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JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — A formerSouth Sudanfinance minister is the latest former government official arrested in a wave of detentions that analysts say shows cracks in the government of President Salva Kiir, who also facesan armed rebellion.

The latest arrest came Friday when Bak Barnaba Chol was taken into custody while attempting to cross the border into Uganda. His arrest followed that of another former minister of finance and planning, Marial Dongrin Ater, who was fired in August.

In the past week, a former central bank governor, a former undersecretary for the ministry of petroleum, and a general in the domestic intelligence agency previously posted to the same ministry have been detained.

The exact reasons for the arrests remain unclear.

Government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told local media outlet Eye Radio that the arrests were "not political" and were a "direct response to irregularities identified within the monetary system." He said that a committee was investigating "financial malpractices."

Edmund Yakani, a prominent civic leader, said Saturday that the mood in Juba was tense among politicians fearing detention. "So far, these arrests have mostly targeted financial institutions, but if the arrests carry into the security sectors it will be very dangerous," he said.

Daniel Akech of the International Crisis Group said the arrests showed a narrowing of the president's "big tent" coalition, which he has relied on for years to maintain control of a fractured political landscape.

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The war in Sudan is hurting South Sudan's economy, which is overwhelmingly dependent on oil exports. All of South Sudan's oil flows through pipelines in Sudan.

Since the South Sudan war began in 2023, pipeline ruptures have at times put more than 60% of oil production offline. The World Bank estimates that South Sudan's economy shrunk 24% in 2025.

In 2024, the International Crisis Group warned that the disruption of oil production could lead to much wider political violence as Kiir runs out of petrodollars "to keep South Sudan's rivalrous generals and warlords on his side."

The regime is already facing an armed rebellion. Opposition leader Riek Machar is under house arrest and on trial foralleged subversion, charges he denies. Many of his allies have since been arrested or purged from the government. Kiir suspended Machar as his deputy in September after Machar faced criminal charges.

Machar's removal coincided with a sharp increase in violence. The U.N. estimates that thousands were killed in 2025 and 280,000 people have been displaced since December.

A U.N. inquiry has found that South Sudan's leaders are "systematically dismantling" the 2018 peace agreement, signed to end a civil war and return Machar to a unity government with Kiir. Washington is urging peace talks again.

Falzetta reported from Nairobi, Kenya.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. had 19 points and 11 rebounds against his former team as No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 10 Illinois 84-70 on Friday night and clinched Big Ten regular-season title.

Johnson, who played for the Illini last season after verbally committing three years earlier, was booed throughout the game by Illinois fans.

Aday Mara had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting and Yaxel Lendeberg finished with 16 points and seven rebounds for the Wolverines (27-2, 17-1), who are 10-0 on the road and have won 23 games by 10 or more points.

The Wolverines won their first outright conference regular-season title since 2014, when they also clinched with a win at Illinois.

Michigan's 17 conference victories are the most in school history.

Keaton Wagler scored 23 points for the Illini (22-7, 13-5), who have lost four of six, including three in overtime. Wagler scored in double figures for the 21st straight game.

Kylan Boswell scored 15 points and David Mirkovic had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Illini, who entered the game as the Big Ten's top 3-point shooting team. Illinois was just 9 of 29 from distance against Michigan.

Michigan led 38-31 at halftime behind Johnson's 13 points.

Down 16-11 after a four-point play by Wagler, the Wolverines responded with an 11-point run capped by a 3 by Johnson and never trailed again. They led by as many as 21 points in the second half.

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NO. 21 MIAMI (OHIO) 69, WESTERN MICHIGAN 67

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Trey Perry scored on a driving layup with a second remaining and Miami of Ohio rallied to beat Western Michigan to remain the only unbeaten Division I team.

The RedHawks (16-0 Mid-American Conference) remain the only undefeated team in Division I men's basketball. Miami extended the best start in program history and added to its school record for wins in a season. Miami also boasts the best start and longest win streak in MAC annals.

Peter Suder scored 18 points for the RedHawks before fouling out with just over seven minutes remaining. Almar Atlason added 16 points, Perry finished with 14 and Eian Elmer 10.

Jayden Brewer led Western Michigan (10-19, 4-12) with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Justice Williams and EJ Ryans each added 14 points.

