were putting their hands on federal agents and Worcester officers in an attempt to keep the vehicle and the arrestee from leaving,” the news release says.
Some were yelling, “Where’s the warrant?”
The WPD release says the officers tried to de-escalate the situation as the federal agents attempted to leave with the woman they had arrested.
“As the vehicle went to pull away, a juvenile female had a newborn baby in her arms and was standing in front of the car,” the WPD release says.
Officers told her she was endangering the child and she needed to move out of the way.
She eventually complied and gave the baby to someone else.
“As the vehicle moved away, she ran after the vehicle and kicked the passenger’s side,” the release says.
“It appeared that she was going to run in front of the moving vehicle, and officers took her into custody.”
Video footage shows the teen, who might be the baby’s mother, screaming and trying to run from police before they tackled and arrested her.
She is charged with reckless endangerment of a child, disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. The infant was not injured.
While the police arrested the teen, another woman, identified as 38-year-old Ashley Spring, pushed several officers and threw an unknown liquid substance on them.
She was arrested and is charged with assault and battery on a police officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon due to the unknown liquid substance, disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer.
The incident is under investigation, including reviewing video footage, and more charges might be forthcoming.
Nabatieh, Lebanon – It is a bitterly cold February morning, and Sanaa Khreiss tugs her cardigan tighter as she begins unloading her van.
The sharp bite of early spring has kept most people away from the Nabatieh souk, but not Sanaa and her husband, Youssef.
The market is quiet as the sun breaks through the grey clouds, except for a few vendors setting up.
Sanaa, who has sold at this spot for the past four years, moves with the calm precision of someone who has perfected her craft over time.
She arranges the lingerie she sells, piece by piece, carefully lining them up, each addition bringing a touch of colour and vibrancy to her stall.
The soft murmur of voices grows as more vendors arrive, helping each other set up canopies to shield their stalls from potential rain.
The task is far from easy. The wind tugs at the fabric, and some canopies still hold water from the recent rainfall. But they press on, and slowly, the white shapes pop up, and Nabatieh’s Monday Market has started.
Sanaa smiles at the occasional passer-by, her warmth never fading. She has come to know many by name and can anticipate their requests. Her voice is quiet but inviting.
“I choose the Monday Market because there’s always a lot of movement, and it’s a historic, popular spot in the south,” Sanaa tells Al Jazeera, her fingers brushing over lace and satin as she unpacks more items from the van.
Nabatieh’s Monday Market is far quieter than it was before the war with Israel [Rita Kabalan/Al Jazeera]
In the stall next door, her husband Youssef works in silence. His movements are precise, almost meditative, but there is a hint of tension in how he arranges the containers and cookware.
Youssef has never imagined himself here; he used to be a driver for the Khiam municipality, but lost his job when the municipality ceased operations after the outbreak of the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2023, which particularly devastated Lebanon’s south, including Nabatieh, one of the region’s biggest cities.
Since then, Youssef has quietly adapted to the life of a vendor beside Sanaa.
Youssef is quiet and reserved, a stark contrast to Sanaa’s extroverted warmth. He focuses intently on his tasks, but when approached by a customer, his blue eyes shine with welcome, and his voice is friendly.
At first glance, no one would guess the weight those eyes carry – war, displacement, losing his livelihood and their home in Khiam. But at the market, it is business as usual.
The market
Shoes, toys, spices, clothing, books, food, electronics, and accessories – the Monday Market sells all that and more.
The Monday Market in Nabatieh has its roots in the late Mamluk era (1250–1517 AD) and continued to thrive under Ottoman rule. Along with the Souk of Bint Jbeil and the Khan Market in Hasbaiyya, it is one of the oldest weekly markets in south Lebanon, established as part of efforts to extend trade routes across the region.
Back then, traders moved between Palestine and Lebanon, transporting goods by mule and donkey over rough, slow roads. Nabatieh’s location made it a natural stop – a bustling centre where merchants from nearby villages would gather to buy, sell and rest before continuing their journeys. The market also sat along a wider network of internal pilgrimage routes, connecting Jerusalem to Damascus, Mecca and Najaf.
The market in Nabatieh has roots going back hundreds of years [Courtesy of Kamel Jaber]
Nabatieh Mayor Khodor Kodeih recounts that merchants travelling between Palestine and Lebanon would stop at a “khan” – an inn that also served as a trading centre – on the site of the current market.
A khan typically featured a square courtyard surrounded by rooms on two levels, with open arcades. Merchants would rest, trade and display their goods there, gradually transforming the site into the bustling Monday Market.
Over time, the market has become more than just a place to buy and sell – it is a ritual that stitches together the social and economic fabric of southern Lebanon.
The area around the old khans expanded into a larger open-air souk. Israeli air strikes during the last war destroyed the original khans, but traces of the market’s past still remain. Today, the Monday Market spans three to four city blocks in central Nabatieh, surrounded by remnants of Ottoman-era architecture. While shops remain open throughout the week, the market itself is made up of temporary stalls and stands that operate only on Mondays.
Before Israel’s recent war on Lebanon, the market filled the streets, framed by Ottoman-era buildings with wooden shutters and iron balconies. Merchants packed the narrow alleys with vibrant goods, their calls for business filling the air. But on November 13, 2024, Israeli air strikes reduced the historic market to rubble. Stone arches crumbled, shopfronts burned, and what was once a bustling hub was left in ruins.
The Monday market in Nabatieh was once bustling, before Israel’s war on Lebanon [Courtesy of Kamel Jaber]
All that remains
Arriving at Sultan Square, the usual site of the old market, one is left confused. All that remains is a vast, empty space at the heart of the city.
