Pakistan players look dejected after South Africa win the match by one wicket during World Cup 2023. — Reuters/File
Pakistan is expected to reassess its participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India-Sri Lanka, following increasing concerns related to the Bangladesh cricket team, sources told Geo News.
The Bangladesh government has reached out to Pakistan for support over its decision to skip travelling to India for the tournament, citing security concerns, sources said.
They added that Pakistan supports Bangladesh’s legitimate concerns, emphasising that they should be addressed and acted upon.
Pakistan has also stressed that no country should face pressure or threats from India, assuring Bangladesh of its full support on the matter.
On January 11, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expressed its willingness to host Bangladesh’s matches in the T20 World Cup after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) decided against travelling to India over security concerns.
PCB sources confirmed that Pakistan formally communicated its interest in hosting Bangladesh’s fixtures should venues in Sri Lanka be unavailable.
They added that all Pakistani venues are fully prepared to stage World Cup matches and highlighted Pakistan’s successful hosting of major ICC events, including the Champions Trophy 2025, and the ICC Women’s Qualifier.
Meanwhile, in another development, Cricket Ireland (CI) clarified that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will not move Ireland’s group-stage matches out of Sri Lanka, dismissing reports of a possible group swap with Bangladesh.
This follows claims that the BCB had requested a group exchange due to concerns over travelling to India.
“We’ve received definitive assurances that we won’t move from the original schedule. We’re definitely playing the group stage in Sri Lanka,” a Cricket Ireland official confirmed.
Under the current schedule, Bangladesh are in Group B with West Indies, England, Nepal, and Italy, playing their matches in Kolkata and Mumbai. Ireland is in Group C alongside co-hosts Sri Lanka, Australia, Zimbabwe, and Oman, with all fixtures in Sri Lanka.
The BCB reportedly discussed the possibility of a group swap with ICC officials in Dhaka on Saturday to minimise logistical challenges, though the proposal received little support from the ICC or Cricket Ireland.
According to the current schedule, Bangladesh will play their first three group matches in Kolkata — against West Indies on February 7, Italy on February 9, and England on February 14 — before concluding against Nepal in Mumbai on February 17.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
At the Golden Globes last week, Judd Apatow cracked up the room: “I’m very honored to be asked to present the award for best director, because I’m pretty sure that means the Globes people think I’m also one of the best directors.”
But Apatow is more at home behind the camera, as a director of comedies like “The 40 Year Old Virgin,” and of documentaries about some of his idols, like comedians Garry Shandling and George Carlin.
Mel Brooks belts out a number from his Tony Award-winning smash hit “The Producers” outside Tower Records at Lincoln Center, March 2, 2010.
Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
His latest subject hardly needs an introduction.
Asked why he decided to do a documentary about Mel Brooks, Apatow said, “Mel is the reason why most of us went into comedy. You know, when I was a kid (I was born in 1967), all these Mel Brooks movies came out while I was a little kid and trying to figure out what the world meant and who I was. And here was this hilarious, tiny Jewish man who was really loud and brash and confident, and seemed like the coolest guy in the world. And I think me and a lot of people thought, ‘Oh, that’s the job you would want. You would want to be Mel Brooks.'”
“Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man” streams this week on HBO Max. Co-directed by Michael Bonfiglio, it’s the surprisingly personal origin story of a comedy legend – a Brooklyn kid raised by a single mom whose four sons went off to war.
In the documentary, Brooks described his wartime experience:
Brooks: “I was sent from a provincial tenement in Brooklyn to France, 1104th engineer combat battalion.” Apatow: “And the Germans had just left France?” Brooks: “Yeah.” Apatow: “And so your job was to make sure they didn’t leave behind booby traps?” Brooks” “Right. Forty-five degree angle with your bayonet, go through the soil, find, find, find, dink dink. Oh, oh!”
“I said to him, you know, “Did you ever think that you were gonna die?'” Apatow recalled. “And he goes, ‘Only every second of every day.'”
Mel Brooks and Judd Apatow in the documentary “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!”
HBO Max
Brooks came home from the war, but he never really stopped fighting the Nazis – lampooning them in “The Producers,” “To Be or Not to Be,” and “History of the World Part I.”
Asked what made Nazis such a frequent target of Brooks, Apatow said, “The fear that it was gonna happen again. And then if you don’t keep pointing out how horrifying this is, then it can, you know, slowly bubble back up, which is something we see right now.”