Miami is used to playing close games and won for the seventh time this season by less than six points.

The RedHawks trailed by four points, 30-26, at the half and fell behind by eight points twice early in the second half before tying the game at 49-all with 11:02 remaining.

Western Michigan ran off eight straight points for a 57-49 advantage with 8:40 remaining and led by nine (59-50) with 6:38 left before Miami chipped away and moved ahead 66-65 on a layup by Antwone Woolfolk with 14 seconds left.

Elmer's free throw with 37 seconds remaining gave the RedHawks a 67-65 edge, but Western Michigan tied it with 11 seconds left on a basket by Williams before Perry made the game winner.

Though the annualRuPaul's Drag RaceRusical challenge typically leads to gleeful fans each season, this year's installment was tinged with sadness, as it featured a special guest (and Emmy-nominated member of theDrag Racefamily) who died one month before Friday's episode aired.

This week's season 18 edition (which was filmed in 2025) featured the queens preparing to star inFannie, a Rusical spoof of the classicAnniestage production. Mid-way through the episode, the queens took to the Main Stage to record vocals for the project, where they joined songwriter Leland andlate producer Gabe Lopezto make music together.

Lopez died in January 2026, with his mother, Connie Howard, announcing on social media that her son died days earlier.

Howard called Lopez "loving, kind, talented," in her tribute, and added that he died following a "brief but intense battle with lymphoma."

TheMayo Clinicdescribes lymphoma as a form of cancer that primarily impacts the lymphatic system, and can damage "part of the body's germ-fighting immune system" in the process.

In astatement shared to social mediaat the time,Drag Raceproduction company World of Wonder honored Lopez.

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"We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Gabe Lopez. Gabe was a unique combination of musical brilliance, kindness and sharp wit. His impact — throughRuPaul's Drag Race& beyond — is immeasurable," the statement read. "We mourn a great talent and a greater friend. His melodies play on in all of us."

RuPaul's Drag Racefranchise stars also paid tribute to Lopez earlier this year, after the artist received an Emmy nod for his behind-the-scenes work mixing sound for the show's"Wigloose: The Rusical!" 2023 musical episodebased on the Kevin Bacon movieFootloose.

"Devastating to hear, sending so much love- he was a true gem," wroteDrag Race UK vs. the Worldseason 1 winner Blu Hydrangea, while season 2,All Stars 1, andAll Stars 6contestantPandora Boxxcommented with a tear-filled emoji and a heartbreak emoji under Howard's announcement.

Oscar-nominated songwriterDiane Warrenalso expressed sadness over Lopez's loss, writing, "Oh no this is horrible and heartbreaking shocking news. Sending love to You."

In addition to his work withDrag Race —including theDrag Racespin-off competition seriesQueen of the Universeand TV filmThe Bitch Who Stole Christmas— Lopez launched projects with pop star Belinda Carlisle, and further contributed behind-the-scenes toMonster High: The Movie,The Other Two,and theLas Culturistas Culture Awardsbroadcast.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Bridgerton star Yerin Ha opens up about representing the Asian community as Sophie in the fourth season of the Netflix drama

NEED TO KNOW

• "We deserve these roles and spaces," Ha told PEOPLE at the Lunar New Year Gold Celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 12

• Bridgerton season 4 is available to stream on Netflix

Bridgerton'sYerin Hais speaking out about the importance of Asian representation.

Ha, 28, shared what it means to her to represent the Asian community in Netflix's beloved drama while speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the Lunar New Year Gold Celebration hosted by Gold House in New York City on Wednesday, Feb. 12. TheBridgertonstar plays Sophie Baek, a maid who attends a masquerade ball and catches the eye of Benedict Bridgerton, in theseries fourth season.

"It's been really, really amazing and beautiful," Ha shares of being a part of the series' latest season. "I've been really caught up with a press tour, it has been really positive."

"I just feel so proud that I get to be the face of that and keep advocating for change and knowing that we deserve these roles and spaces," she adds.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The fourth season ofBridgertonsees Sophie navigate class disparities and identity as her character falls in love with the wealthy Benedict, played byLuke Thompson. After meeting Sophie at the masquerade ball as the Lady in Silver, Benedict sets out on a quest to find the mystery woman.

