Month: May 2025

BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has been inundated with messages of support from her co-stars and fans after she issued an emotional statement on social media

Naga Munchetty has received an outpouring of support from her BBC Breakfast colleagues after sharing an emotional update on Instagram.

When she’s not gracing our screens on BBC Breakfast, Naga has been busy promoting her new book ‘It’s Probably Nothing’, a personal account of her own health struggles that remained undiagnosed for years.

The broadcaster also embarked on a book tour, during which she connected with other women who have endured their own silent health battles.

In a recent Instagram post, Naga shared highlights from her latest event and expressed gratitude to those who joined the conversation.

Her post read: “Last weekend, almost 1,700 people joined me at @hayfestival to discuss women’s health and my new book, It’s Probably Nothing.”

She continued: “It was an insightful and passionate discussion on why women’s pain and symptoms have historically been ignored, and what we can do to advocate for ourselves in the healthcare system,” reports the Express.

Wrapping up her heartfelt message, Naga said: “Thank you to everyone who came to the event, and @hayfestival for having me. It’s Probably Nothing is now available online, in all good bookshops, and in ebook and audiobook.”

Colleagues like Nina Warhurst and Ben Thompson were among the first to comment, leading a wave of supportive messages for Naga from her co-stars and fans alike.

Nina responded with a single fire emoji, while Ben sent Naga an emoji of fireworks. One fan commented: “Thank you for speaking up and writing this book for all women and sharing the women’s gynecological health crisis and the way they are being treated in the system. I wish I had this book and am having to navigate my own health challenges/conditions.”

Other fans praised her, saying, “It was so amazing to hear you talk,” and “Fantastic turnout, this goes to show how much difference you’re making and how many people need you as an advocate.”

In a recent interview, Naga discussed her struggles with adenomyosis, a condition in which the lining of the uterus grows into the uterine walls. She told the i: “I wasn’t diagnosed with it until I was 47, but I’ve probably had it since the age of about 15. I’d always pass out when my periods started, have diarrhoea, feel dizzy, and often be crying or screaming in agony.”

Naga recalled being told by doctors that her symptoms were normal and that she would grow out of it, which she now recognises as a form of gaslighting. She stopped bringing it up as a result.

BBC Breakfast airs daily at 6am on BBC One.

Aref Shamtan, 73, chose to erect a tent near his decimated home in northwest Syria instead of remaining in a displacement camp following the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

“I feel good here, even among the rubble,” Shamtan said, sipping tea at the tent near his field.

Upon returning with his son after al-Assad was toppled in December, Shamtan discovered his village of al-Hawash, situated amid farmland in central Hama province, severely damaged.

His house had lost its roof and suffered cracked walls. Nevertheless, “living in the rubble is better than living in the camps” near the Turkish border, where he had resided since fleeing the conflict in 2011, Shamtan explained.

Since al-Assad’s downfall after nearly 14 years of war, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration reports that 1.87 million Syrians who were refugees abroad or internally displaced have returned to their places of origin.

The IOM identifies the “lack of economic opportunities and essential services” as the greatest challenge facing returnees.

Unable to afford rebuilding, Shamtan decided approximately two months ago to leave the camp with his family and young grandchildren, and has begun planting wheat on his land.

Al-Hawash had been under al-Assad’s control and bordered front lines with neighbouring Idlib province, which became a stronghold for opposition groups, particularly Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the opposition fighters that spearheaded the offensive that toppled the former president.

“We cannot stay in the camps,” Shamtan maintained, even though “the village is all destroyed … and life is non-existent,” lacking fundamental services and infrastructure.

“We decided … to live here until things improve. We are waiting for organisations and the state to help us,” he added. “Life is tough.”

Local official Abdel Ghafour al-Khatib, 72, has also returned after escaping in 2019 with his wife and children to a camp near the border.

“I just wanted to get home. I was overjoyed … I returned and pitched a worn-out tent. Living in my village is the important thing,” he stated.

“Everyone wants to return,” he noted. However, many cannot afford transportation in a country where 90 percent of the population lives in poverty.

“There is nothing here – no schools, no health clinics, no water and no electricity,” al-Khatib said while sitting on the ground in his tent near what remains of his home.

The conflict, which erupted in 2011 following al-Assad’s brutal suppression of antigovernment protests, killed more than 500,000 people and displaced half of Syria’s pre-war population either internally or abroad, with many seeking refuge in Idlib province.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than six million people remain internally displaced.

It was the first and possibly the most dramatic act by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after she took office: declaring a city emergency on homelessness.

That move, backed by the City Council, gave Bass the power to award no-bid contracts to nonprofit groups and to rent hotels and motels for interim homeless housing. It also allowed Bass to waive regulations limiting the size and scale of certain types of affordable housing.

Now, two and a half years into Bass’ tenure, some on the council are looking to reassert their authority, by rescinding the homelessness emergency declaration.

Councilmember Tim McOsker said he wants to return city government to its normal processes and procedures, as spelled out in the City Charter. Leases, contracts and other decisions related to homelessness would again be taken up at public meetings, with council members receiving testimony, taking written input and ultimately voting.

“Let’s come back to why these processes exist,” McOsker said in an interview. “They exist so the public can be made aware of what we’re doing with public dollars.”

McOsker said that, even if the declaration is rescinded, the city will need to address “the remainder of this crisis.” For example, he said, the homeless services that the city currently provides could become permanent. The city could also push county agencies — which provide public health, mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment — to do more, McOsker said.

Bass, for her part, pushed back on McOsker’s efforts this week, saying through an aide that the emergency declaration “has resulted in homelessness decreasing for the first time in years, bucking statewide and nationwide trends.”

“The Mayor encourages Council to resist the urge of returning to failed policies that saw homelessness explode in Los Angeles,” said Bass spokesperson Clara Karger.

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, also known as LAHSA, reported last summer that homelessness declined by 2.2% in the city of L.A., the first decrease in several years. The number of unsheltered homeless people — those who live in interim housing, such as hotels and motels, but do not have a permanent residence — dropped by more than 10% to 29,275, down from 32,680.

The push from McOsker and at least some of his colleagues comes at a pivotal time.

Last month, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to pull more than $300 million from LAHSA, the city-county agency that provides an array of services to the unhoused population.

Meanwhile, the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, which has been battling the city in court over its response to the crisis, is pushing for a federal judge to place the city’s homelessness initiatives into a receivership.

Matthew Umhofer, an attorney for the alliance, said the city has “very little to show” for its emergency declaration in terms of progress on the streets.

“It’s our view that a state of emergency around homelessness is appropriate, but that the city is not engaged in conduct that reflects the seriousness of the crisis — and is not doing what it needs to do in order to solve the crisis,” he said.

Inside Safe, Bass’ signature program to bring homeless people indoors, has moved 4,316 people into interim housing since it began in 2022, according to a LAHSA dashboard covering the period ending April 30. Of that total, nearly 1,040 went into permanent housing, while nearly 1,600 returned to homelessness.

Council members voted this week to extend the mayor’s homelessness emergency declaration for another 90 days, with McOsker casting the lone dissenting vote. However, they have also begun taking preliminary steps toward ending the declaration.

Last week, while approving the city budget, the council created a new bureau within the Los Angeles Housing Department to monitor spending on homeless services. On Tuesday, the council asked city policy analysts to provide strategies to ensure that nonprofit homeless service providers are paid on a timely basis, “even if there is no longer a declared emergency.”