The famous Al-Sultan sweet shop, after which the square was named, is gone. Nearby, other sweet shops – including al-Dimassi, established in 1949 and central to Nabatieh’s culinary identity and reputation – are also missing. They once sold staples of Lebanese dessert culture: baklava, nammoura, maamoul, and during Ramadan, seasonal treats like kallaj and an all-time favourite, halawet el-jibn.
Every market morning, merchants sweep the streets, using only brooms to push the debris to the sides and clear space for their stalls. Even as the wind blows rubble back towards their stand, they keep sweeping, determined to maintain a neat and orderly market.
Sanaa remembers the high-end lingerie shops that once competed with her; they’re gone too, reduced to debris amid which vendors have set up their tents as they wait for the municipality to clear the area.
There should be more vendors on that cold morning, but the rain and war have changed things.
“The good thing about rainy days,” Sanaa jokes, “is that there are fewer merchants, so customers have limited options.”
Before the war, she sold in bulk – new brides buying trousseaus, women stocking up. Now, purchases are small and careful – with homes and livelihoods lost, shopping is for necessity, not luxuries or impulse buys.
On a typical Monday, the market runs from 5am to 5pm. Merchants arrive early, making their way to their designated spots, some on the pavement, others against a backdrop of a collapsed building.
Vegetable vendors lay their produce out in large sacks and plastic crates. Normally, the market is so crowded with people that cars can’t pass and visitors have to squeeze past each other from one stall to the next.
Though profits aren’t what they used to be, Sanaa is just happy to be back. She’s kept her prices the same, hoping the market will rebound.
“This is the most important market in the south,” she says. “And we need to follow the source of our livelihood.”
Market traders in Nabatieh are attempting to get back to normal, but business is slow [Rita Kabalan/Al Jazeera]
‘Deep love story with the Monday market’
Next to Sanaa’s stall is Jihad Abdallah’s, where he has rigged up several racks to hang his collection of women’s sports clothes.
Yesterday’s snow is melting as the sun comes out, but Jihad keeps his hoodie up, still feeling the lingering cold.
Customers have started trickling over, but it isn’t enough to shake the frustrated, tired look on his face.
Jihad, from the border village of Bint Jbeil, spends his week travelling between different town markets in southern Lebanon to make ends meet.
He was among the first to set up in Bint Jbeil’s Thursday Market as soon as the ceasefire with Israel was announced on November 27, 2024. Jihad didn’t have many options. Bint Jbeil was the market he knew best – he memorised the rhythms, understood customer demands, and recognised how to turn profit. Still, business was slow.
“In Bint Jbeil, the market needs time to recover because many residents from nearby villages, like Blida, Aitaroun and Maroun al-Ras, haven’t returned yet,” Abdallah tells Al Jazeera.
“However, in Nabatieh, nearby towns have seen more returnees.”
Jihad was also among the first to return to the Nabatieh market, joining the very first band of merchants in clearing as much debris as they could manage.
“The Israelis want to make this land unliveable, but we’re here. We’re staying,” Jihad says. “They destroyed everything out of spite, but they can’t take our will.”
Further down the road, Abbas Sbeity has set up his stand of clothes for the day, a collection of children’s winter clothes he couldn’t sell because of the war.
“I had to empty my van to make room for mattresses for my kids to sleep on when we first escaped Qaaqaait al-Jisr [a village near Nabatieh],” he tells Al Jazeera, pointing to the van behind him, now packed with clothes.
Abbas is trying to make a profit, however small, from clothes that were meant to be sold when children returned to school last fall.
He’s been coming to the Monday Market for 30 years, a job passed down from his father, who inherited it from his grandfather.
“My grandfather used to bring me here on a mule!” he says with a nostalgic smile. For a moment, he stares off, lost in thought. His smile stays, but his voice holds a trace of sadness.
“There’s a deep love story with the Monday Market,” he adds. “But now, there’s a sadness in the air. People’s spirits are still heavy, and the destruction around us really affects their morale.”
Abbas remembers how people came not only to buy but to hang out for a weekly outing they could count on for fun, no matter the weather. Even if they didn’t buy anything, they’d enjoy the crowds or grab a bite, whether from the small shops selling manouches, shawarma, kaak or falafel sandwiches, or from a restaurant nearby, from local favourites like Al-Bohsasa to Western chains.
Many would also stop by Al-Sultan and Al-Dimassi, which were the closest to the market, to enjoy a sweet treat, a perfect way to top off their visit.
By noon, the rain had stopped, leaving behind a gloomy day as the sun struggled to break through the clouds, casting a faint light over the market. People haggled over prices, searched for specific sizes, and despite the changes brought by war, the Monday Market pressed on, determined to hold on to its place.
Evidence of Israel’s attacks is everywhere in Nabatieh [Rita Kabalan/Al Jazeera]
‘We won’t let them,’ determination versus reality
At one end of the Sultan Square, near the upper right corner, a half-destroyed building still stands where vendors used to set up shop before the war. Now, produce vendors arrange their stalls beneath it as if nothing had changed. The remnants of the structure loom above them – fragments of walls hanging precariously, held together by stray wires that look ready to snap.
Yet the vendors paid no mind, too absorbed in tending to customers. The building’s arched openings and ornate details, though battered, still hinted at the city’s rich past. Its verandas, standing like silent witnesses to the souk below, bore testament to both the scars of war and a culture that refused to disappear.
At the far end of the market, by the main road leading out of Nabatieh to nearby villages, one cart stands alone, piled high with nuts and dried fruits. Its owner adds more, making the stacks look like they might spill over at any second.
