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The Wire star James Ransone’s wife breaks silence after heartbreaking suicide

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Actor James Ransone, who is best known for playing Ziggy Sobotka on The Wire, passed away on Friday at the age of 46. His wife has spoken about his loss and his tragic passing.

After James Ransone’s sudden passing, his widow paid emotional tribute to him.

The Wire star James was found dead at a property in Los Angeles on Friday. The Medical Examiner’s office said in online records that the actor died by suicide and that he was discovered in a shed. He leaves behind his wife and two young children.

The HBO series, which aired until 2008 and was well-known throughout the world, featured James’ best role as Ziggy Sobotka. He also appeared on the television programs Poker Face and Bosch, as well as It: Chapter Two, The Black Phone, and Black Phone 2.

His wife Jamie McPhee shared a heartbreaking Instagram post on Sunday night. She shares son Jack, six, and daughter Violet, four, with the late star. Grieving Jamie shared an image showing him with his hands on her baby bump before she gave birth to their youngest child.

She continued, “I told you I had loved you 1000 times before and I know I will love you again.” You both need to be more like me and I do, and you both have both got it right. Thank you, Jack, and Violet for giving me the best gifts. We’re eternal.

She then continued to update her profile with a National Alliance on Mental Illness fundraiser. On X, his co-star on The Wire, Wendell Pierce, said, “Sorry I couldn’t be there for you, brother. While HBO captioned a photo of the star with the words “In loving memory of James Ransone,” “Rest in Peace James Ransone.”

James remarked about his troubled early years of life, saying, “I did not fit in well with everyone. I think that most children go through this difficult time, just like I do most of them. It’s very uncomfortable. I once had a very difficult time with the typical public schools.

“Then, my mother discovered this school.” She said, “Hey, they’re opening this arts school. You are free to depart. You must perform an audition. It would be very simple for me to enroll because I would be the first person to have graduated completely. I said, “Yes. I’ll do everything to avoid these people. It saved me as a child, in my opinion. I was saved by attending arts school.

“I still struggle with acting as a catharsis. I don’t end up playing many likeable characters, so I’m finding myself in a lot of unlikable skin. I don’t feel good as a result of that. I experience much more catharsis when I film, paint, or create short films. You are in some control. I believe that the true essence of art is in the creation of something that is beyond words. Good art begins where language ends.

Fans cried over the weekend news and tributes have poured in for James One, who “given the best adult performance in IT: Chapter 2” He made the best transition between the child and adult performances out of the rest of the cast, which was impressive. A genuine talent betrayed.

When I learned that he played a key role in the new IT, I was “so excited.” A heaven-made literary match. James was such a talented actor, and he always delivered audiences a character they’d never forget. In Generation Kill, I adored Ziggy, just like I adored his in The Wire. He was definitely going to get the career boost he so desperately needed, I thought,” a second said.

“Very sad” was a third song. “Heartbreaking news,” according to one of the four who added: “46 is so young.” In both Black Phone and It Chapter Two of the Sinister movies, he did a fantastic job. Due to James’ father’s two children, his family received also special tributes.

“I’m definitely sparing a thought for the family. A few days before Christmas and they lose their father like this. Life will never be the same for them, and surely the holidays will always be a struggle,” one shared.

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London City set to appoint Maestre as manager

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Following Jocelyn Precheur’s dismissal, the London City Lionesses are appointing Spanish coach Eder Maestre as manager.

Maestre recently oversaw the top-tier of Spain’s top-tier CD Tenerife Femenino, but he left in December.

On Sunday, London City fired Frenchman Precheur after being first to earn a promotion to the Women’s Super League this season.

Precheur, 43, joined London City from Paris St-Germain in 2024 as a result of Michele Kang’s ambitious multi-club investment.

With five victories from their first 11 matches in the WSL, London City was forced to make the decision.

However, it is believed that Precheur did not intend for the club to take them to the next stage of their development.

Maestre is regarded as a future world-class coach with a strong Spanish style that they want to see bring into London City, according to some.

Ellen White, Jen Beattie and Ben Haines
The Women’s Football Weekly podcast returns for another season featuring Ben Haines, Ellen White, and Jen Beattie. On the Women’s Football Weekly feed, you can find interviews and additional content from the Women’s Super League and beyond as well as new episodes that are available every Tuesday on BBC Sounds.

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Ribadu, Umahi, Lawal Visit Fubara In Rivers

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Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of the Rivers State, and Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser, are visiting the Government House in Port Harcourt. &nbsp,

Engineer David Umahi, the minister of works, and Balarabe Lawal, his government’s counterpart, Balarabe Lawal, welcomed the NSA.