The following day, McOsker and Councilmember Nithya Raman — who heads the council’s housing and homeless committee — co-authored a proposal asking city policy analysts to report back in 60 days with a plan addressing the “operational, legal and fiscal impacts” of terminating the emergency declaration.

That proposal, also signed by Councilmembers John Lee and Ysabel Jurado, now heads to Raman’s committee for deliberations.

While some on the council have already voiced support for repealing the emergency declaration, others say they are open to the idea — but only if there is a seamless transition.

“I want to make sure that if we do wind it down, that we do it responsibly,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who represents the southwest San Fernando Valley.

Blumenfield wants to protect Executive Directive 1, which was issued by Bass shortly after she declared the local emergency, by enshrining its provisions into city law. The directive lifts height limits and other planning restrictions for 100% affordable housing developments, which charge rents below market rates.

Raman said the city must confront a number of issues stemming from the homelessness crisis, such as improving data collection. But she, too, voiced interest in exploring the end of the emergency declaration.

“This is also an extremely important conversation, and it is one I am eager to have,” she said.

The hope was that the Angels could use Tuesday’s ninth-inning rally to muster up something worth talking about at the plate.

On Tuesday, Yoán Moncada homered. Taylor Ward singled. Luis Rengifo brought home a run with a line drive up the middle. Despite falling a run short, stringing a few hits together showed that the Angels could build off each other to produce runs.

However, instead of breaking through as an offense, the Angels were shut out by the Yankees 1-0 on Wednesday night, securing a sweep and turning the Angels’ eight-game win streak of weeks past into more of a blip on the radar than a sign of life.

Catcher Logan O’Hoppe struck out looking to end the game on a breaking ball well off the strike zone. After the game, O’Hoppe was adamant that it was a ball, as was manager Ron Washington, but said it’s just part of the game and “out of our control.”

Regardless, the Angels were scoreless entering their final three outs again — Angel Stadium playing home to an offense in need of a pulse check.

“I don’t know,” O’Hoppe said when asked about the skidding offense. “I don’t know, but we’re not gonna panic. We gotta have, what, 100 games left, so we’re not gonna panic.”

Entering the game, the Angels (25-30) walked the least and struck out the second-most in MLB. Wednesday was mostly more of the same. The Angels drew two walks, one of them with two out in the ninth, but were able to snap their three-game streak of double-digit strikeouts — punching out just eight times.

Washington managed the game as if his team needed the victory. He tried anything to salvage a homestand in which the Halos ultimately dropped five of six and scored just three runs. When Aaron Judge walked to the plate in the first and second innings, Washington greeted the Yankees slugger — owner of the top batting average (.391) in MLB — with a free base.

The strategy that made Judge the first Yankees player to intentionally walk twice in the first two innings of a game since Gene Woodling on Aug. 30, 1953, worked once, but led to the only run of the game in its other appearance.

“He’s dangerous — a lot of respect, lot of respect,” Washington said, referencing a moment in which Judge flashed four fingers to him in the seventh on the on-deck circle. “I don’t know what could have happened in that game if I wouldn’t have walked him those first two times. You don’t mess with that. I don’t care how he’s swinging the bat, you don’t mess with that if you don’t have to.”

After Judge was walked with a man on in the first, Cody Bellinger walked — one of Angels starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi’s five walks — to load the bases. The next batter, Anthony Volpe, hit a sacrifice fly to center field and brought home a run.

Kikuchi (93 pitches, 51 for strikes) struggled with command once again, with his league-high walk rate rearing its ugly head. The Japanese southpaw loaded the bases in each of the first two innings, but settled down to make it through five innings, giving up five hits and striking out four. Despite Kikuchi battling through the fifth — and the Angels bullpen tossing four scoreless innings — with how the Angels have been at the plate over their last five games, one run was all the Yankees needed Wednesday.

“It was tough navigating through the first couple innings there, but I think the fourth and fifth inning went really well,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter. “I think I ended off on a good note.”

In perhaps the biggest cheer of the night at the Big A, right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn struck Judge out looking with a 99.1-mph fastball in the seventh inning.

Those cheers, however, turned to boos as O’Hoppe trotted back to the dugout as the final out. Now, the offense will look to recover away from Anaheim and see if it can rediscover what made it click against the Dodgers and Athletics.

Cleveland and Boston await the Angels next as they’ll first face the Guardians at Progressive Field on Friday to begin their six-game trip.

Angels reshuffle roster

The Angels made a flurry of roster moves before Wednesday’s game, designating veteran infielder Tim Anderson and catcher Chuckie Robinson for assignment, while optioning left-hander Jake Eder to triple-A Salt Lake City.

In corresponding moves, right-handed relief pitcher Robert Stephenson — who’d been out after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2024 — was activated off the 60-day injured list, and infielder Scott Kingery was recalled from triple-A Salt Lake City.

Washington said his hope for Stephenson, who signed a three-year, $33-million deal with the Angels before the 2024 season, is to be eased back into a high-leverage role. Stephenson said he is looking forward to the role he can play on the major league roster.

“To me, it’s like, probably just like, up there with making my debut,” said Stephenson, who made his season and Angels debut Wednesday, tossing a scoreless sixth inning. “I feel like it’s gonna be pretty special for me.”

Kingery, on the other hand, hasn’t appeared in the major leagues since 2022. Bursting on the scene as a top prospect with the Philadelphia Phillies, he featured heavily in the 2018 and 2019 campaigns after signing a six-year, $24-million contract extension before making his MLB debut.

The 31-year-old, who Washington said will play center field, second base and third base, put up 2.7 wins-above-replacement in 2019 before struggling to find any resemblance to his previous success — playing in just 16 combined games in 2021 and 2022 — and was eventually traded to the Angels in November 2024 after spending most of the last four seasons in the minor leagues.

“It’s hard, it’s a hard game,” Kingery said. “Stuff happens throughout your career, and you got to find ways to battle that and just keep on going. Just keep the foot on the pedal and find ways to make things work.”

Trout nears return

Mike Trout (left knee) continues to check the boxes as he nears a return from the injured list. The longest-tenured Angel and three-time MVP faced live pitching from a minor league pitcher on Wednesday, and performed baserunning drills with more intensity than earlier this week, Washington said.

Washington added that Trout began to cut and stop while running, but he still wasn’t going at 100%.

“Came out of it very well,” Washington said. “He looks good.”

Trout was hitting .179 with nine home runs and 18 RBIs before suffering a bone bruise in his left knee on April 30.

Israel announces 22 new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, fuelling fears of further annexation and erasure.

The Israeli government says it will establish 22 illegal settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, including the legalisation of some so-called “outposts” already built without government authorisation, in a move decried by Palestinian officials and rights groups.

Defence Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the decision on Thursday, with Katz saying that it “strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria,” using an Israeli term for the occupied West Bank.

He added it was also “a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel”.

Smotrich, himself a settler on illegally occupied Palestinian-owned land and an advocate for Israeli annexation of the West Bank, hailed the “historic decision”.

In a statement, the Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the move as a “once-in-a-generation decision”, emphasising its strategic value in fortifying Israel’s hold along the eastern border with Jordan.

Israel has already built more than 100 illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank that are home to some 500,000 settlers. The settlements range from small outposts to larger communities with modern infrastructure.

The West Bank is home to more than three million Palestinians, who live under Israeli military rule, with the Palestinian Authority governing in limited areas.