For the Australian actress, working on the show has been filled with fun memories. "We just have fun every day," Ha says. "It was always a laugh on set, and everyone's a good time and a good chat."

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In an October 2024 interview withShondaland, Ha revealed the moment she discovered she landed the lead role in season 4. While she was having breakfast with her mom at a cafe in Korea, she received a phone call.

"She came out crying, and then after the phone call, she was like, 'We gotta go home. I think I have indigestion,' and so we left," Ha said. "It was really beautiful to kind of, I guess share that moment with her."

However, when Ha readAn Offer from a Gentleman, the book inJulia Quinn's series that follows Benedict's love story, the nerves set in. In her JanuaryInStylecover story, the actress revealed that the intimacy scenes between Benedict and Sophie made her nervous.

"Being a woman in this industry, it's a massive thing. People think that they have the right to talk about your body, how you look, and your external appearance," Ha said. "I've dealt with body image and that shame for a very, very long time — and I'm still working through it."

She continued, "But what's been really nice about Sophie is she's taught me a lot about self-love and self-acceptance. I'm still working on accepting myself for my entirety and being happy with who I am. In a world where we strive for perfection, what does that look like?"

Bridgertonseason 4 is available to stream on Netflix.

Read the original article onPeople

Like every major star in Hollywood,Robin Williams' immensesuccessand popularity in the larger entertainment industry can be traced back to one key role. And in the case of the legendary late comedian, said role came with Williams' scene-stealing performance in the belovedsitcom,Happy Days.

Tapping into his famously zany comedic background, Williams' performance as the otherworldly alien Mork helped thrust the young actor into the public spotlight.

While it's hard to imagine anyone else inhabiting the role of the eccentric extraterrestrial visitor, one key moment early on in Williams' audition process ultimately helped land the actor his breakthrough role on the show.

When appearing on theFake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donaldpodcast,Happy DaysHenry Winkler shared his memories of initially interacting with Robin Williams on the set of the show, as well as his experience witnessing the late actor audition for the role (viaPeoplemagazine).

"A young, very shy, very quiet man comes with the casting director," Winkler said. "And then this human being picked up the script. When he opened his mouth, it was like a volcano went off on stage 19 at Paramount."

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"And I knew, get out of his way, know my lines, and don't try to stand toe to toe with this genius that is now standing in front of me," the actor went on to say.

Of course, one notable improvised moment helped impress Happy Day's cast and crew above all else. As series creator Garry Marshall remembered in 1989, Winkler wound up standing on his head the minute he began his audition, taking Marshall and his fellow backstage staff by surprise.

"He did the whole audition standing on his head," Marshall said. "He was a whole different fresh view of a guy doing an outer-space alien."

"When Robin Williams came on as a Martian, he was all over the place and was improvising some, and they gave him room," Marshall similarly recalled. "At the end of the episode, 300 people in the audience stood up and applauded, which is not usually done. It didn't take a genius to know he could do his own show, and we made one for him,Mork & Mindy."

This story was originally published byParadeon Feb 27, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

Los Angeles School Superintendent Alberto Carvalho is being put on paid leave while he is part of a federal investigation. The move on Friday by the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education comes two days after the FBI served search warrants at his home and the district's headquarters.

Authorities have not provided details of the nature of the investigation involving the nation's second-largest school district, which serves more than 500,000 students.

Carvalho became superintendent in 2022. He previously led the public schools in Miami.

Andres Chait, the chief of school operations, will take over the helm while Carvalho is on leave, the district said.

Carvalho has not responded to a request for comment. The FBI on Wednesday also searched a third location near Miami. The Miami Herald reported the Florida property belonged to Debra Kerr, who previously worked with AllHere, an education technology company that had a contract with Los Angeles schools before it collapsed and its leader was indicted for fraud. She could not be reached for comment Thursday.

In 2024, Carvalho heavily touted a deal with AllHere for an AI chatbot named "Ed" designed to help students. But about three months after unveiling the technology and paying the company $3 million, the district dropped its dealings with AllHere, which collapsed into bankruptcy. Months later, founder Joanna Smith-Griffin was charged with securities and wire fraud, along with identity theft.