Roasted corn, chickpeas, and almonds sit next to raw almonds, hazelnuts, cashews and walnuts. Dried fruits are displayed front and centre, dates and apricots taking the spotlight.
At the back of the cart, Rachid Dennawi arranges candies – gummy bears and marshmallows in all shapes and flavours. It’s his first day back at the Monday Market since the war began.
Abir Badran, a customer dressed in a dark cardigan and a long black scarf that gently frames her face, is the first to reach Rachid’s cart while he’s still setting up. Her face lights up as she leans in to examine the dates, carefully picking through them.
“Finally, you’re back!” she says, reaching for the dates – they’re bigger and better than what she can find at other places, she says.
Israel continues to attack Lebanon sporadically, despite a ceasefire coming into effect in November [Rita Kabalan/Al Jazeera]
Rachid, originally from Tripoli in Lebanon’s north, makes the three-hour journey to Nabatieh because he believes the market is livelier, has more customers.
Over time, Rachid has built a loyal clientele, and people like Abir swear by his dried fruit and nut mix.
“The people here are different,” he tells Al Jazeera, handing Abir a handful of almonds to taste. “They don’t just buy from you – they welcome you and want you to succeed.”
But Abir didn’t just come to stock up – she is there because the Monday Market has become an act of resistance.
“The Israelis want to sever our ties to this land,” Abir tells Al Jazeera. “But we won’t let them.”
While the optimism is clear, the reality on the ground is tough.
Merchants and residents are doing what they can with what they have. Some have relocated their shops or started new businesses, but some are stuck in limbo.
Mayor Kodeih estimates it will take at least two years to rebuild the market and is critical of the Lebanese government’s support.
“We will restore the market,” he says. “It won’t be the same, but we’ll bring it back.”
The mayor was injured in the Israeli strike on the municipality in mid-October, which killed 16 people; he is one of the two survivors.
It is not easy to leave the market behind – or Nabatieh.
Despite the destruction, the city hums with life: Shops are open, cafes are busy, and people lean in doorways, greeting passers-by with warm smiles and easy conversation.
The gravity of war has left its mark. The destruction is visible at every turn – a bookshop reduced to rubble, shops flattened to the ground – but it has not stripped away the city’s kindness or its sense of humour.
In front of a lot with nothing more than a gaping hole in it, a playful banner by the shop that used to stand there reads: “We’ll be back soon … we’re just redecorating.”
One of the paths out of the Sultan Square leads visitors northeast, into a quieter neighbourhood of cobbled streets, where cafes and small shops line the way. Here, people sip coffee and linger by storefronts, seemingly untouched by the devastation only steps away.
Turning back at the boundary between the two, the destruction that has decimated the market is more apparent, as is the loss to Nabatieh and southern Lebanon.
The market’s heyday will live on only in the memories of those who experienced it, younger generations will never have that same experience.
Market traders in Nabatieh are hoping that the city can rebuild, and that the good times can return [Rita Kabalan/Al Jazeera]
The 2025 season of Strictly Come Dancing may still be months away – but rumours about the line-up for the 23rd season are heating up, with a former contestant from The Apprentice said to be on the list
The Apprentice star Thomas Skinner has been teased as a 2025 Strictly Come Dancing contestant(Image: BBC)
A former star of The Apprentice has reportedly been snapped up for the 2025 season of Strictly Come Dancing – as the countdown to the 23rd season of the show commences. Thomas Skinner was a contestant on the BBC’s hit business reality show – fronted by Sir Lord Alan Sugar – in 2019.
The 34-year-old Bosh Beds owner was fired by Lord Sugar during week nine of the 15th season of the show – but his time on BBC One served as a launchpad for the Essex lad to appear in a string of TV shows. So far, he has turned up on shows including Celebrity MasterChef and Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel.
This year, it has been suggested the dad-of-three will hit the ballroom floor as a contestant on the BBC’s long-running dance show, Strictly Come Dancing. While the series initially shunned reality stars as contestants, the barrel started being scraped in 2019 when Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing was cast on the show.
In the years since, the line up has been filled up with Love Island contestants, The Only Way Is Essex cast members and more. And now Thomas stands to become the first ever contestant from The Apprentice to star on the show.
A source told The Sun on Sunday: “Thomas hasn’t any dancing experience, but he’s up for giving the competition his best shot. Strictly bosses are hoping he’ll get the dads watching. He has a massive following, especially with working-class blokes.
Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke are tipped to return as judges(Image: BBC/Rob Parfitt)
“He’s a huge football fan and enjoys pies and gravy. He’s not a luvvie at all. He’s bound to get his catchphrase ‘Bosh’ on to the show, too.”
The Mirror has contacted representatives of Thomas and the BBC for comment. The 2025 season of Strictly is not expected to get underway until August – however, cast members are signed up in advance to give them time to start training before live shows begin airing.
It may still be several weeks before the celebrity contestants are revealed – however, the 2025 professional dancers have been confirmed. Returning to the dance floor are Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez.
Further professionals Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas, and Vito Coppola are also expected to return.
Australian dance professional Dianne Buswell – who won the 2024 season alongside comedian Chris McCausland – is said to be coming back for more. And there are set to be two brand new faces joining the professionals.
Sarah James, Executive Producer, BBC Studios said in a statement last month: “The excitement is already building ahead of the new series and in addition to welcoming back our fantastic returning Pros, we are looking forward to welcoming two brand new Professional Dancers to the line up who will help bring another unforgettable series of dazzling dance and loads more besides to viewers later in 2025.”
And Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC added: “The Strictly Professional Dancers are the beating heart of the programme, showcasing to viewers in every corner of the UK their world class talent by lighting up the famous Strictly ballroom every Saturday and Sunday night. Here’s to another fab-u-lous series!”
Judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood, and Motsi Mabuse are expected to take up their seats again when the show returns. However, it could be the last time fans see Craig Revel Horwood dishing out scores on the show.
The TV judge previously hinted he would bow out of the show once he turned 60 – an age that he reached earlier this year.
GENEVA — Talks between U.S. and Chinese delegations over tariffs that have threatened to upend the global economy ended after a day of prolonged negotiations and will resume Sunday, an official told the Associated Press.
There was no immediate indication whether progress was made Saturday during the meeting that lasted more than 10 hours between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and a delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
The official who spoke to the AP requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, which could help stabilize world markets roiled by the U.S.-China standoff in the wake of President Trump’s tariffs. The talks have been shrouded in secrecy, and neither side made comments to reporters on the way out.
Several convoys of black vehicles left the residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, which hosted the talks aimed at de-escalating trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies. Diplomats from both sides also confirmed that the talks took place.
Saturday’s talks were held in the sumptuous 18th century Villa Saladin overlooking Lake Geneva. The former estate was bequeathed to the Swiss state in 1973, according to the Geneva government.
Prospects for a major breakthrough appear dim. But there is hope that the two countries will scale back the massive import taxes — tariffs — they have imposed on each other’s goods, a move that would relieve world financial markets and companies on both sides of the Pacific hat depend on U.S.-China trade.
Trump raised U.S. tariffs on China to a combined 145% last month, and China retaliated by hitting U.S. imports with a 125% levy. Tariffs that high essentially amount to the countries boycotting each other’s products, disrupting trade that last year topped $660 billion.
Even before the talks began, Trump suggested Friday that the U.S. could lower its tariffs on China, saying in a social media post that “80% Tariff seems right! Up to Scott.″
Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, noted it will be the first time He and Bessent have talked. She doubts the Geneva meeting will produce any substantive results.
“The best scenario is for the two sides to agree to de-escalate on the … tariffs at the same time,” she said, adding that even a small reduction would send a positive signal. “It cannot just be words.”
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has aggressively used tariffs as his favorite economic weapon. He has imposed a 10% tax on imports from almost every country in the world.
But the fight with China has been the most intense. His tariffs on China include a 20% charge, which he says is meant to pressure Beijing into doing more to stop the flow of the synthetic opioid fentanyl into the United States. The remaining 125% involves a dispute that dates back to Trump’s first term and comes atop tariffs he levied on China back then, which means the total tariffs on some Chinese goods can exceed 145%.
During Trump’s first term, the U.S. alleged that China uses unfair tactics to give itself an edge in advanced technologies such as quantum computing and driverless cars. These include forcing U.S. and other foreign companies to hand over trade secrets in exchange for access to the Chinese market, using government money to subsidize domestic tech firms, and outright theft of sensitive technologies.
Those issues were never fully resolved. After nearly two years of negotiation, the United States and China reached a so-called Phase One agreement in January 2020. The U.S. agreed then not to go ahead with even higher tariffs on China, and Beijing agreed to buy more American products. The tough issues — such as China’s subsidies — were left for future negotiations.
But China didn’t come through with the promised purchases, partly because COVID-19 disrupted global commerce just after the Phase One truce was announced.
The fight over China’s tech policy now resumes.
Trump is also agitated by America’s trade deficit with China, which amounted to $263 billion last year.
Tariffs on Switzerland
In Switzerland on Friday, Bessent and Greer also met with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter.
Trump last month suspended plans to impose hefty 31% tariffs on Swiss goods — more than the 20% levies he placed on exports from the European Union. For now, he has reduced those taxes to 10% but could raise them again.
The government in Bern is taking a cautious approach. But it has warned of the impact on crucial Swiss industries such as watches, coffee capsules, cheese and chocolate.
“An increase in trade tensions is not in Switzerland’s interests. Countermeasures against U.S. tariff increases would entail costs for the Swiss economy, in particular by making imports from the USA more expensive,” the government said this month, adding that the executive branch “is therefore not planning to impose any countermeasures at the present time.”
The government said Saturday that Swiss exports to the United States were subject to an additional 10% tariff, and another 21% beginning Wednesday.
The United States is Switzerland’s second-biggest trading partner after the EU — the 27-member-country bloc that nearly surrounds the wealthy Alpine country of more than 9 million people. U.S.-Swiss trade in goods and services has quadrupled over the last two decades, the government said.
The Swiss government said it abolished all industrial tariffs at the start of 2024, meaning that 99% of all goods from the United States can be imported into Switzerland duty-free.
Wiseman, Tang and Keaten write for the Associated Press. Wiseman and Tang reported from Washington and Keaten from Geneva.
Derry’s Paul Hughes got back in the win column with an explosive 42-second knockout victory over Bruno Miranda in Belfast.
Hughes soaked up an electric atmosphere inside the SSE Arena before producing a performance that matched it.
The 28-year-old lightweight, who dropped Miranda with a huge left hand, said: “I wish it went on a little longer, I know people wanted to see a scrap, but what do you do? I just hit too hard.
“I made my professional debut in this arena over eight years ago and every single time I drove past it I said I am going to fight there [again] and my dream came true.
“We’re a small country but we’re dong big things on the world stage. I hope I represent you all well, because I am going to the top.”
Fighting on home soil for the first time since 2019, Hughes might have felt the weight of a nation on his shoulders.
After a narrow defeat by former Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov in January, Hughes needed a big performance on home soil to stake his claim for a rematch.
But there was zero sign of nerves from Hughes, who wore a broad smile from the moment he emerged from backstage.
Hughes appeared alongside local musician Foy Vance, who sang a live version of the Dubliners ‘Grace’.