The Palestinians see the territory as an integral part of a future state, along with occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza.

Palestinians slam ‘dangerous escalation’

Palestinian officials and rights groups slammed the Israeli government’s decision, warning that the expansion of illegal settlements would further harm the prospects for a future Palestinian state.

Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh condemned the decision, calling it a “dangerous escalation” and a “challenge to international legitimacy”.

He accused Israel of fuelling instability in the region and warned the move breaches international law. “This decision violates all international resolutions, especially UN Security Council Resolution 2334,” he said, adding that all settlement activity remains illegal and illegitimate.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri condemned called on the United States and the European Union to take action.

“The announcement of the building of 22 new settlements in the West Bank is part of the war led by Netanyahu against the Palestinian people,” Abu Zuhri told the news agency Reuters.

The Israeli NGO Peace Now said the move “will dramatically reshape the West Bank and further entrench the occupation”.

“The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise: the annexation of the occupied territories and expansion of settlements is its central goal,” it said in a statement.

“This is the largest batch of illegal Israeli settlements to be approved in one decision,” reported Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim from the occupied West Bank.

“Israeli settlements are strangling Palestinian communities inside the West Bank,” said Ibrahim. “These new settlements fill the gaps, making a future Palestinian state almost impossible on the ground. Israel is using this moment – while global attention is fixed on Gaza – to cement its occupation.”

The settlement announcement comes just weeks ahead of a high-level international conference, jointly led by France and Saudi Arabia at the United Nations, aiming to revive the long-dormant process to agree a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Is a restaurant worth a visit simply because it’s been around longer than that bottle of yellow mustard in your refrigerator? Longer than your oldest living relative? Maybe. Proper respect should be paid to an institution.

Los Angeles is home to restaurants celebrating a century in business. About 36,500 days in operation. The feat alone is something to marvel at.

What is Hollywood without the martini culture built around Musso & Frank Grill? The Long Beach bar scene without the Schooners of cold beer and pickled eggs at Joe Jost’s? A South Pasadena stretch of Route 66 without milkshakes and phospate sodas at Fair Oaks Pharmacy? Over decades in business, these restaurants have become landmarks synonymous with the cities themselves.

Some of L.A.’s most popular attractions are our food halls, with Grand Central Market in downtown and the Original Farmers Market in Fairfax drawing millions of visitors each year. Grand Central Market opened in 1917 with nearly 100 food merchants. Its oldest running restaurant is the China Cafe, with a 22-seat counter that’s been around since 1959. In 1934, about a dozen farmers and other vendors started selling produce at the corner of 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue, where the Original Farmers Market still operates today. Magee’s Kitchen, its oldest restaurant, began when Blanche Magee started serving lunch to the farmers in the ‘30s.

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1. El Coyote founder Blanche March. (El Coyote) 2. The counter at Fugetsu-Do in 1904. (Fugetsu-Do Bakery Shop) 3. Alicia Mijares, left, daughter of Mijares founder Jesucita Mijares, with Maria Guzman in 1984. (Mijares Restaurant)

Many of the restaurants on this list were built by immigrants from every corner of the world, their American dreams realized in a mochi shop in Little Tokyo, a French restaurant in downtown L.A. and a taste of Jalisco, Mexico, in Pasadena.

If you’re looking for the oldest restaurant in Los Angeles County, you’ll find it in Santa Clarita, a city about 30 miles northwest of downtown. Originally called the Saugus Eating House when it opened as part of a railway station in 1886, the Saugus Cafe boasts a history rich with Hollywood film stars, U.S. presidents and a train network that helped establish towns across the state.

In 1916, the cafe moved across the street to where it sits now, one long, narrow building that includes a dining room and a bar. It has closed, reopened and changed hands numerous times over the last 139 years. Longtime employee Alfredo Mercado now owns the restaurant.

It’s a place that exists in a cocoon of nostalgia. The history embedded in the walls, the decor and the friendly staff are the main draw. If you’re searching for the best breakfast in town, you may want to keep looking.

The following are decades-old restaurants that have stood the test of time, shrinking wallets and fickle diners. In operation for 90 years or longer, these 17 destinations (listed from oldest to newest) are worth the trip for both the history, and whatever you decide to order.

PSG and Inter battle it out to be crowned the Kings of Europe in Saturday’s Champions League final.

The European showdown has the potential to be one of the best in recent history with both sides showing incredible attacking intent in the run-up to the Munich final.

SunSport have enlisted the help of their betting experts to preview the game and select the best bets, tips and exclusive sign-up bonuses from our leading betting partners.

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PSG vs Inter preview

The crowning moment of the European domestic season is here as PSG and Inter go toe-to-toe for ultimate glory.

Despite Mikel Arteta’s strange claims, these two have been the two best sides in the knockout rounds and have come through difficult ties to reach this point.

A disappointing league phase for PSG who finished 15th and meant they actually had to come through the play-off round, only just as a seeded side.

But that 10-0 aggregate win over Brest was a sign of things to come and when beating Liverpool on penalties in the round-of-16, things opened up for them.

Beating Aston Villa the next time around, PSG were dominant in winning both legs against Arsenal in the semi finals to set up this final.

First scorer and correct score predictions

• Correct score: 2-3 at 28/1 with Betfred – HERE

• First scorer: Marcus Thuram 15/2 with talkSPORT BET – HERE

Having wrapped up Ligue 1 some time ago, everything has gone into finally getting over the line in this competition.

Inter have had a huge league battle on their hands, falling short to Napoli in last Friday’s final game shootout.

They need to pick themselves up now and show why they deserve to be here, after knocking out powerhouses Bayern and Barcelona in the knockouts.

The 7-6 semi final aggregate win over Barca was up there with one of the best Champions League ties in memory, and the 4-3 win over the German champions in the round prior showed they’ve to be taken seriously.

It also showed they’re pretty open at the back but have goals in abundance. The perfect mixture for the neutral….

PSG vs Inter latest odds

Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

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Hak down

How on earth is Hakan Calhanoglu so far down the booking markets? I assumed at first he must be suspended as he wasn’t near the top of the list.

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Make his mark

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has six goals and six assists since moving to PSG in January and is one of the big reasons their second half of the season has improved so greatly.

A constant threat down that left side, he’s had eight shots on target in the knockout stages, averaging over one per game (1.28) and over two shots taken in the competition since joining (2.08).

Inter’s last couple of rounds show that chances will be created by the French side, no surprises to see him at the heart of that.

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United States President Donald Trump commuted the federal drugs-and-extortion sentence of former Chicago gang leader, Larry Hoover, on Wednesday. Hoover has been serving multiple life sentences following both state and federal convictions over the past five decades.

For his federal conviction, Hoover is currently being held at the ADX Florence prison, a federal prison formally known as the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility, in Florence, Colorado.

Commuting a sentence means reducing its length or severity, or ending it entirely. The US president has the power to commute federal sentences, but not state sentences.

Here is what we know.

Who is Larry Hoover and why was his sentence commuted?

Hoover, 74, is the cofounder of Gangster Disciples, one of Chicago’s most powerful gangs.

In a two-page order issued on Wednesday, the Trump administration commuted his federal sentence, considering it served “with no further fines, restitution, probation or other conditions” and ordering his immediate release, according to a copy of the document from Hoover’s legal team seen by The Chicago Tribune.

Hoover’s lawyers said the order was a vindication of their attempts to have their client’s sentence reduced.