And Brooks was equally fearless against racism. His 1974 film “Blazing Saddles” is the story of a Black sheriff in a racist town. Critics were divided over the raunchy comedy, but it was a monster hit with moviegoers. And just a few months later, he came out with another monster hit, “Young Frankenstein.”
What did releasing two big hits in the same year do for Brooks’ status? “He just became Beyoncé for a little while,” Apatow said. “I mean, he was a real sensation. And it was kind of shocking, right, that two of the best comedies of all time come out in the same year. And we didn’t talk about this in the documentary, but there was some sense that ‘Blazing Saddles’ was so daring that maybe he made sure to make another movie, so that if they really turned on him with ‘Blazing Saddles,’ he already had another one to show ’em.”
It wasn’t all just for laughs: Mel Brooks also produced dramas, like David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man,” but he did it quietly, refusing to put his name on it. “He thought it was a distraction, and you would think the movie was silly ’cause his name was on it,” Apatow said. “But yet, it said Brooksfilms. So, I think people figured it out. I think he should put his name on there.”
No history of Mel Brooks’ life would be complete without a mention of his best friend, comedy giant Carl Reiner. “It’s one of the great friendships of all time, because they were friends for, I mean, 70 years? Maybe more?” Apatow said. “You know, some people are just magic together. They just fit. And they adored each other more than I’ve ever seen two people adore and respect each other. I asked him, you know, ‘What is the core of this?’ And he said, ‘He’s my father.'”
Reiner was actually only four years older, but Brooks looked up to him, and later in life, as widowers, they leaned on one another. [Brooks’ wife, Anne Bancroft, died in 2005; Estelle Reiner died in 2008.]
Apatow said the loss of Bancroft was very hard on Brooks: “He famously would go eat dinner and watch a movie with Carl Reiner at Carl Reiner’s house, and he did that for many, many years. And they supported each other. And that’s how both of them got through it. And then after Carl died, Mel would go to Carl’s house alone and eat dinner and watch a movie. And I asked him why. And he said, ‘Because it feels like he’s there in some way.'”
Brooks, who will turn 100 in June, has two Oscars, four Emmys, and the Broadway version of his hit movie “The Producers” has 12 Tonys – a record that still stands today. He also won three Grammys, giving him rare EGOT status.
What’s more, he’s lived long enough to see how his work endures, in his films, and in the countless comedians he inspired.
Asked what Brooks thought his legacy was, Apatow replied, “He said he thought he was put on this Earth to make people laugh, and he did that.”
“What do you think Mel Brooks’ legacy is?” I asked.
“The main one is probably the funniest person of all time, and the creator of some of the best films of all time, one of the great Broadway musicals of all time, who had the courage to make comedy, both about unimportant things and the most important things, and he did it longer than anybody,” Apatow said.
To watch a trailer for the documentary “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!,” click on the video player below:
As a young boy, Judd Apatow says he wanted to grow up to be like Mel Brooks, the filmmaker of such comedy classics as “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.” Now Apatow has co-directed a two-part HBO Max documentary about his idol, “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!” Apatow talks with Tracy Smith about the World War II veteran who broke comedy taboos by lampooning Nazis and racists, and about Brooks’ long friendship with another comic legend, Carl Reiner.
Piers Morgan suffers injuries, admitted to the hospital
Piers Morgan shocks his fans after he shared a post revealing he was hospitalized for breaking his hip after a fall in a hotel in London.
Taking to Instagram, he shares his snaps in the hospital, resting on the bed, while another photo shows an X-ray of his broken hip.
In addition to the hip, his femoral neck is also fractured. Given the severity of the injury, Piers says he needs a full hip replacement.
The injury means the TV presenter will be looking at up to three months in recovery, and doctors advised against travel for at least 12 weeks.
In the wake of a painful fall, Piers’ caption on the post did not give the vibe that he just had a serious injury.
In humorous style, he pens, ‼️ BREAKING NEWS ‼️ 1. Tripped on a small step.
2. Inside a London hotel restaurant.
3. Fell like a sack of spuds.
4. Fractured neck of femur.
5. So badly I needed a new hip.
6. Recovering in hospital.
7. Crutches for 6 weeks.
8. No long-haul flying for 12 weeks.
9. New Year off to a cracking start!
10. I blame Donald Trump.
In the comment section, fans flood with well-wishes for the star.
