Vietnam Communist Party confirms To Lam as leader for next 5 years

HANOI, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Vietnam's top leader To Lam was ​confirmed on Friday as ‌head of the ruling Communist Party for ‌the next five years, according to the title under his name at a press conference which ⁠will conclude ‌a party congress.

The press conference is to be ‍held by the newly-appointed general secretary, an official said.

No official announcement has ​yet been made after a ‌meeting of the 180 members of the central committee, elected on Thursday, who were expected to appoint on Friday the general ⁠secretary, the country's ​most powerful job, which ​incumbent Lam has bid to retain.

Lam has been party ‍chief since ⁠mid-2024 when he replaced the late general secretary Nguyen ⁠Phu Trong.

(Reporting by Khanh Vu, Phuong Nguyen ‌and Francesco Guarascio; Editing ‌by Martin Petty)

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January 22, 2026

Vietnam Communist Party confirms To Lam as leader for next 5 years

HANOI, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Vietnam's top leader To Lam was ​confirmed on Friday as ‌head of the ruling Communist Party...

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Senior US defence official Colby to visit South Korea and Japan next week, Yonhap says

SEOUL, Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for policy Elbridge Colby will ​visit South Korea from Sunday to Tuesday ‌and discuss military alliance issues before travelling on to ‌Japan, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Friday.

His talks with South Korean officials will likely touch on Seoul's proposed increase in defence spending ⁠and the modernisation ‌of the two countries' military alliance, Yonhap said, citing an unnamed source.

South ‍Korea's Defence Ministry declined to confirm the report, saying questions should be directed to the U.S. side.

Colby, the ​Pentagon's top defence and foreign policymaker, leads ‌the implementation of U.S. defence strategy.

The two countries have been discussing President Donald Trump's push for U.S. allies to shoulder a greater share of their defence cost and Washington's realignment of ⁠its military footprint to ready ​its troops stationed around ​the world for wider missions.

South Korea hosts about 28,500 U.S. troops in combined defence ‍against North ⁠Korea's military threat. Seoul raised its defence budget by 7.5% for this year.

South Korea ⁠is pursuing the construction if its own nuclear-powered submarines, ‌a plan Trump has backed.

(Reporting by Jack ‌KimEditing by Ed Davies)

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January 22, 2026

Senior US defence official Colby to visit South Korea and Japan next week, Yonhap says

SEOUL, Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for policy Elbridge Colby will ​visit South Korea from Sunday t...

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Hong Kong vigil organizer says she was seeking democracy, not end to Communist Party rule

HONG KONG (AP) — A prominent activist who organized Hong Kong's decades-old vigil commemoratingthe 1989 Tiananmen Square military crackdownon democracy protesters said Friday that her group's demand for "ending one-party rule" was a call for democratization, not for an end to the Communist Party's leadership in China.

Chow Hang-tung, a former leader of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, stated in court Friday duringa trialbrought under anational security lawthat virtually silenced dissent in the city.

She wascharged with inciting subversionin September 2021 under the law Beijing imposed following massive anti-government protests in 2019. She was accused of inciting others to organize, plan or act through unlawful means with a view to subvert the state power.

Lee Cheuk-yan, another former group leader, also pleaded not guilty Thursday to the charge that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.

Dispute over meaning of 'ending one-party rule'

The prosecution has focused on "ending one-party rule," one of the alliance's core demands, by arguing the alliance's call meant ending the Chinese Communist Party's leadership, which was against the constitution. There was no legal means to achieve that, it said.

Chow, a barrister who is defending herself, countered the prosecution claim Friday while appealing to the court to admit an expert's evidence, standing outside the courtroom dock while presenting her argument.

"The alliance's position is not to end the Chinese Communist Party's leadership, but to end one-party dictatorship," said Chow, who smiled when supporters in the courtroom wished her well for her birthday on Saturday.

The court heard on Thursday that co-defendant Albert Ho said in 2018 that the call was not to eliminate the Chinese Communist Party and the party could maintain its ruling position through fair elections. Ho pleaded guilty Thursday, which could result in a reduced sentence.

Calling to build 'a democratic China'

For 30 years, the Hong Kong Alliance organized the only large-scalepublic commemorationof the crackdown on the 1989 pro-democracy protests within China. The vigil in Hong Kong drew tens of thousands each year to remember the victims with a sea of candles until authorities banned the event during the COVID-19 pandemic. The alliance also called for "building a democratic China."

The groupvoted to disbandin September 2021 after its leaders were prosecuted under the security law, which Beijing deemed necessary for the city's stability following the protests.

After the pandemic, the former vigil site was occupied instead by a carnival organized by pro-Beijing groups on June 4, the crackdown's anniversary.

Observers say the disappearance of the symbolic spectacle was an indicator of the decline in freedoms in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and is now administered as a "special administrative region."

Despite a degree of autonomy signified by the designation, Beijing has increasingly made its presence known in the way it oversees the territory, while Hong Kong's government said its law enforcement actions were evidence-based and strictly in accordance with the law.