Lawyers Jennifer Bonjean and Justin Moore said in a statement: “The Courts have demonstrated a complete unwillingness to consider Mr Hoover’s considerable growth and complete rehabilitation. Despite the Court’s unwillingness to do the right thing, Mr Hoover has been able to keep his voice alive through the incredible work of many advocates and supporters. Thankfully, Mr Hoover’s pleas were heard by President Trump who took action to deliver justice for Mr Hoover.”

Lobbying for Hoover’s pardon has mounted since Trump appointed Alice Johnson as his “pardon tsar” in February this year. Johnson was a non-violent drug offender and was sentenced to life in prison in a drug conspiracy case, but was pardoned by Trump in 2020.

What was Hoover convicted of?

Hoover has been convicted on both state charges and federal charges. A federal crime is a violation of the US Constitution, possibly spanning multiple states, while a state crime is one that breaks a state law.

He was convicted in 1973 on state charges in Illinois for the murder of 19-year-old drug dealer William “Pooky” Young and sentenced to 200 years in prison.

Online state prison records show that Hoover was an inmate at Dixon Correctional Center in western Illinois from 1974. He was accused of continuing to direct the Gangster Disciples from behind bars.

In 1997, Hoover was convicted on federal charges of extortion, federal drug conspiracy and continuing to engage in a criminal enterprise. Hoover has spent nearly three decades in solitary confinement at ADX Florence, a maximum security prison in Colorado, according to his lawyers.

What crimes has the Gangster Disciples gang been involved in?

According to court documents, Hoover was one of the leaders of the gang between 1970 and 1995. The documents state that under Hoover, the Gangster Disciples sold “great quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other drugs in Chicago”.

As of 1995, the gang was believed to have 30,000 members in Chicago and had spread to at least 35 other states, according to an article published by the US Department of Justice that year.

However, little is publicly known about the activities of the Gangster Disciples in recent years.

What are the conditions in the ADX Florence prison?

ADX Florence in Colorado is a super-max prison, or an administrative maximum (ADX) prison, a control unit prison with the highest level of security.

The prison opened in 1994. Prisoners are held in solitary confinement in 12-by-7ft (3.6-by-2 metre) cells with thick concrete walls, and cannot see each other. Inmates sleep on a thin mattress atop a concrete slab. The cells also have a sink, toilet and automated shower.

Prisoners may have access to televisions, books or arts-and-crafts materials. Human interaction is very limited in ADX prisons.

Is Larry Hoover free to leave prison now?

No, Hoover is still serving his 200-year state sentence following the 1973 Illinois murder conviction.

It is not known if or when Hoover might be moved to another prison – such as the Dixon Correctional Center, a medium-security prison in Illinois that opened in 1983 – now that his federal conviction has been commuted, to serve out his state convictions. In the past, Illinois Department of Corrections officials have suggested that Hoover complete his state sentence in federal prison, citing security concerns.

Is Hoover eligible for parole?

The online records at Dixon Correctional Center say that Hoover will not be eligible for parole until October 2062, when he will be 111 years old. It is not clear whether his parole date can be advanced.

Presidential clemency is reserved for federal crimes, and not state crimes, according to the US Congress website, so Trump cannot intervene. The power to commute state crimes rests in the hands of the governor of the state. The governor of Illinois is Democrat JB Pritzker, who has so far not spoken about Hoover, nor of any plans to grant him clemency.

What role have public figures played in this case?

Performer Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has long advocated for the pardon of Hoover. In 2018, during Trump’s first term, Ye requested Trump pardon Hoover. On Ye’s 2021 album, Donda, a track called “Jesus Lord” features a vocal snippet from Hoover’s son, Larry Hoover Jr, thanking Ye for bringing up his father’s case in the Oval Office. “Free my father, Mr Larry Hoover Sr,” the junior Hoover is heard saying.

Rapper Drake also advocated for Hoover’s freedom. In 2021, Ye and Drake set personal tensions aside and collaborated on a “Free Hoover” concert in Los Angeles.

“WORDS CAN’T EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR OUR DEVOTED ENDURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR FREEING LARRY HOOVER,” Ye posted on X after the commutation order.

WORDS CAN’T EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR OUR DEVOTED ENDURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR FREEING LARRY HOOVER

— ye (@kanyewest) May 28, 2025

Why is Trump pardoning people now?

The exact reasoning for Hoover’s commutation is unclear. However, it comes amid a spree of commutations and pardons granted by Trump.

On Wednesday, Trump issued a pardon for former Republican Congressman Michael Grimm, who was convicted of tax fraud in 2015 and sentenced to several months in prison.

On Tuesday, the president pardoned reality television couple Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of tax evasion and defrauding banks of at least $30m in 2022. Todd Chrisley received a 12-year prison sentence, while his wife was sentenced to seven years.

On this note, Cole admitted in his retirement announcement he didn’t want to be “the old guy, sitting around and hanging on,” as financially-challenged Premiership clubs put their faith in youth.

But they have all done remarkably well to get this far.

Brown, who will turn 40 in September, has put his longevity down to a love of the game, self-drive, and a desire to make family proud.

In 2007 Youngs became Leicester’s youngest ever player, aged just 17, and is still trucking almost two decades later.

He points to improvements in sports science, a lower training load, and a healthy slice of luck, while he believes time away from the international game can also help with recovery.

“We used to do two double training days a week, and we wouldn’t dream of doing that now,” Youngs says.

“There is greater emphasis on recovery and looking after the body. So that has all changed.

“International rugby also takes its toll but because some of us have stepped away later in our careers, it has allowed us to freshen up for a couple more seasons.”

What position you play is also a factor – Youngs and Care are scrum-halves and Goode and Brown full-backs – with warhorse prop Cole something of an outlier.

“I play a different sport to the big lads. I’m not getting the collisions all the time – it is more the stress on the joints,” says Care.

“What position you play definitely has an effect, and allows you to have longevity. But I would say we are all pretty stubborn too!” Youngs adds.

“That also helps, because you have to be willing to keep doing it for as long as you do.”

Care agrees: “Love for the game and playing for a really cool team has also made me go for longer.”

But while Care has already played his last game for his beloved Quins, Goode could still bow out winning a record-equalling seventh title, although Saracens need results to go their way on the final day of the regular season on Saturday.

For the Leicester trio of Youngs, Cole, and Brown it could also end in fairytale fashion, with the Tigers guaranteed a place in the top four, likely a home semi-final, and a shot at next month’s showpiece.

But whoever ends up celebrating on the Twickenham turf on 14 June, the Premiership will feel a very different place next season.

President Donald Trump said Harvard University is refusing to tell the United States government who its international students are.

On May 22, the Trump administration stripped Harvard of the federal government certification that lets it enrol international students. A federal judge on May 23 temporarily blocked the administration’s effort.

“Part of the problem with Harvard is that there are about 31 percent of foreigners coming to Harvard … but they refuse to tell us who the people are,” Trump told reporters on May 25. “We want a list of those foreign students and we’ll find out whether or not they’re OK. Many will be OK, I assume. And I assume with Harvard many will be bad.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says Harvard did not provide the information it requested about the university’s international students. DHS cited that as one reason for revoking Harvard’s certification. But Harvard disputed that in its lawsuit against the Trump administration.