The crowd sang the lyrics back to Hughes after relentlessly booing Miranda a few moments before.
Hughes entered the cage to ‘Oles’ nd there was no time for even a slight lull in atmosphere as Hughes took advantage of a lazy kick from Miranda by catching it and delivering his knockout blow.
As Miranda collapsed and Hughes unloaded, the referee stepped in to stop the contest.
“Usman Nurmagomedov, you can run and you can try delay this rematch as long as you want, but your day is coming,” Hughes said in the aftermath.
Hughes improved his record to 14 wins and two losses and will consider himself in pole position to fight Nurmagomedov in the near future.
May 10 (UPI) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested at least 103 for alleged immigration violations during traffic stops in and near Nashville, which prompted the city’s mayor to challenge the enforcement effort.
ICE says the arrests are part of a “public safety operation,” but Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell questions the legality of the enforcement effort, WKRN reported.
“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says they’ve arrested people with criminal histories or criminal intent this week,” O’Connell told media on Friday, “but they have shown us no proof.”
O’Connell has asked ICE officials to release the names and charges against the 103 people currently in custody.
“We don’t even know the names of who they’ve arrested, much less the charges,” O’Connell said. “What we have seen is a violation of due process and the defiance of court orders.”
O’Connell on Friday told media the Metro Nashville Police Department continues to cooperate with the state highway patrol but does not participate in the ICE enforcement effort.
Nashville Legal Director Wallace Dietz said city officials are powerless to stop or otherwise interfere with the ICE operation.
Instead, they are “looking into” how city officials might announce a pending federal immigration enforcement activity before it occurs.
“We have absolutely no authority to instruct ICE not to carry out their enforcement actions,” Dietz said. “We have no authority to tell [Tennessee Highway Patrol]they cannot cooperate with ICE.”
The THP and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are participating in the ICE enforcement effort by stopping motorists for moving violations and allowing ICE agents to detain those who might not have legal status in the United States.
The stops have resulted in the arrests of at least 103 individuals, including suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua and the El Salvadoran MS-13 transnational gangs and their affiliate organizations, WZTV reported.
The enforcement activity began Sunday and is occurring in several counties in the mid-Tennessee area.
At least 588 traffic stops for hazardous moving violations, driving under the influence and other causes have been made as part of the enforcement activity.
The stops resulted in one felony charge for evading arrest, three drug-related arrests and the detention of six people who have warrants for alleged felony offenses.
Among those arrested are an alleged member of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang and an “undocumented migrant” who had been convicted as a child sex predator. It is not clear if the conviction was in the United States or another nation.
An alleged MS-13 member who is wanted for aggravated murder in El Salvador also is among the 103 “undocumented migrants” who have been detained during the weeklong ICE operation.
It was his 16th Premier League goal of the season – no other Englishman has more.
Longevity is key. Watkins has scored at least 10 league goals in all of his five seasons at Villa, helping him move ahead of Dwight Yorke, Dion Dublin and Juan Pablo Angel in the club’s top-scorer charts.
“It’s a big achievement. some unbelievable players have played for this club,” Watkins told BBC Match of the Day.
“You look at the names, so to be up there on the top of that I’m really proud. It’s great achievement.”
This season, Watkins has had to battle for a starting place with Jhon Duran, who then moved to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr for £71m in January, and Marcus Rashford, who joined on loan from Manchester United in the same window.
Watkins had started each of Villa’s first 14 Premier League matches, but was limited to two league starts and three substitute appearances in April, and didn’t start either of Villa’s Champions League quarter-final matches against Paris St-Germain.
With Emery preferring Rashford in the starting XI, speculation was rife that Watkins may leave Villa.
The club had already rejected a £40m bid for the England international from Arsenal in January.
But Rashford was ruled out for the rest of the season last month with a hamstring injury and, since then, Watkins has returned up front to shine again.
“He’s shown his weight in gold,” former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie told Sky Sports.
“It’s not only his goals, but his team play. He works hard off the ball. He was chasing defenders in the last five minutes. He’s always looking what he can do to affect the game – that just shows how important he is.”
PLAYERS on The 1% Club struggled through a ‘suspiciously easy’ £80k question.
ITV viewers were absolutely shocked by the number of players that were eliminated from the game show in the 30% round.
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Lee Mack presented another edition of The 1% ClubCredit: ITV
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He asked the studio audience to solve a numeric question
Lee Mack took to the airwaves on Saturday night to host the latest edition of The 1% Club.
On the smash-hit show, players are not tested on their general knowledge like other shows such as The Chase and Tipping Point.
Instead they are whittled down as they are tasked with solving riddles based on logic, reasoning skills and common sense.
100 players try to make it to the end of the show to answer the last question and join the prestigious one per cent club.
This is a question that only one per cent of the public would answer correctly.
However, many players fell at the 30% hurdle as the host was looking for the correct answer of a numerical question.
The players were given a cartoon picture of a typical four-function calculator.
Mack asked: “What’s the largest four-digit number you can type using just the number keys on the bottom two rows of this calculator without using the same number key twice?”
As per the show rules, the players who were still in the game had just 30 seconds to work out the answer.
The number ‘3210’ was the correct answer, something that 12 players got wrong.
The 1% Club knocks out 10 players in ‘easy’ children’s character question
Despite the high number of eliminations, many viewers at home who were playing along actually answered the common sense riddle correctly.
Droves of fans who tuned in took to social media as they were slammed the question at being too ‘easy’.
The 1% Club sees 100 contestants try and make it to the 1% question and be in with a chance to win a share of the jackpot. Here are just some of the show’s most difficult teasers.