One person writes, “Blimey, the start of your new year has gone with a bang!! Sending you wishes for a speedy recovery! Xx.”
“Piers, you’re one of my favourites on our screens. I’m so sad to see this. I hope you can recover well and soon. Listen to doctors orders & remember time is the healer even though you will want it to be quick. I’m sending you love & prayers,” another adds.
It’s been a long few years for the DePaul faithful. A current senior at the university would have seen the following men’s basketball seasons: 10-23 (3-17 in Big East play) as a freshman. 3-29 (0-20 Big East) as a sophomore. 14-20 (4-16 Big East) as a junior.
But now, second-year head coach Chris Holtmann seems to have the Blue Demons moving in the right direction. And with student support in the stands matching the team finding some momentum on the court, Holtmann took the opportunity to give back to the student section in a manner most undergraduates can appreciate: free drinks.
On Friday night, DePaul topped Marquette80-75 at Wintrust Arena, the Blue Demons’ third Big East win of the season and third straight Big East home win. The victory, which came in front of a record number of student attendees, makes this season the first since 2014-15 in which DePaul has won three or more conference games by Jan. 16 or earlier — and the first since 2007 in which it has won three straight conference home games in a single season.
At 9:46 p.m. CT, the Blue Demons’ official X page confirmed the victory. About an hour later, presumably just after speaking to the media and the team in the locker room, Holtmann fired up his own X account to repost the team’s post with a message for DePaul students.
“Highest student attendance in the history of Wintrust and one of the largest crowds!!! Thank you!!!” the post started, before getting to the kicker. “First round on me at Kelly’s Pub near campus. See you in 35 min!”
Highest student attendance in the history of Wintrust and one of the largest crowds!!! Thank you!!!
There was a brief change of plans — the afterparty location was initially shifted to Homeslice, a local pizza and drinks joint, and the photos posted by DePaul indicate Holtmann ended up at Hook and Ladder on North Lincoln Avenue, approximately a 10-minute walk from DePaul’s campus. But good things come to those who wait (and stay abreast of updates on social media), and — regardless of location — see Holtmann in 35 minutes fans did.
Patrons who found Holtmann discovered that, true to his word, he was indeed making the rounds. Then, hoisting himself onto a bar, he reiterated his commitment over the unsurprising cacophony of a crowded post-win venue.
“If you’re a DePaul student, first round’s on me,” Holtmann hollered, before walking back into the crowd to enjoy the rest of the night.
More than half a dozen European countries warned in a joint statement on Sunday that tariff threats over Greenland undermine transatlantic relations as the White House seeks to pressure allies into a deal to acquire the Arctic island.
The statement, issued by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom, said the countries remain committed to strengthening Arctic security and are prepared to engage in dialogue grounded in respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response,” the statement said in part. “We are committed to upholding our sovereignty.”
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members said they also stand in “full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
Soldiers pass the Arktisk Kommando, the Danish Armed Forces’ Arctic Command, in Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 15, 2026.(Julia Wäschenbach/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The statement comes after President Donald Trump threatened on his Truth Social platform to impose a 10% tariff on the eight countries unless a deal is reached for what he called the “complete and total purchase of Greenland.”
Trump said the 10% tariff would go into effect on Feb. 2 and could rise to 25% on June 1.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Trump’s post Saturday on social media.
Kristersson wrote on X that allies would not be “blackmailed.”
“Only Denmark and Greenland decide on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland,” he said, adding that other European Union (EU) countries were discussing a coordinated response.
Young people carry placards reading “Greenland is not for sale!” during a large protest against President Donald Trump’s proposal to acquire Greenland, near the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 17, 2026.(Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP via Getty Images)
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, also voiced concern over Trump’s remarks, warning that Russia and China were “having a field day” and stood to benefit from divisions within NATO.
“If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity,” she said. “We also cannot let our dispute distract us from our core task of helping to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
Trump has repeatedly said the United States needs Greenland, a semiautonomous Danish territory, for “national security” purposes.
Greenland’s natural resource wealth has also long-drawn strategic interest, the Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a January report, noting the territory is rich in iron ore, graphite, tungsten, palladium, vanadium, zinc, gold, uranium, copper and oil.
Houses are seen in the village of Narsaq, Greenland, on June 24, 2009.(Rafael Bastante/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Greenland’s leaders, however, have firmly rejected any suggestion the territory’s future or sovereignty is open to negotiation.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Facebook Thursday that the territory is “not for sale” and will not be owned or governed by the U.S.