Courts have not yet ruled on whether Harvard complied with providing DHS with the additional information it requested. DHS asked for details about students’ activities, including “illegal” and “dangerous or violent activity”. However, immigration law experts said Trump’s statement that the US government doesn’t know the identities of Harvard’s international students is incorrect.

US colleges and universities that enrol international students must be certified under the Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program, called SEVP.

SEVP’s database “contains all information about every student visa holder. Addresses, courses, grades, jobs, social media accounts and much more”, Charles Kuck, an Atlanta-based immigration lawyer and Emory University law professor, said.

Harvard has been certified to enrol international students since 1954, according to court documents. As part of the certification, the university is required to report to the US government detailed information about its international students.

Schools renew their SEVP certification every two years. In its lawsuit, Harvard said the university’s “seamless recertification across this period – spanning more than 14 presidential administrations”, is evidence of its compliance.

Additionally, to enter the US, all international students must apply for and be issued student visas via the State Department. To be eligible for a student visa, a person must be enrolled in an SEVP-certified university. The visa application process requires students to provide the US government with detailed biographical information.

When contacted for comment, a White House spokesperson said Trump was “making a simple ask” for Harvard to comply with the government.

What is the Student and Exchange Visitor Program?

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program “collects, maintains, analyses and provides information so only legitimate foreign students or exchange visitors gain entry to the United States”, the DHS website says. “SEVP also ensures that the institutions accepting non-immigrant students are certified and follow the federal rules and regulations that govern them.”

As part of the programme, DHS manages the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System which maintains records on international students and certified universities. Immigration law dictates what records universities must keep and report to maintain certification.

These records include “US entry and exit data, US residential address changes, programme extensions, employment notifications, and program of study changes”, Sheila Velez Martínez, University of Pittsburgh immigration law professor, said. “The information is available to US government agencies.”

The certification programme does not provide visas to students. The federal State Department issues visas. To apply for a student visa, a person must fill out a form and schedule an interview. As part of the application process, students must provide biographical and employment information, including information about their relatives, and answer security questions, including about their criminal records.

Trump administration says Harvard failed to provide international students’ information

On April 16, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent Harvard a letter requesting information about every international student enrolled in the university. Noem asked for “relevant information” about international students’ “illegal activity”, “dangerous or violent activity”, “known threats to students or university personnel” and “known deprivation of rights of other classmates or university personnel”.

Noem said failure to comply with the request would “be treated as a voluntary withdrawal” from the SEVP certification programme.

On April 30, Steve Bunnell, a Harvard lawyer, responded to Homeland Security with information about 5,200 international students, according to Bunnell’s email included in the court filing.

The university said it did not seek to withdraw from the certification and said that while parts of Noem’s request used terms not defined in the immigration law that dictates what information universities must provide, “Harvard is committed to good faith compliance and is therefore producing responsive materials that we believe are reasonably required” by law.

According to Harvard’s lawsuit, the information included student identification numbers, names, dates of birth, countries of citizenship and enrolment information such as academic status, coursework and credit hours. Harvard also provided information about international students who left and why they left, which can cover a “range of reasons, including but not limited to disciplinary action”, Harvard’s email to DHS said.

On May 7, DHS responded saying the information Harvard provided “does not completely address the Secretary’s request”. It reiterated its original request.

Harvard responded on May 14 saying it was “not aware of any criminal convictions” of international students and identified three students who received disciplinary consequences.

As for students who deprived the rights of classmates, faculty or staff, Harvard said it did not find any.

On May 22, Noem sent Harvard a letter saying the university’s certification had been revoked.

“As a result of your refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information … you have lost this privilege.”

Our ruling

Trump said Harvard University “refuse(s) to tell us” who its international students are.

To enrol international students, Harvard, and all other certified institutions must provide the US government with detailed biographical information about every international student at its institution. That includes students’ names, addresses, contact information and details about their coursework.

Additionally, all international students must have student visas to enter the US. To get these, students who have enrolled in a government-certified university must apply via the State Department. That process also requires students to provide biographical and security information to the federal government.

We rate the statement False.

There is a tenderness between Fati Bukar and her eldest son, Lawal.

When he sits next to her, she holds his hands. As he gets up to leave the room, she asks where he’s going, and he says he’ll be back soon. When Lawal returns and sits across from her, she taps the mat beside her, and he moves closer. She holds his hands again. He says something, and she laughs.

The next day, Fati and seven of her children are set to leave the Muna Garage camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital in northeastern Nigeria. They are heading to Dikwa Local Government Area (LGA), as part of a government resettlement programme to close the IDP camps in the state. The initiative began in 2021.

Lawal, however, will not be going with his mother and siblings.

His resettlement papers indicate that he will be taken to Mafa LGA, approximately an hour and a half from Dikwa. Both mother and son are deeply unsettled by this development.

Lawal had told the officials he wanted to be with his mother and siblings, but the arrangements didn’t go as he hoped. Since Lawal has a family of his own, he registered as a separate household from his mother, who was listed as the head of the household with his younger siblings. They assumed they would all be sent to Dikwa, their place of origin, but the resettlement programme does not always work that way.

With one arm paralysed from a motorbike accident, the 23-year-old can no longer farm efficiently. Instead, he guides his younger siblings through it, showing them what to plant, how to weed, and when to harvest. 

Fati is especially close to Lawal, and the thought of their separation weighs heavily on both of them. 

She and her children have lived in the Muna Garage IDP Camp for seven years.

Fleeing home

Back in 2014, as news of insurgency spread like wildfire, and terrorists invaded town after town in Borno, Fati and her husband hadn’t decided to leave their village in Dikwa yet. They were holding on to hope that maybe the war would end. Still, she thought the worst-case scenario would be displacement. 

She was wrong.

The worst-case scenario unfolded as she was tending to her livestock by a stream when someone came running to tell her that her husband had been shot. 

She let the animals loose and ran home, crying, in disbelief, her heart pounding as she inched closer to her husband’s lifeless body. 

“I fell, and for the next three days, I didn’t even know what was going on. It was like I was going in and out of consciousness,” Fati narrated, her hands lifted, then fell, as if even they had lost the will to explain.

Grief consumed her completely, but survival demanded she keep going. So in 2018, she gathered her eight children and headed into the bush, trying to find a way to Maiduguri. 

They eventually found safety at the Muna Garage IDP Camp, a crowded settlement on the outskirts of the city full of families like hers; people who had lost homes and loved ones to the Boko Haram insurgency. The camp shelters about 10,000 displaced people.

Fati shared her story with HumAngle through an interpreter, who bridged the language barrier. It was a scorching Sunday afternoon in the camp, and people were packing and preparing for the journey ahead. 

“I don’t want to go,” Fati frowned. “I know the kind of terror that made me come here. I know how much we suffered. Why would I go back to such danger?”

There is anger in the pitch of her voice and the sharp, insistent gestures of her arms.

After the conversation, she agreed to show what packing looked like.

Fati ducks to enter her thatched room, which has a small partition just inside the entrance, so that her makeshift bed isn’t immediately visible to anyone stepping in. The air inside is warm and still. 

“I don’t have a lot of things, so they’re just in this bag,” she says, pointing to a bag and two sacks beside her bed. 

“The first time we tried to flee from our homes before coming here, soldiers chased us back. So we had to try again. When I left, I knew I wouldn’t go back until everywhere became safe. But is it even safe now?” Fati reflects. 

The return

It’s been four years since the Borno State government began working to close all official IDP camps in Maiduguri and resettle displaced people, either back to their home communities or new locations across the state. 