As part of a delegation led by the federal government, they arrived in the oil-rich state on Monday to begin a high-level inspection of significant sites in Rivers State.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, and Chukwuemeka Woke, the Director-General of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, are the other delegates.

They are preparing to conduct a thorough inspection of significant sites in Rivers State.

Prior to that, Ogoni Mothers Union members and other Ogoniland stakeholders met with senior government officials at Port Harcourt International Airport and received them at the airport’s VIP wing.

The trio will travel to Ogoniland for a number of inspections and stakeholder engagements after meeting with Fubara.

The itinerary includes stops at the University of Environmental Technology, Ogoni, the Gokana Oil Facility and Hospital at K-Dere, the Industrial Park site, and Taabaa General Hospital as well as an inspection of ongoing work on the East-West Road.

Explaining Celtic manager Nancy’s ‘unusual’ tactics

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One of the most challenging tasks for any club is figuring out how to strike a balance between achieving desired outcomes in the short term and achieving long-term goals.

The Scottish champions selected Wilfried Nancy, the 2024 MLS Coach of the Year, who is renowned for his exciting, front-foot approach, after Martin O’Neill established the course at Celtic.

The Frenchman had four losses in the first four, but Sunday’s dramatic 3-1 victory over Aberdeen gave him some much-needed rest.

What strategies does Nancy employ?

Nancy has a high-possession 3-4-2-1 system that he used when he was a young Celtic player.

Celtic have developed a 3-3-2 formation that features two central midfielders who are close to each other and three central defenders in possession.

Both attacking midfielders are positioned centrally, close to the striker, and both wing-backs remain high and wide. In the middle of the pitch, the attacking midfielders and the central midfielders form a box as a result.

Nancy purposefully chose to use position players who are versatile at Columbus Crew.

The team was able to play fluidly thanks to the team’s central defenders, Steven Moreira, Sean Zawadzki, and Malte Amundsen, who are comfortable at either full-back or midfield.

Although it has been questioned about Nancy’s early Celtic team selections, he will need to develop his skills over time.

A screengrab from Celtic vs Dundee United showing Celtic's 3-2-4-1 shape. BBC Sport

How does Nancy make use of center-backs when she needs to?

A screengrab of Wilfried Nancy's Columbus Crew showing their build-up shape with eight players involved, six of them towards the left side of the pitch.BBC Sport

The principles he likes to use in build-up play are revealed when we examine Nancy’s approach at Columbus Crew.

The right-back position of his, Moreira, moves into a midfield position unmarked, which is particularly interesting.

Once the players become more used to his methods, these unusual movements, which require versatility from players, will become a hallmark of Celtic under Nancy.

Asymmetrical play is not a thing that Nancy avoids. In this instance, there are eight players close by, with six of them on the left.

Passing should be simpler with little room for each player, which presents an unusual challenge for a defending team.

The opposition will press up the pitch as they advance the ball up the pitch into dangerous areas by building up with this many players so much.

Players are encouraged to attack the space that their team-mates have created for them by leaving their positions as a result of this shift in pace and smart, unusual movements.

In the final third of Nancy’s defense, central midfielders, and central defenders frequently make runs from deep into these gaps, and defensive markers typically follow the attacking players out of position.

A screengrab from Celtic vs Dundee United in which Tierney has made a run from left central defence to the left wing to receive a pass before making a cross.BBC Sport

Attacking signals that promise

Even if examples of Nancy’s attacking methods working as he would have hoped were rare in his early days in Glasgow, the analysis of those techniques should give hope to Celtic fans.

In their previous two games, Celtic have improved significantly, with the home win over Aberdeen and the defeat at Dundee United among the highlights.

They hit the post four times in a game against Aberdeen and had 71% of the ball, 31 shots, and an expected 4.53 goals tally.

These numbers are staggering even against a team with only 10 men, and it would be fair to say that they were only allowed to score three goals due to poor luck, excellent finishing, and excellent saves.

Under Nancy, Celtic’s attacking performances appear to be gradually improving.

Fans will need to be patient, though, because it takes time to create the connections that make these strategies effective.

Nancy encourages freedom for his players to express themselves, which has long-term benefits but short-term effects.

A shot map from Opta illustrating all 31 of Celtic's shots against Aberdeen this season.Opta

but weaknesses in defense

Nancy enjoys Nancy’s precise use of his sides to score goals.

He prefers to introduce players in the box to receive passes or cut-backs rather than focusing on crosses.