“Greenland does not want to be a part of the United States,” Nielsen argued.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen joins a mass demonstration against President Donald Trump’s proposal to acquire Greenland, in Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 17, 2026.(Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP via Getty Images)
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Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said the Trump administration’s efforts to “seize” the territory of an ally were “beyond stupid.”
“It hurts the legacy of President Trump and undercuts all the work he has done to strengthen the NATO alliance over the years,” Tillis said.
Siu-Lung Leung has died peacefully at the age of 77.
On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the legendary Hong Kong martial arts actor’s family confirmed his passing to the media outlet Sing Tao Headlines.
Leung’s family is reportedly handling funeral arrangements privately, with a farewell ceremony scheduled for January 26, 2026 in Longgang, Shenzhen, in China’s Guangdong province.
The Lifetime Treasure actor was a major figure in the Hong Kong film industry throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He first rose to fame for his portrayal of Chen Zhen.
He later introduced himself to the new generation with the performance as the Beast in Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle. The actor’s role of Beast in Kung Fu Hustle still remains as one of the film’s most beloved elements.
It is pertinent to mention that over the course of his decades long career, Siu-Lung Leung starred in numerous martial arts classics and became known for his real-life skills as well. He was trained in Goju-ryu Karate and Wing Chun, and also grouped among the Bruceploitation actors who emerged after Bruce Lee’s death.
Actor Stellan Skarsgård may be well-known in Sweden – his picture is prominently displayed at the airport – but he dismisses that it is a big deal. “Sweden is a small country!” he laughs.
He’s self-effacing, and while Skarsgärd was recognized during our stroll through his hometown of Stockholm, respectful, shy Swedes may help keep any Hollywood-actor-ego in check. Skarsgärd noted, “They don’t say like Americans – OH MY GOD, IT’S YOU!!!”
He’s recognizable from any number of roles over the decades, from Hollywood blockbusters (“The Hunt for Red October,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”), popular streaming shows (“Andor”), European art-house fare (“Breaking the Waves”), and even an ABBA musical.
Correspondent Seth Doane with actor Stellan Skarsgård in Stockholm.
CBS News
I said, “This morning I was watching you singing in ‘Mamma Mia’…”
“Oh. Watching is okay, but listening to it?” Skarsgärd laughed. “I’ve tried to get into projects where I enjoy myself and have a fun time. And that’s why I’m not bored. I made 150 films. I still love it, you know?”
“It seems impossible to make that many films,” I said.
“Well, some are very short.”
His break came at age 16 on Swedish television, in “Bombi Bitt och jag.” Now, at 74, he’s reached a new high, in the Norwegian film “Sentimental Value.” He plays a once-successful filmmaker trying to reconcile with his estranged daughters.
He described getting the role as a chef’s kiss.
“You think this is the best role for you ever?” I asked.
“Maybe – I don’t know,” Skarsgård replied.
Stellan Skarsgård and Renate Reinsve in “Sentimental Value.”
Neon
He picked up a Golden Globe for his performance just last week.
He has many moments in the film where the camera just watches him, where he’s not saying much, but he is saying a lot with his expression. “I love that stuff,” he said. “Movies, real movies are not literature. Cinema to me is what happens in the image. Not what is said; what is not said.”
In the film, he plays a father of two. In real life he’s the father of eight. All live nearby, and all have worked in the film industry, five of them actors. “It’s insane,” he said of the “family business.” “I mean, what is the chance? I didn’t encourage them. They have no illusions about the business. They see I am I’m happy and I’m enjoying what I’m doing, so they probably learn from that.”
He playfully sparred with one of his sons, Alexander, when the two were nominated for the same Gotham Award last year.
Alexander: “‘Sentimental Value,’ beautiful film. You play yourself, right?” Stellan: “That’s an insult.” Alexander: “Absentee father.”
I asked Stellan, “Did you ever find that you had difficulty in balancing family and career?”
“I sort of made sure that I was at home a lot,” he replied. “You can’t be a perfect father always. I mean, you gotta accept, and the kids have to accept, I’m flawed. Good luck!”
AtStockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theatre, he recalled appearing in Moliere’s “The School of Wives,” but stumbled on the name of his co-star. “That’s what I’m talking about,” he said. “Had a stroke. That makes me forget my language, forget words, and that makes me more stupid and makes me less funny and everything.”