Governor Babagana Zulum maintained that “we will never eradicate insurgency without resettling people,” arguing that the camps have become sites of deepening social problems, including child abuse and prostitution.

The United Nations defines resettlement as a “voluntary, safe and regulated transfer of people [and] is intended as a long-term solution.” 

But that’s the theory. In reality, many residents in the Muna Garage Camp remain hesitant. They are unsure what they are returning to or what kind of life awaits them.

Some are returning to places where security remains fragile. Others are being moved to unfamiliar towns with no jobs and no clear path forward. What was meant to be a temporary displacement now stretches into a second chapter that looks different but feels just as unstable.

With resettlement comes many fears: the fear of starting all over again, the fear of the unknown, and most terrifying of all, as Fati puts it, the fear of “coming face to face with the terrorists you fled from almost a decade ago.”

“If I go back there, what I fear most is that I won’t have peace of mind. That I’ll be constantly thinking, ‘Will the terrorists come today? Will they come tomorrow?’ That alone is enough to make someone lose weight, to live in constant fear. That alone is enough.” Fati says, then looks down at the floor, and starts to draw invisible circles with her index finger. 

Outside the hut, a cluster of people sat together in the open, under the shade of trees, waiting to collect documents needed to claim shelters in Dikwa. They were also given meal tickets, with both the papers and tickets handed to heads of households. 

The buses arrived at sunrise on Monday, May 12. 

Even before they left, parts of Muna Camp were already coming down. Huts made of straw and tarpaulin were dismantled. A crowd formed near the camp’s edge where HumAngle met Fati amidst the chatter of people, children playing, and some murmuring their unwillingness to leave. 

She was squatting, shielding her face from the sun with her hands. When asked whether she is tired, she simply smiles. She was very quiet but managed to say, “I’ve packed up. We’re just waiting to leave now.” 

Then she continues looking into the distance. 

They left around 11 a.m.. Lawal stayed behind and waved goodbye to his mother. A few hours later, he tried to call his brother, but the call didn’t go through. It turns out that his brother’s mobile network, like many others’, doesn’t work in Dikwa. His mother’s phone was also switched off. It wasn’t until later in the day that he could finally reach them. They told him they had arrived safely.

Still not safe

Soon after their journey to Dikwa, Fati’s fears started to materialise. 

Although HumAngle couldn’t reach her for a few days after their trip, we were able to reach other returnees.

“We keep hearing gunshots at night. People are going back to Maiduguri in scores.  Everyone is scared,” one of them, Kaka, explains over the phone. 

The following day, on Friday, May 16, Kaka reached out to HumAngle and said, “I just called to tell you I am back to Maiduguri. I can’t live there with my baby. But my parents are still there.” 

Kaka is now staying with a neighbour in Muna camp who, like Lawal, was meant to be relocated to Mafa. However, none of those assigned to Mafa have been relocated yet, so a few rooms in the camp remain standing. She had heard about an ISWAP attack in Marte, a nearby town, which forced thousands of people to flee to Dikwa. 

That attack is one of several recent signs of ISWAP’s resurgence in Borno State, including another in Dikwa on May 13. These incidents have prompted many to flee again, with some heading towards the Cameroonian border and others to Maiduguri. 

Some security analysts and international groups say the resettlements are ill-timed. They point to recent attacks and the ongoing threat from ISWAP as signs that many areas remain volatile. The violence, they argue, reflects a level of instability that makes voluntary return difficult, if not dangerous. Without consistent safety, people are unlikely to settle and may continue to move.

For example, the International Crisis Group has warned that these resettlement efforts are “endangering displaced people’s lives,” especially in areas that “tend to lack rudimentary health care, education and other state services.”

With no updates from officials and the relocation to Mafa still on hold, Lawal decided to travel to Dikwa on Sunday, May 18, to check on his mother and siblings.

Fati was delighted to see him. 

“When she saw me, her face lit up with a smile,” he said. “She looked over my shoulder and asked, ‘Where is your wife? Why didn’t you come with her? I kept a room for you that used to belong to a woman who has returned to Maiduguri.’”

Fati wants him to stay, because “it’s easier for the family.”

She tells HumAngle that they are fine and prays no harm comes to them.

“When we arrived, the government gave us one bag of rice, four litres of cooking oil, seasoning, a few measures of guinea corn and ₦50,000,” Fati says. “The problem is that there’s no running water even though they [the officials] said they’ll sort it out. The toilets are quite crowded too because some of them were damaged by the wind, so there aren’t enough.” 

Fati explains that, while they are getting by now, the future remains uncertain, as there will be no food once their current supply runs out. The farmland in Dikwa is far, and going there means risking an encounter with terrorists. Reaching the fields also requires a bicycle or motorbike, neither of which they own.

These poor living conditions and persistent threats have forced many returnees in other communities to flee once again, despite having been resettled in recent years through the same programme. Kaka’s return to Maiduguri, for instance, is not an isolated case; several families have also left Dikwa. 

Such recurring setbacks paint a bleak picture for Fati and her family. 

For now, she is focused on surviving each day in Dikwa, caring for her children, rationing food, and holding onto hope. What she wants most, she says, is not just food or water, but peace. 

When HumAngle last spoke to her, over a week after the trip to Dikwa, Fati still sounded worried, but there was also a lightness. 

In the background, Lawal teased her attempts to greet in Hausa, a language she doesn’t speak. She laughed. Then he took over and facilitated the conversation, fluently translating her Gamargu to Hausa and vice versa. But laughter needs no translation, and neither does the anxiety in Fati’s voice. 

The Finnish Aviation Union has announced three strikes among workers at Helsinki Airport over the coming weeks, with Finnair the airline most impacted by the industrial action

Finnair has grounded 110 flights, impacting 8,000 customers, on a single day of a three-day strike.

Brits flying to Finland are facing travel chaos yet again, as the Finnish Aviation Union (IAU) has announced three fresh strikes on May 30, June 2, and June 4 at Helsinki Airport. This is Finland’s seventh aviation strike in under a month.

The industrial action is predicted to impact just shy of 30 UK flights across the three days. As the summer getaway kicks off, this latest wave of strikes will have ripple effects across Europe. The IAU, representing ground handling, baggage, catering, maintenance, and customer service staff, will strike over wage disputes with PALTA in 4-hour staggered shifts, leading to full-day disruptions.

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According to the IAU, the average earnings of Finnair Group employees rose by 6.4 percent between 2020 and 2023. During that same period the national average increase across all sectors was 10.4 percent.

The strikes are designed to maximise disruption, with union officials organising the walkouts at strategic times across a six-day window. The result is a wave of residual disruption: cancelled flights one day, incomplete baggage delivery the next, and last-minute rerouting throughout.

Palta, which represents employers, has argued that most employee groups were ready to accept the mediator’s proposed increases, Helsinki Times reports. It has said that the IAU is demanding adjustments beyond what others have asked for.

The cancelled direct flights from the UK will see nearly 5,400 passengers affected. Since Helsinki is a direct transit hub for Brits flying to Asia, the Baltics and Northern Finland. According to Air Advisor, 11,400 UK passengers will be affected.

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Key UK routes likely to be impacted include London Heathrow to Helsinki, Manchester to Helsinki, and Edinburgh to Helsinki.