Players had to compare and contrast three images of butterflies then explain which of the butterflies were exactly the same on both sides. Find the image and answer here.
Players were shown groups of six symbols then asked which were in the same order whether you read them from left to right or right to left. Find the image and answer here.
Players were asked how many different combinations were there of displaying four digits on one hand. Find the answer here.
Peter had recently found his old diary that he’d written in secret code but he couldn’t remember how to decipher what he wrote. Players were asked to crack the code and find out what the bold word was. WH89 I GR1W UP I WA92 21 B8 A 5L1RI72.Find the image and answer here.
A 1% question was based on a grid of numbers going in ascending order from 1 to 49. Starting on 25, the middle square, SEEN took you to square 27. From there, NEW took you to 20. From there, which square would SEWN take you to? Find the image and the answer here.
A third asked: “3210 …Is it easier this week?”
Writing the answer someone else enquired: “3210. How is this a 30% question?”
And a fifth added: “The calculator question seems suspiciously easy.”
After the huge round of eliminations, Mack then announced that the prize pot was raised to a whopping £80,000.
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Players were tasked with answering a calculator themed riddleCredit: ITV
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12 players were eliminated, despite many viewers slamming the question as being to ‘easy’Credit: ITV
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The answer to the question was the number ‘3210’, something plenty of other players answered correctlyCredit: ITV
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At the end of that round, the prize pot rose to £80,000Credit: ITV
You can watch The 1% Club on ITV1 and stream it back on ITVX.
WASHINGTON — White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller says President Trump is looking for ways to expand his legal power to deport migrants who are in the United States illegally. To achieve that, he says, the administration is “actively looking at” suspending habeas corpus, the constitutional right for people to legally challenge their detention by the government.
Such a move would be aimed at migrants as part of the Republican president’s broader crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“The Constitution is clear, and that of course is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion,” Miller told reporters outside the White House on Friday.
The White House has maintained that the influx of immigrants amounts to an invasion of the United States.
“So, I would say that’s an option we’re actively looking at,” Miller said. “Look, a lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.”
What is habeas corpus?
The Latin term means “that you have the body.” Federal courts use a writ of habeas corpus to bring a prisoner before a neutral judge to determine if imprisonment is legal.
Habeas corpus was included in the Constitution as an import from English common law. Parliament enacted the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, which was meant to ensure that the king released prisoners when the law did not justify confining them.
The Constitution’s Suspension Clause, the second clause of Section 9 of Article I, states that habeas corpus “shall not be suspended, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.”
Has it been suspended previously?
Yes. The United States has suspended habeas corpus under four distinct circumstances during its history. Those usually involved authorization from Congress, something that would be nearly impossible today — even at Trump’s urging — given the narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate.
President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus multiple times during the Civil War, beginning in 1861 to detain suspected spies and Confederate sympathizers. He ignored a ruling from Roger Taney, who was the Supreme Court chief justice but was acting in the case as a circuit judge. Congress then authorized suspending it in 1863, which allowed Lincoln to do so again.
Congress acted similarly under President Ulysses S. Grant, suspending habeas corpus in parts of South Carolina under the Civil Rights Act of 1871. Also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, it was meant to counter violence and intimidation of groups opposing Reconstruction in the South.
Habeas corpus was suspended in two provinces of the Philippines in 1905, when it was a U.S. territory and authorities were worried about the threat of an insurrection, and in Hawaii after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, but before it became a state in 1959.
Writing before becoming a Supreme Court justice, Amy Coney Barrett co-wrote a piece stating that the Suspension Clause “does not specify which branch of government has the authority to suspend the privilege of the writ, but most agree that only Congress can do it.”
Could the Trump administration do it?
It can try. Miller suggested that the U.S. is facing “an invasion” of migrants. That term was used deliberately, though any effort to suspend habeas corpus would spark legal challenges questioning whether the country was facing an invasion, let alone presenting extraordinary threats to public safety.
Federal judges have so far been skeptical of the Trump administration’s past efforts to use extraordinary powers to make deportations easier, and that could make suspending habeas corpus even tougher.
Trump argued in March that the U.S. was facing an “invasion” of Venezuelan gang members and evoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime authority he has tried to use to speed up mass deportations.
His administration acted to swiftly deport alleged members of Tren de Aragua to a notorious prison in El Salvador, leading to a series of legal fights.
Federal courts around the country, including in New York, Colorado, Texas and Pennsylvania, have since blocked the administration’s uses of the Alien Enemies Act for many reasons, including questions about whether the country is facing an invasion.
If courts are already skeptical, how could habeas corpus be suspended?
Miller, who has been fiercely critical of judges ruling against the administration, advanced the argument that the judicial branch may not get to decide.
“Congress passed a body of law known as the Immigration [and] Nationality Act, which stripped Article III courts, that’s the judicial branch, of jurisdiction over immigration cases,” he said Friday.
That statute was approved by Congress in 1952 and there were important amendments in 1996 and 2005. Legal scholars note that it does contain language that could funnel certain cases to immigration courts, which are overseen by the executive branch.
Still, most appeals in those cases would largely be handled by the judicial branch, and they could run into the same issues as Trump’s attempts to use the Alien Enemies Act.
Have other administrations tried this?
Technically not since Pearl Harbor, though habeas corpus has been at the center of some major legal challenges more recently than that.
President George W. Bush did not move to suspend habeas corpus after the Sept. 11 attacks, but his administration subsequently sent detainees to the U.S. naval prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, drawing lawsuits from advocates who argued the administration was violating it and other legal constitutional protections.
The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that Guantanamo detainees had a constitutional right to habeas corpus, allowing them to challenge their detention before a judge. That led to some detainees being released from U.S. custody.