Correspondent Seth Doane with actor Stellan Skarsgård.
CBS News
“Do you really feel that? Less funny?”
“I felt so funny before.”
“Must be tough.”
“Yeah, well, I’m 74 years old, and I’m alive.”
Since that 2022 stroke, he wears an earpiece on set to help with lines. “It’s actually more complicated than learning the lines, because the prompter has to say their line while the other actor is talking,” he said.
He wore it while shooting “Sentimental Value,” a film about the pull between career and what’s really important.
Skarsgård said, “I’ve had kids in the ’70s, in the ’80s, in the ’90s, in the ’00s, and in the ’10s.”
I asked, “Do you learn more from having kids for five decades, or making 150 films?”
“Maybe I couldn’t have made 150 films if I hadn’t have eight kids to learn from,” he replied. “I stole things from them. Like, expressions and the sort of naive attitude towards everything. Just watching them is fantastic.”
It’s a curiosity in humanity that Skarsgård explores, and expresses, through acting. “It is like being a child,” he said. “You never grow up. You’re allowed to play all the time, even as an adult.”
“Is that how you feel now?” I asked.
“Yeah. It’s make-believe, and kids in the sandbox, they do it all the time. And they shouldn’t stop.”
In this web exclusive, Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård discusses his Golden Globe-winning performance in the film “Sentimental Value,” in which he plays a director trying to reconnect with his daughter, an actress, by writing a role for her to play. He also talks about the effect of his 2022 stroke, which occurred during production of “Andor” and the “Dune” films, and how he feels he has changed as an actor after more than 150 film and TV credits.
Peter Navarro questions US electricity powering AI services like ChatGPT for users in India, raising trade and energy concerns amid rising US electricity costs.
Peter Navarro questions US electricity powering AI services like ChatGPT for users in India, raising trade and energy concerns amid rising US electricity costs. (REUTERS/Kent Nishimura
US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, has ignited a fresh political and economic debate by questioning why American electricity and infrastructure are being used to power artificial intelligence services that cater to users overseas, particularly in India.
Speaking on the podcast Real America Voice with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, Navarro raised concerns about US-based AI platforms operating domestically while serving millions of users abroad. He singled out OpenAI’s popular chatbot ChatGPT, arguing that its growing global footprint has trade and energy implications for the United States.
“Why are Americans paying for AI in India?” Navarro asked during the discussion. “ChatGPT operates on US soil and uses American electricity, servicing large users of ChatGPT in India and China and elsewhere around the world.” According to him, this raises fundamental questions about whether US taxpayers and consumers should bear the cost of powering AI systems that primarily benefit foreign markets.
Focus on electricity costs and data centres
Navarro’s remarks come amid mounting concern in Washington over the rapid expansion of AI data centres, which require vast amounts of electricity to run powerful servers around the clock. He suggested that the boom in AI infrastructure is already contributing to higher power prices for American households.
“We’re looking very, very carefully at this whole problem of AI data centres driving up the cost of electricity for Americans,” Navarro said. “You can expect strong action from President Trump on this. So keep an eye on that.”
Trade tensions with India in the backdrop
Navarro’s statements come at a sensitive moment in US–India relations. Washington and New Delhi are engaged in trade talks following a downturn after the Trump administration imposed a steep 50% tariff on Indian imports. This included a 25% additional duty linked to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, a move the US has criticised amid the war in Ukraine.
Navarro has been one of the most vocal critics of India’s energy policy. In earlier remarks, he accused New Delhi of indirectly financing Russia’s war effort in Ukraine by buying discounted Russian crude and reselling refined products at higher prices on the global market.
“When India buys Russian oil at a discount and then Indian refiners, in partnership with Russian refiners, sell it at a premium to the rest of the world, Russia uses that money to fund its war machine,” Navarro had said.
US government moves on AI and energy
Against this backdrop, the Trump administration on Friday announced plans to work with US states to ensure that the rapid growth of the AI sector does not result in higher electricity bills for millions of Americans. According to data from the Energy Information Administration, the average electricity bill in the US rose by 5% in October compared with the same period last year, heightening political sensitivity around energy costs.
AI companies have increasingly come under scrutiny for the environmental and economic impact of large-scale data centres, which consume enormous amounts of power and water.
Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:
January 18, 2026, 20:04 IST
Newsworld ‘Why Are Americans Paying For AI In India?’: Trump’s Trade Advisor Raises Data Centre Energy Costs
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