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January 22, 2026

Hong Kong vigil organizer says she was seeking democracy, not end to Communist Party rule

HONG KONG (AP) — A prominent activist who organized Hong Kong's decades-old vigil commemoratingthe 1989 Tiananmen Squ...

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Kawhi Leonard scores 24 points, returning from knee injury in Clippers' 112-104 win over Lakers

Kawhi Leonard returned to the Los Angeles Clippers' lineup after missing the past three games with a left knee contusion. He made a significant impact, scoring 24 points ina 112-104 winover the Los Angeles Lakers at the Intuit Center on Thursday night.

Leonard came into Thursday's game averaging a career-high 28.9 points while playing in 30 of the Clippers' 43 games. He had scored a combined 68 points versus the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets in the two games he played before sitting out with his injury. Leonard played 25 minutes, shooting 9-for-19 (and 3-of-7 on 3-pointers) from the floor.

The Clippers held a 79-53 lead midway through the third quarter after an Ivica Zubac dunk. From there, however, the Lakers chipped away at that 26-point margin with a 19-7 run to end the frame. That became a 34-14 run that trimmed the Clippers' lead to 93-85 by the 7:40 mark of the fourth quarter.

A Luka Dončić fadeaway 3-pointer with Kris Dunn guarding him moved the Lakers to within 93-91 with 5:56 remaining. But James Harden countered with a 3 of his own to finally stop the Lakers' momentum and steady the Clippers. John Collins followed with a layup and Zubac hit two free throws to restore the Clippers' lead back to 100-91 with under four minutes to play.

Clippers coach Ty Lue then won a big replay challenge, arguing that a foul on Jordan Miller should instead be ruled a loose ball foul on the Lakers' Marcus Smart. Lue won the challenge, which took two free throws away from Smart and awarded them to Miller because the Lakers were in the penalty. Miller made one of the two free throws, but that gave the Clippers a 10-point lead.

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Yet the Lakers fought back again with LeBron James getting a fast-break dunk and Smart turning a Miller turnover into a jumper. Leonard committed another turnover, losing the ball out of bounds, and that led to a Jarred Vanderbilt dunk to cut the Clippers' lead to 103-99.

Following two free throws by Zubac, James was fouled on a layup and made the subsequent free throw for a 3-point play to pull the Lakers to within 105-102. But Zubac followed with a reverse dunk and Collins hit a 3-pointer after Rui Hachimura missed a long-range shot of his own. That was the dagger, giving the Clippers a 110-102 lead with 43 seconds remaining.

Doncic finished with a game-high 32 points, but shot 11-of-27 from the floor (including 3-of-13 on 3s). He added 11 rebounds and 8 assists. James scored 23 points after tallying only 9 at halftime. But he also shot 9-of-19 while grabbing 5 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists.

The Lakers' loss dropped them to 26-17 andthe No. 6 spot in the Western Conference, behind the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns. Up next, they visit the Dallas Mavericks (19-26) for a nationally televised prime-time matchup Saturday on ABC. The Mavs have won four in a row and five of their past six games.

For the Clippers, Zubac scored 18 points with 19 rebounds while Harden also scored 18 and notched 10 assists. Altogether, seven Clippers reached double figures in scoring. The win was the Clippers' 14th in their past 17 games and improved their record to 20-24, good for 10th place in the West. They're off until Sunday, when they host the Brooklyn Nets (12-30).

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January 22, 2026

Kawhi Leonard scores 24 points, returning from knee injury in Clippers' 112-104 win over Lakers

Kawhi Leonard returned to the Los Angeles Clippers' lineup after missing the past three games with a left knee contus...

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Sharpe scores 27 points as Trail Blazers beat Heat 127-110 for 4th straight win

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Shaedon Sharpe scored 27 points and had seven rebounds and four steals, and the Portland Trail Blazers extended their winning streak to four games with a 127-110 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

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Deni Avdija added 20 points before leaving with a back injury. Caleb Love also had 20 points, Toumani Camara had 16 and Jrue Holiday 15 for the Trail Blazers, who led by as many as 21 and won for the 11th time in 14 games. Their 9-2 mark in January is the best in the NBA.

At 23-22, it's the first time the Trail Blazers are over .500 through 45 games since the 2020-2021 season.

Bam Adebayo scored 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Heat. Norman Powell added 18 points and Simone Fontecchio had 17.

The Trail Blazers led 64-63 at halftime and pulled away with a 17-2 run in the third quarter that put them up by 17. Sharpe led the way with a team-high 24 second-half points.

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The Trail Blazers made 20 3-pointers, with Sharpe shooting 5 of 9 from beyond the arc, compared to the Heat making just nine.

Heat: Play at Utah on Saturday night.

Trail Blazers: Host Toronto on Friday night.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA

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January 22, 2026

Sharpe scores 27 points as Trail Blazers beat Heat 127-110 for 4th straight win

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Shaedon Sharpe scored 27 points and had seven rebounds and four steals, and the Portland Trail Blaz...