The IAU strikes are not the only ones impacting European aviation customers this week. The May 30 to June 4 strikes align with Italy’s May 28 aircrew/taxi strikes, creating a rare “Nordic-Mediterranean Disruption Corridor”, disrupting Helsinki, Milan, and Rome hubs. This will strain Frankfurt and Amsterdam connections, adding excessive pressure on these hubs.

Anton Radchenko, aviation expert and founder of AirAdvisor, said: This is no longer a strike story, it’s a system failure story. Helsinki has now had more strikes in 30 days than most countries have in a year. This represents something far more serious than a few cancelled flights: they signal a system on the brink. Helsinki Airport, once considered one of the smoothest hubs in Europe, is now suffering from chronic unpredictability. For UK passengers, this isn’t just about Finland, it’s about how a local dispute can derail an entire travel experience across Europe.

“The most worrying aspect is the deliberate spread of these strikes. By placing them days apart, IAU is stretching airline operations beyond recovery: think of aircraft out of position, bags not making it to destinations, and crew timing out. It matters because this kind of disruption doesn’t stay in Finland; it ripples across hubs like London Heathrow, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, making it even more chaotic.”

Affected passengers should check the airline’s website and mobile app for alternative flight options and manage their bookings accordingly. Finnair has told impacted customers that they will be supported with rebooking options to minimize inconvenience.

Finnair has been contacted for comment.

Cassie is celebrating a new personal milestone: her baby boy with husband Alex Fine has arrived.

The “Me & U” singer on Tuesday gave birth to her third child in a New York hospital, sources confirmed to TMZ and People. She and “MobLand” actor Fine welcomed their newest family member after the former was rushed to the hospital Tuesday and admitted into the labor and delivery unit, according to TMZ.

A representative for Cassie, 38, did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for confirmation and additional information.

The singer (born Casandra Ventura) married Fine, 32, in October 2019 months after meeting him earlier that year at a gym where he worked as a wellness consultant. They also share daughters Frankie, 5, and Sunny, 3.

Cassie announced her pregnancy in February via Instagram, sharing photos from an intimate family photo shoot. She captioned the post — which prominently featured her baby bump and her loved ones surrounding her — with a few emojis, including a blue heart. Fine, also known for the series “American Primeval” and “1883,” said in his own Instagram post at the time that his growing family was the “best gift I could ask for.”

The “Long Way 2 Go” musician enters her newest chapter of motherhood less than two weeks after she testified against ex-boyfriend and disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs in his federal sex trafficking trial in New York. During her four days of testimony, Cassie shared disturbing allegations about her relationship with the Bad Boy Records boss — including his alleged fits of violence, threats of blackmail and his notorious sexual marathons called “freak-offs.” She sued Combs in the fall of 2023, helping set the stage for additional lawsuits from other accusers, federal raids on Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami and more legal fallout.

“I hope my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from abuse and fear,” Cassie said in a statement shared by her attorney Douglas Wigdor. “For me, the more I heal, the more I can remember. And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget.”

Fine, in a statement through Wigdor, also shut down narratives that he saved his wife from Combs. “To say that is an insult to the years of painful work my wife has done to save herself,” he said. “Cassie saved Cassie.”

He added: “She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence and threats.”

Fine concluded, noting “this horrific chapter is forever put behind us” and asked for privacy ahead of the arrival of his son with Cassie.

Times staff write Richard Winton and former Times staff writer Nardine Saad contributed to this report.

Oklahoma City Thunder closed out the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 and advanced to their first NBA Finals since 2012.

Even before the basket went in, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spread his arms wide in celebration.

Cason Wallace left his right arm high in the air, waiting for the ball to drop through the basket.

Soon enough, inevitably, it did.

Wallace’s corner 3-pointer at the buzzer was the exclamation point on a dominant first quarter for Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who rode the hot start to a 124-94 home win that ended the Western Conference finals in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 34 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Thunder closed out the best-of-seven series.

“I didn’t want to go back to Minnesota travel-wise and I wanted the fans to enjoy the moment with us,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

The Thunder are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 and the fifth time in franchise history. The first three appearances came when the club was based in Seattle.

Oklahoma City will host Game 1 of the finals against either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks on June 5.

“Happy for this moment, but this isn’t our goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “This isn’t the end of our road.”

Wednesday’s outcome was evident early, as the Thunder buried the Timberwolves under the weight of a stifling defence and playmaking by Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

Oklahoma City put the game away quickly, leading by 17 after the first quarter and 33 at halftime.

The Timberwolves saw their season end in the Western Conference finals for the second consecutive year.

“I’m going to work my butt off this summer,” Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards said. “Nobody’s going to work harder than me this summer, I’ll tell you that much.”

Gilgeous-Alexander dished out five of his assists in the opening quarter as he again showed why he was selected as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).

After the Timberwolves scored the game’s first hoop, Gilgeous-Alexander had a hand in all five Oklahoma City baskets during an 11-0 run that started the Thunder’s march towards the blowout.

In that stretch, Gilgeous-Alexander had four assists – three on Holmgren buckets – and drained a finger roll to start the separation.

On Monday, the Timberwolves started Game 4 red hot from the field but ultimately fell 128-126.

On Wednesday, Minnesota struggled on offence from the start, going just 1-for-11 from the field over the first five minutes.

Gilgeous-Alexander outscored Minnesota in the first quarter 12-9 and scored or assisted on 24 of the Thunder’s 26 first-quarter points.

Minnesota had more turnovers in the first half (14) than it did field goals (12). The Timberwolves finished with 21 turnovers.

Holmgren amassed 22 points and seven rebounds while Williams had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

“These guys really make me feel like I’m a kid playing AAU basketball, like I’m 15 years old again,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s just fun. That’s what makes us really good. We have so much fun being out there together.”

Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 24 points while Edwards scored 19 on 7-of-18 shooting.

“They dominated the game from the tip,” Edwards said. “Can’t do nothing but tip my hat to those guys. They came ready.”

YOU can spend hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds trying to make a small garden look bigger.

But a plant expert has insisted you don’t need to shell out to give the illusion of more space, as you can get the same results with a 48p buy.

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The bargain in question is from Shein – a macrame plant hanger.

“Hanging planters are a brilliant way to add layers to a small garden without cluttering the ground,” Beards & Daisies‘ lead horticulturalist Connor Towning explained.

“Use them for trailing plants like English ivy, boston fern, or even strawberries if you want to grow fruit.”

They also work well on a balcony, as hanging planters make them “feel like little hideaway – kind of like having your own mini garden retreat in the middle of the city,” the company’s founder Jo Lambell added.

Another way to maximise a garden with limited ground space is with a vertical planting wall.

“Think herbs, trailing plants, or colourful bedding in planters attached to trellises or wooden pallets,” Jo suggested.

“It’s a high-impact look that also smells incredible when you include rosemary, mint or thyme.”

You can even try making one yourself, just by mounting an old metal shoe rack to a wall.

Tilt it, and make sure it’s properly secured so that you can sit small potted plants on it at an angle – creating an “eye-catching, space-saving solution that turns clutter into a garden feature”.

It’s also worth looking at furniture with a dual purpose – such as a planter that doubles as a storage bench – to “maximise functionality while keeping your garden clutter-free”.

Make the most of the corners in your garden too.

You can turn one into a mini wildflower garden, using seeds such as a mix of cornflowers, poppies and cosmos.

“Sowing a small patch of wildflower seeds in a deep planter can support bees and butterflies,” Connor added.