The school district said in a statement Wednesday that it "is cooperating with the investigation and we do not have further information at this time."

Carvalho denied personal involvement in the selection of AllHere, according to the Los Angeles Times. After Smith-Griffin was indicted, Carvalho said he would appoint a task force to examine what went wrong with the LA school district's project, but there have been no public announcements about it since.

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Kerr, an education technology salesperson who connects companies with schools, said she was never paid her $630,000 commission for her work in closing the AllHere deal with the LA district, according to a news organization, The 74, that covered the company's bankruptcy hearings in 2024.

The 74 reported that Kerr had longstanding ties with Carvalho from when he oversaw the Florida district and that her son who worked for AllHere pitched the technology to LA school leaders after he took over the helm there. The Associated Press was unable to reach Kerr for comment.

Over the past five years in Los Angeles, Carvalho has been lauded for the district's improvements to academic performance. He won similar praise while overseeing Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida's largest school district, where the national superintendents association named him Superintendent of the Year in 2014.

Spain knighted the Portugal-born administrator in 2021 for his work in expanding Spanish-language programs for Miami-Dade County schools.

Months later, Carvalho took the job in California and became a harsh critic of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown, especially following raids in Los Angeles last year.

Carvalho arrived in Los Angeles at a critical moment, as the district found itself flush with funding from state and federal COVID-19 relief money but still struggling with the impacts of the pandemic, including learning losses and declining enrollment. He previously sparred with Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis over his order that schools not require masks during the pandemic.

The Miami-Dade school system said in a statement that it was aware of the investigation involving Carvalho but did not have any comment at this time.

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HAVANA (AP) — Top officials with Cuba's Ministry of the Interior unveiled for the first time late Friday the items they said were aboard aFlorida-flagged speedboatthat opened fire against troops in waters off the island's north coast this week, with soldiers responding and killing four suspects.

Cuba Boat Shooting

Officials also revealed to The Associated Press that authorities were able to establish that the 10 Cuban suspects left the U.S. in two boats, but one failed, so they transferred all the supplies to the remaining one and left the other adrift.

The government said the detained suspects revealed those details and stressed that theyimmediately contacted the U.S. Coast Guard.

Among the items Cuban officials said were aboard the boat: a dozen high-powered weapons, including one with a scope; a big cooler filled with more than 12,800 pieces of ammunition; 11 pistols; heavy-duty boots, helmets with cameras; and camouflage backpacks.

"We were clearly able to assess that we were facing a terrorist action from a boat coming from the United States," 1st Col. Ivey Daniel Carballo of the Cuban Border Guard Troops told the AP.

According to Carballo, the 30-foot (nine meter) border patrol boat detected an intruder on Wednesday morning and approached to within about 600 feet (185 meters) to investigate, but it was met with high-caliber gunfire.

He said that three of the attackers were immediately killed and that a fourth was wounded and later died.

Caraballo said the speedboat was located about one mile (1.6 kilometers) northeast of Cayo Falcones off the island's north coast. The border guard commander was injured, he added.

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Victor Eduardo Álvarez Valle, one of the heads of Criminal Investigation for State Security at the Ministry of the Interior, told the AP that authorities were surprised by the resistance they encountered.

"We didn't expect it, especially with that many people and weapons," he said.

"The military equipment found on board has been identified by the assailants, including where and how they acquired it, and the training they received. They also revealed who financed it," Álvarez added.

He noted that officials detected 13 bullet holes on the border guard boat and 21 others on the suspect's vessel, "meaning that there was combat."

The Cuban government had reported Wednesday that a person had been captured on land, but Álvarez said that so far, there is no information that the suspects had any support network on the island.

Cuba's chief prosecutor of the directorate at the Attorney General's Office, Edward Robert Campbell, told the AP that the six arrested, all of Cuban origin, could face terrorism charges, which carries a possible sentence of 30 years in prison, life imprisonment or even the death penalty, although the latter has been on moratorium for more than a decade.

The Associated Press was given access to Cuban military officials and shown the items displayed at the headquarters of the former Cuban Institute of Radio and Television ahead of a program that showed them to the public for the first time.

U.S.Secretary of State Marco Rubiohas said it was not a U.S. government operation and thatthe American governmentwas gathering its own information.