Due to the smallness of his first three league games, Celtic decided to put this to bed.

His players were looking for those extra passes to find team-mates in the box against Aberdeen, though.

Crosses have resulted in turnovers when this has not occurred, and Celtic have been more prone to counter-attacks with fewer players behind the ball.

Nancy directs Celtic to counter-press right away when they lose the ball. They have made an effort to do it with intensity, but when they don’t coordinate, gaps open up and teams can quickly access their backlines.

Their inability to defend set-pieces has been another issue.

Although it may take time to implement an improved defensive structure, Celtic’s squad appears to lack the skills to dominate both on the ground and in the air.

This could be due to replacing traditional centerbacks with more technical full-backs.

A screengrab from Celtic's loss to Roma this season showing a Roma player find space between Celtic's defence and attack, before driving with the ball, eventually resulting in a goal.BBC Sport

Celtic has to have faith in the procedure

The decision to hire Nancy came from Celtic executives because they were aware of his game plan, which is a three-at-back system that puts pressure on the quarterback before the ball enters the opening.

How successful Nancy is in Glasgow will depend in large part on whether this works for Celtic, who play domestic football teams that sit back and block rather than press them.

His teams consist of players who are encouraged to rotate frequently, express freedom, and play one-twos while also attempting to attack diagonally.

Even if one of Celtic’s previous two games ended in defeat, it has worked well for them in the past for them, and there have also been more promising signs in that regard.

To bring the ideas that were successful at Columbus Crew to life, Celtic will need to work with him and make the signings.

However, there are high expectations for Celtic, and a change to this level will require some minor adjustments to attract both fans and players.

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Israeli military storms West Bank towns, carries out demolition

A residential building was destroyed in one of the occupied West Bank towns by Israeli forces.

As they began the demolition of East Jerusalem on Monday, soldiers fired tear gas and stun grenades. According to Palestinian officials, Israel is engaged in a city-wide displacement campaign as part of a coordinated effort to expel Palestinians from their land.

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As a four-story residential building was torn down by Israeli bulldozers, scores of Palestinians were forced to flee. It was the biggest demolition in the area this year, according to activists.

According to Al Jazeera Arabic correspondents, three bulldozers reportedly destroyed the Wadi Qaddum neighborhood of the Silwan district, south of Jerusalem’s Old City, housing complex with 13 apartments.

Israeli forces deployed heavily throughout the area, blocked nearby roads, and placed security personnel on the rooftops of nearby homes. A young man and a teen boy were detained during the operation.

Because the building had been constructed without a permit, the demolition order was made, according to the residents.

According to activists, Israel’s restrictive planning policies, which they claim are a result of a systematic attempt to ethnically expel Palestinians from their land, present significant challenges for Palestinians in getting building permits.

As the government continues to expand its settlement push, Israel’s security cabinet recently approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the West Bank. This number increases to 69 in total this year.

“Systematic policy of displacement”

The demolition was condemned by the Palestinian Authority-affiliated governorate in Jerusalem.

The governorate stated in a statement that the demolition of the building is part of a “systical policy” that aims to forcefully displaced Palestinian residents and remove the city’s original inhabitants.

“Any demolition that expels residents from their homes results in a clear occupation plan to replace the land’s owners with settlers.”

According to the Jerusalem municipality, an Israeli body whose jurisdiction over East Jerusalem is not recognized by international law, a 2014 court order led to the demolition.

Despite a scheduled meeting on Monday to discuss steps to legalize the building, Israeli human rights organizations Ir Amim and Bimkom claimed the demolition was carried out without warning.

“This is a continuation of a policy,” the statement read. Around 100 East Jerusalem families have lost their homes this year alone, according to the organizations, calling the demolition on Monday the largest of 2025.

Escalated attacks

In the northern town of Silat al-Harithiya, Israeli forces also damaged agricultural land and uprooted trees.

Israeli forces stormed several neighbourhoods with large numbers of military vehicles, deployed sniper teams, and established positions throughout the city in Halhul, north of Hebron.

Israeli vehicles entered Halhul through several checkpoints, including Nabi Yunis, before closing the checkpoint connecting the city to Hebron, according to Al Jazeera Arabic journalists.

Israeli forces and settlers have sharply increased attacks across the West Bank since Israel started its occupation of Gaza in October 2023.

Israel demolishes residential building in occupied East Jerusalem

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As Israeli forces destroyed a four-storey residential building causing around 100 people to flee their homes in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians who were being forced to leave their homes. The most recent demolitions in the area targeted Palestinian homes was the latest.