“It’s one of the most rewarding things you can do for wildlife, and it adds a beautiful texture.”

Another option is to create a corner seating area – which you can do for less with reclaimed wooden pallets.

Add some weatherproof cushions to make a “snug lounge area that’s both budget-friendly and space-efficient”.

How To Make Your Small Garden Look Bigger

Garden design expert Fiona Jenkins from MyJobQuote.co.uk has created a guide on how to make your small garden look larger.

Add shelves – for additional storage and place to hold more plants. 

Use foldaway furniture – to take up less space when not in use. 

Add privacy – with fencing, trellis, brick walls or hedging. 

Add a water feature – to make your garden seem like a natural retreat. 

Go bright – when choosing plants, opt for bold colours to make the space pop. 

Use large planters – to get more plants in less space. 

Plant vertically – add plants upwards to make your garden seem fuller, and therefore, bigger.

Use blue flowers at the edges – blue flowers and plants recede into the distance and make the garden appear bigger. 

Grow tall plants – it’s better to think big when it comes to a small garden.   

Keep clutter a minimum – as it can give the illusion of less space than there actually is.

Lastly, there are some other illusions you can create with light and space, such as placing a mirror on a wall or fence to “visually double” the space.

Consider planting pale coloured flowers and plants such as white petunias, pale pink geraniums, or daisies to reflect light and make the space look bigger.

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Substitute Ousseni Bouda scored in the 74th minute, and the San José Earthquakes extended the Galaxy‘s MLS-record season-opening winless streak with a 1-0 victory Wednesday night.

Bouda slipped between two defenders and got his third goal of the season on a precise pass from fellow substitute Preston Judd for the Quakes, who ended a four-game losing streak in the California Clasico rivalry.

The defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy (0-12-4) are edging toward historic ignominy after dropping yet another game at the stadium where they went unbeaten in 2024 and won their league-record sixth title in December.

The MLS record is 19 consecutive winless matches in league play by the MetroStars in 1999. Real Salt Lake played 18 in a row without a win from 2005-06.

Earl Edwards Jr. made six saves to keep his third clean sheet of the season for San José, which is unbeaten in eight games across all competitions in May. Quakes coach Bruce Arena had a successful return to the stadium where he led the Galaxy for nine seasons and won three MLS Cup championships.

The Galaxy nearly salvaged a draw in the final minute of second-half injury time, but Edwards saved captain Maya Yoshida’s header deep in the San José box. Supporters chanted “We want better!” after the final whistle.

The Galaxy’s woes have only compounded throughout the new season despite the return to health of stars Joseph Paintsil, Gabriel Pec and Marco Reus. All three international veterans played major roles on last year’s championship team,but were limited by injury in the new year.

Reus left in the 59th minute against San José after sitting down on the grass without contact and eventually walking off the field. Reus struggled with a knee injury earlier in the season but had been playing well in recent games.

Disorganized in attack and lacking any crispness in their passing, the Galaxy still look lost without Catalan midfielder Riqui Puig, who orchestrated their excellence throughout the 2024 season before tearing a knee ligament in the conference final. Puig could return this summer, but the Galaxy also had to part with a handful of key contributors to last season’s team due to the salary cap constraints created annually for the MLS champion by title bonuses in their players’ contracts.

The Galaxy’s leadership has declined to panic during this mammoth skid, even extending the contract of coach Greg Vanney two weeks ago when the winless streak was at a mere 13 games.

The Galaxy’s Novak Micovic had to make two diving saves in the first two minutes of play, and he finished with four saves in the scoreless first half. San José’s Ian Harkes hit the crossbar from long range in the 22nd minute.

The Galaxy host Salt Lake on Saturday night. If they don’t beat Salt Lake or win at St. Louis on June 14, they could tie the MetroStars’ record June 25 at Colorado.

May 29 (UPI) — Thousands of First Nations people in northern Manitoba are being evacuated as the central Canadian province issued a state of emergency to battle fast-moving wildfires, officials said.

There are a number of wildfires burning across thousands of acres in northern Manitoba, mostly near the border with Saskatchewan.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents 26 First Nations communities in the province, said in a statement that evacuation orders have been issued for nearly 17,500 people in four First Nations communities with two more communities on evacuation notice.

“A lot of our First Nations are under threat because of the fires that have consumed a lot of territory in our area, and I’m just asking all of you, my relatives, to be strong and to be brave and to be courageous during this very difficult time,” MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee said in a recorded statement published to Facebook.

“This is a very, very critical time in our First Nations.”

Premier Wab Kinew of Manitoba on Wednesday declared a provincewide state of emergency, which will be in effect for 30 days to ensure federal, provincial and local resources can be deployed in a coordinated response.

A statement from the provincial government states that evacuation orders have beeb issued for the city of Flin Flon and the First Nations of Pimicikamak and Mathias Colomb.

“This is the largest evacuation in many Manitobans’ living memory,” Kinew said during a press conference.

“This is a moment of fear and uncertainty. This is a moment of concern. But I want to tell you that your fellow Manitobans will welcome you. We will get through this difficult period, and we will get through this trying period the way we always do — by working together. “

He said he has spoken with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who agreed to his request for assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces.

The military, he said, will be aiding with evacuation flights to the province’ capital of Winnipeg.

Good Morning Britain viewers were left furious after a heated debate was broadcast on Thursday morning

Good Morning Britain viewers issued a complaint as an “excruciating” debate unfolded on the show on Thursday (May 29).

This morning’s broadcast saw presenters Ed Balls and Susanna Reid tackle the day’s top stories, both domestically and globally, on the popular ITV show.

At one point, they began debating the current doctors’ strike after health secretary Wes Streeting warned that resident doctors would “choke” the NHS by going back on strike.

In a BBC interview, the MP urged resident doctors to “work with the government” and warned strikes risked hampering the progress being made in the NHS.

Last week, it was announced that resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, would be getting a 5.4% average pay rise this year – more than other doctors, nurses and teachers.

But they have said it’s not enough to make up for below-inflation pay awards since 2008.

GMB hosts Ed and Susanna invited Dr Ross Nieuwoudt from the resident doctors’ committee and Reem Ibrahim from the Institute of Economic Affairs onto the programme to delve into the contentious issue, reports Bristol Live.

“I absolutely believe in markets, but the NHS is not a market, it’s a socialised healthcare system. That is the fundamental point. If doctors want to be paid more, then let’s look at a social healthcare system,” Reem said.

“Let’s look at countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark that have public and private partnerships where there is competition.”

She added: “What I would like to see is the National Health Service as a whole, the spending that we’re using at the moment, being used more efficiently.”

Ross was quick to counter, asserting: “I think that’s a foolish thing to do. A canary in a coal mine is there to alert people of danger, and that’s what the strikes are doing.”

The debate soon escalated as Ed and Susanna joined the conversation, with tempers flaring on all sides.

Viewers tuning into the fiery exchange soon expressed their frustation on X (formerly Twitter), criticising the segment’s confrontational tone.

One viewer questioned: “Why are they shouting??” while another commented: “Why is Ed Balls getting angry here? So unprofessional.”

Another exasperated viewer remarked: “This is excruciating,” and one more asked: “Can you explain please why Ed Balls’s questioning and response to the young lady was more aggressive than to the BMA representative. Seems to forget he’s now supposed to be balanced as an interviewer and his political bias as a labour minister put on the back burner.”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am