Weissert writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.
Venice, having one of its best baseball seasons in school history with a 26-2 record, has been seeded No. 1 for the City Section Open Division baseball playoffs that end on May 24 with the championship game at Dodger Stadium.
Despite playing in a stronger West Valley League, El Camino Real drew the No. 2 seed by virtue of a common opponent. Venice beat Sun Valley Poly and El Camino Real lost to Poly.
The eight-team bracket, down from 12 teams, begins play on Wednesday and includes five West Valley League teams. The matchups: No. 8 Chatsworth at No. 1 Venice; No. 5 Cleveland at No. 4 Sylmar; No. 6 Poly at No. 3 Birmingham; No. 7 Granada Hills at No. 2 El Camino Real.
So there’s a good chance the top two teams from the West Valley League, El Camino Real and Birmingham, could meet again in semifinals at Cal State Northridge on May 20. El Camino Real just swept the Patriots this week behind shutouts from Luke Howe and Devin Gonor.
Banning is seeded No. 1 for a strengthened Division I 16-team bracket. Action begins Thursday. Defending Open Division champion Bell is seeded No. 6 in Division I. There are five play-in games on Tuesday.
One might think that images of starving children, as political leaders withhold aid and openly call for ethnic cleansing, would be topping news agendas everywhere. In the case of Gaza, the failure of many in the international media to meet the moment has made them part of the story.
Lead contributors: Chris Doyle – Director, Council for Arab-British Understanding Daniel Levy – President, US/Middle East Project Muhammad Shehada – Visiting fellow, ECFR Sarah Leah Whitson – Director, DAWN
On our radar:
As India and Pakistan go toe-to-toe in their most intense fighting for decades, a flood of disinformation is fuelling the sense of panic on both sides. Meenakshi Ravi reports.
Seeking justice on Ghana’s courtroom shows
If you are dealing with something personal and painful – a broken marriage or a family dispute – you might turn to a friend. For something as serious as sexual assault, it might go to trial. But in Ghana, more and more people are turning somewhere else: live radio. The so-called “justice-style” shows promise swift, public resolutions. But they are also controversial, with critics accusing them of turning private pain into primetime theatre.
Featuring: George Sarpong – Executive secretary, National Media Commission Menenaba – Ghanaian writer Oheneni Adazoa – Host, Sompa Nkomo Show Zakaria Tanko Musah – Lecturer in media law and ethics, Journalism Institute
Hello! I’m Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.
Hollywood was shocked last weekend with the announcement by President Trump of a plan to impose a new 100% tariff on films produced outside the United States. The exact logistics of the plan were unclear; determining which projects would be subject to the tariff would itself be extremely complicated.
As one film executive said in a story by Meg James and Samantha Masunaga, “Nobody knows, and I don’t suspect we will for awhile. Is it on domestically funded foreign productions? Is it on foreign-funded ones? Is the tariff on film revenues or film costs on those projects, or both?”
Though many seemed to disagree that a tariff was the solution to Hollywood’s problems concerning runaway production, as the week went on there was a turn toward hoping that this could nevertheless be the start of something positive.
“It’s great that the president is starting to pay attention,” producer Jeffrey Greenstein said to Ryan Faughnder. “So let’s have a real conversation about it and figure out the best way to start bringing movies back.”
One thought is that perhaps some kind of federal tax incentive could get things moving in the right direction. In a separate story, Masunaga and James looked at California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts to create such a program.
“Right now the industry is teetering,” UCLA professor George Huang said. “This would go a long way in helping right the ship and putting us back on course to being the capital of the entertainment world.”
‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ in 35mm
Zhang Ziyi in the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
Released in 2000, the film still holds the distinction of being the highest-grossing, non-English-language film of all time in the U.S. and also won four Oscars. Set in 19th century China, the movie kicks off with a warrior (Chow Yun-Fat) giving his sword to his lover (Michelle Yeoh) but it is soon stolen, setting them on a journey to retrieve it.
In his original review of the film, Kenneth Turan wrote, “Films we can categorize, that’s what we’re used to. Good or bad, fiascoes or masterpieces, we put them in their place, every one. What we’re not used to, what we haven’t had much of at all, are films that transcend categorization, that remind us — simply, powerfully, indelibly — what we go to the movies for. Ang Lee’s ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ is that kind of a picture.
“A delightful one-of-a-kind martial arts romance where astounding fight sequences alternate with passionate yet idealistic love duets, ‘Crouching Tiger’ is a fusion film from top to bottom,” Turan added. “By joining emotional sophistication to the most thrilling kind of Hong Kong-style acrobatic action, by having classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma and preeminent fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping in the same film, ‘Crouching Tiger’ brings a specific national cinema fully into the world spotlight. It can do all this so successfully because Lee reconciles these opposites in his own life and work.”
Scarlet Cheng spent time on the set of the film as it was shooting in China, capturing the scene as Chow was prepped to perform one of the film’s dazzling wire-work stunts. Action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping explained why it was worth the extra effort to do the stunts for real rather than assisted by computer effects, saying, “It never looks quite right. It still requires people doing it.”
Writing about the film in 2023, Justin Chang said, “If you were among those who saw the movie on its initial release, lured by reports that Lee had made the most kick-ass action picture in years, you might have felt a twinge of impatience at those first 15 minutes of dialogue-rich, action-free scene-setting. Or perhaps you were drawn in by the classical refinement of the filmmaking, the understated gravity of the performances, the realistic sense of grounding in an utterly fantastical world. Operating by his own laws of cinematic physics, Lee must first establish gravity before he can defy it.”