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Kawhi Leonard's 24 points help Clippers hold off Lakers in tight fourth quarter

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points — his career-high 23rd consecutive game with at least 20 — and the Los Angeles Clippers survived a tight fourth quarter to beat Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers 112-104 on Thursday night.

The Clippers have won seven of eight and 14 of 17 as they continue their upward climb from the depths of the Western Conference. Leonard, who missed a stretch when his team had nearly bottomed out in the standings, has a left knee contusion but he didn't sit for long in the fourth.

LeBron James scored 4 points and Doncic hit a 3-pointer to cap a 19-7 run that closed the Lakers within two.

James Harden answered Doncic's 3 with one of his own as the Clippers ran off 10 in a row to stay in front, 103-91.

But the Lakers weren't done yet. James hit a jumper and completed a three-point play in an 11-2 run that drew them within three.

Ivica Zubac's reverse dunk and John Collins' 3-pointer extended the Clippers' lead to eight points and they closed it out on Harden's pair of free throws.

Luka Doncic had 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists and James added 23 points. The Lakers fell to 5-6 in their last 11.

Harden had 18 points and 10 assists and Zubac added 18 points and 19 rebounds for the Clippers, who had seven players in double figures.

Leonard, Harden and Zubac combined to score the Clippers' first 15 points of the third, extending their lead to 26 points — largest of the game.

From there, the Lakers outscored them 19-7 to go into the fourth trailing 86-72. James opened the spurt with a 3-pointer and ended it with a huge dunk off Harden's turnover after Doncic chipped in 9 points in the quarter.

The Clippers dominated the first half, outscoring the Lakers 17-7 — including nine in a row — over the final minutes to go into halftime leading 64-47.

Doncic scored just three of his 17 first-half points in the second quarter when Leonard led the bench against Doncic and James. The Clippers shot 59% from the floor while limiting the Lakers to 42%.

The Lakers were still without Austin Reaves (calf strain), although coach JJ Redick expects him back soon.

Lakers: Visit the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday to open a six-game trip against Doncic's old team.

Clippers: Host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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January 22, 2026

Kawhi Leonard's 24 points help Clippers hold off Lakers in tight fourth quarter

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points — his career-high 23rd consecutive game with at least 20 — and th...

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NYC files suit against Dr. Phil's son to block police reality show's release

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Jordan McGraw, the son of TV personality Phillip "Dr. Phil" McGraw, has been sued by New York City over a pro-police reality show.

According to the complaint filed on Wednesday in New York state court and reviewed byEntertainment Weekly, the younger McGraw reached a deal with Eric Adams, the city's former mayor, in April 2025 to produce a reality series calledBehind the Badge. The contract granted McGraw's production company, McGraw Media, "exclusive access to film NYPD operations" to "highlight" the department's "extraordinary work."

One of the contract's key provisions was guaranteeing the city both the ability to review rough cuts of episodes and the discretionary power to prohibit certain scenes and details from air. But the lawsuit alleges that McGraw and his company have disregarded that obligation, "risking immediate and irreparable harm to the city, its employees, and the public at large."

The city alleges breach of contract and trademark infringement, and seeks a court order to block distribution of the series.

Kevin Winter/ACMA/Getty

The acrimony between the city and McGraw Media stems from an incident in December, in which city officials say four episodes of the series were previewed to them. After they flagged certain content to be removed, McGraw Media ignored, pressing on toward distribution.

The complaint claims that the contract between the city and McGraw Media granted the former party "exclusive" discretionary power to make such cuts. The provided reasons why the city would request such cuts range from content that is deemed "inaccurate" or "confidential," to content that may compromise the safety of officers or private citizens, to content that "portrays the City or the NYPD in a negative light."

Entertainment Weeklyhas reached out to representatives for the New York City Mayor's office, the NYPD, and Jordan McGraw for comment.

The biggest issue raised came from one episode that the complaint alleges poses an "imminent threat" to officers' lives by not properly obscuring the names, faces, and identities of undercover and plainclothes officers. Other scenes divulged the identities of private citizens who did not consent to being filmed.

A rough cut of another episode allegedly included footage of an officer inputting the security code to the back entrance of a police precinct.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

The complaint filed by the office of Adams' successor, Zohran Mamdani, notes that McGraw Media is still seeking distribution for the series, and even if the sale is unsuccessful, the company "could self-publish the footage at any time."

Jordan McGraw, 39, is Dr. Phil's youngest son with wife Robin Jo Jameson. Jordan previously played in the rock band Stars in Stereo before launching a solo music career, collaborating with artists like The Jonas Brothers andModern Familystar Sarah Hyland. In 2020, he married reality star Morgan Stewart, with whom he now shares two children.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

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January 22, 2026

NYC files suit against Dr. Phil's son to block police reality show's release

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Jordan McGraw, the son of TV personality Phillip "Dr. Phil" McGraw, has been sued by New York C...

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