Ted Kotcheff tribute
Andrew McCarthy, left, and Jonathan Silverman in a scene from the 1989 movie “Weekend at Bernie’s.”
Though “First Blood,” the film that introduced Sylvester Stallone’s character of John Rambo, has already screened in the series, there are still some delights to come. Tonight and tomorrow, the Los Feliz 3 will screen 35mm showings of 1989’s “Weekend at Bernie’s,” starring Jonathan Silverman and Andrew McCarthy as two low-level salesmen who get invited for the weekend to the luxury house of their shady boss, Bernie (Terry Kiser). When Bernie winds up dead, they concoct a scheme to convince people he is still alive, in part to keep the party rolling. (Kotcheff has a cameo as father to one of the boys.)
In his original review of the film, Kevin Thomas wrote, “It can’t in fact be accused of possessing so much as a shred of subtlety, but as a broad farce its not only cleverly sustained but frequently hilarious. What’s more, a weekend among the rich, the jaded and the corrupt is just the right cup of tea for an acid social satirist as Kotcheff.”
“Fun With Dick and Jane,” the director’s 1977 film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda as a middle-class couple who turn to crime when they find themselves out of work, will screen on Thursday and May 17 at the Los Feliz 3.
Points of interest
‘The Magnificent Ambersons’ in 35mm
On Sunday afternoon, the American Cinematheque will screen Orson Welles’ 1942 “The Magnificent Ambersons” in 35mm. Adapted from a novel by Booth Tarkington, the film concerns a wealthy Midwestern family who see their family’s fortunes diminish as time passes them by. The cast included Joseph Cotton, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Tim Holt and Agnes Moorehead.
On July 8, 1942, Edwin Schallert wrote in the paper, “Whatever Hollywood powers-that-be have in mind about the future of Mr. Orson Welles as a picture-maker, there could be no outcome more ghastly, to my way of thinking, than to let him slip away from these purlieus and back to the confines of the stage. ‘The Magnificent Ambersons’ is proof positive that he should be retained in active service. Whatever values it might lack in humanness — and I’m sure I don’t know what they are — it is a splendid technical achievement — indeed, one all but justifying the re-use of the ‘magnificent’ of its title.”
However, on Aug. 24, 1942, Norbert Lusk wrote, “Apparently there is a desire on the part of some to hail Mr. Welles as the savior of the screen or at least one of its most brilliant trailblazers, but he refuses to come through quite. Actually, his picture is a dull, pretentious bore which in essence states nothing except the folly of scoffing at new inventions like the automobile and that if one is arrogant to one’s fellow man one is bound to get his ‘come-uppance.’”
‘Vox Lux’
Raffey Cassidy, left, in a scene from “Vox Lux.”
(Atsushi Nishijima / NEON)
Now might be a good moment to revisit the early works of Brady Corbet, with his recent “The Brutalist” having won three Oscars. On Wednesday, Brain Dead Studios will be screening Corbet’s 2018 film “Vox Lux.” Natalie Portman gives a wickedly unhinged performance as an aging pop star trying to navigate her faltering career while also raising her teenage daughter in a world increasingly marked by senseless violence.
Perhaps hinting at the even grander ambitions to come in “The Brutalist,” Corbet said at the time, “And I think that we actually have to reach for bigger ideas in order to move anyone, because we’re all just so accustomed to seeing the same thing over and over and over again. It’s rare that something really shoots for the moon. And since things are so tough right now, we should really attempt to try and make stories better and be bolder.”
Keep an eye out for a tribute to Corbet and his partner Mona Fastvold as part of the upcoming “Bleak Week,” including another screening of “Vox Lux” on Thursday, June 5.
In other news
‘Pavements’ at the Nuart
Stephen Malkmus in the movie “Pavements.”
(Utopia)
The new documentary “Pavements” is opening in Los Angeles this weekend. Directed by Alex Ross Perry, the film captures the spirit of the ’90s indie rock pioneers Pavement by including documentary footage of their 2022 reunion tour along with a stage musical, a museum and a biopic all created just for the project. The result is genuinely unique, all the parts of the film coalescing into a vibe that a more straightforward telling of the band’s story could never approach.
There will be Q&As at multiple weekend shows at the Nuart with Perry, band member Scott Kannberg, actors Jason Schwartzman, Tim Heidecker and Logan Miller. John C. Reilly will moderate a Saturday night Q&A.
I wrote about the film and its unconventional approach to the rock doc. In explaining the film’s overall strategy, Perry said, “I wanted to make a movie from the perspective of Pavement [being] — as we say onscreen in the film — the world’s most important and influential band, because that is literally true to 100,000 white Gen-X nerds. So what if the movie takes that not as a premise but as a fact? And builds a fictional world where this music has inspired these other things people build as shrines to their favorite musicians — a museum, a Broadway show, a crappy biopic? Let’s just do that and presume that is the cultural footprint of Pavement.”
The film plays well to longtime fans and newcomers alike. But for anyone hung up on what is true or not from the film, band member Bob Nastanovich offers, “If it confuses people, then I’m pretty easy to contact. I can tell them what’s real and not real.”
Reviewing the movie for The Times, Scott Tobias wrote, “At a little over two hours long, ‘Pavements’ can feel a little like the band’s notoriously misshapen 1995 opus ‘Wowee Zowee,’ a double album with only three sides. Yet the perfectly imperfect shape of ‘Pavements’ is similarly tailored to those who appreciate the band’s creative unruliness. It also feels like an apt companion to Perry’s last fiction feature, 2018’s ‘Her Smell,’ which strongly alludes to the life of Hole lead singer Courtney Love and pays off a chaotic two-hour drama with a breathtakingly lovely final act.”
