The Museum of Contemporary Art has acquired Kara Walker’s sculpture “Unmanned Drone,” a cornerstone of the museum’s groundbreaking “Monuments” exhibition.

It joins the 158 works by 106 artists that were added to MOCA’s permanent collection last year, including major works by Jacqueline Humphries, Mike Kelley, Shizu Saldamando, Mary Weatherford, Julie Mehretu and Nairy Baghramian. Fifty artists are new to the collection, including Jonathas de Andrade, Leilah Babirye, Meriem Bennani, Paul Chan, Cynthia Daignault and Ali Eyal.

“Unmanned Drone” — a towering testament to the power of transmogrification — commands a room of its own at the Brick, which co-presented the “Monuments” exhibition in October. Walker created the 13-foot-tall bronze sculpture out of a statue of the prominent Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson that was originally in Charlottesville, Va. The statue had been removed after serving as a significant gathering place for the infamous 2017 Unite the Right rally of white supremacists.

A detail of a severed arm — part of Kara Walker’s sculpture “Unmanned Drone,” which she created using a decommissioned statue of Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson.

(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)

In a review of “Monuments,” which declared the exhibition “the most significant American art museum show right now,” former Times art critic Christopher Knight called “Unmanned Drone” “devastating” and “brilliant.”

In an interview last fall, Brick director Hamza Walker explained to The Times that the city of Charlottesville issued a request for proposals from organizations interested in taking possession of the statue. The Brick applied and was deeded the statue, taking physical possession on Jan. 6, 2022. The gallery then gave the statue to Walker.

“They were getting rid of the Lee and the Stonewall Jackson statues, and they said, ‘We don’t want them put back up for further veneration,’” Hamza Walker said. “And so the idea of giving the statue to an artist fit that bill.”

Other applicants skipped over the line about not putting them up for further veneration, Hamza Walker said, noting that the Brick’s proposal was up against ones from Civil War battlefields and Laurel Hill, the birthplace of Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart.

A detail of the horse’s nostril in Kara Walker’s sculpture “Unmanned Drone,” which MOCA has acquired.

(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)

Kara Walker sliced apart the statue with a plasma cutter and welded it back together in an entirely new form. She did away with Jackson’s face and put much of the focus on his famous steed, Little Sorrel. The horse now stands upright with its head pushing out from the back of its saddle.

“She didn’t want you to be able to identify with him. She wanted the emphasis on Little Sorrel rather than the myth of the man,” Hamza Walker explained of Kara Walker’s intentions. “She wanted to reduce it to horse and rider.”

“The fiend has no head,” Knight commented in his review. “The folkloric Euro-American story of the ‘headless horseman’ comes to mind — a nightmarish, animated corpse who haunts the living. As a metaphor for obtuse white supremacy, still active today, that terror figure is hard to beat.”

Walker’s work was the only transformed statue out of the nearly dozen decommissioned statues related to the Confederacy featured in the “Monuments” exhibition. The others were all presented as they looked when they were removed, many during the protests that swelled in the summer of 2020 in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.

A detail of a sword on Kara Walker’s sculpture “Unmanned Drone.”

(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)

In addition to “Unmanned Drone,” MOCA announced several other acquisitions that were either featured in recent exhibitions or have significant connections to the museum. These include an environmental sculpture by Olafur Eliasson; work by Takako Yamaguchi; a media installation by Paul Pfeiffer titled “Red Green Blue” (2022), co-acquired with the Brooklyn Museum; and pieces by Cynthia Daignault, Shizu Saldamando and Henry Taylor.

“The expansion of MOCA’s collection this year reflects a sustained and deeply collaborative effort to think critically about what it means to build a museum collection in the twenty-first century,” Clara Kim, chief curator and director of curatorial affairs, said in a statement.

England captain Leah Williamson says she would “never rule out” strike action to get players’ messaging across to governing bodies about schedule concerns.

Williamson, 28, missed five months with injury following England’s victory at Euro 2025 as she recovered from knee surgery.

She returned to action at the start of December, helping Arsenal win the Women’s Champions Cup in February, and was selected for this month’s World Cup qualifiers.

Williamson is one of several big-name players who are still returning to full fitness following England’s success in Switzerland, alongside Chelsea’s Lucy Bronze.

Speaking before England’s game against Ukraine on Tuesday, 3 March (17:00 GMT kick-off), Williamson was asked about the potential causes of injury.

“We’ll never know for sure but I don’t think people argue against the scheduling for fun. There’s reasons behind it,” said Williamson.

“If you listen to the players’ group, of course we want to play all the time, but the more successful you are – and this team has been very successful – then the less rest you have and the higher risk of injury there is. It’s an accumulation.

“The players, I’m sure, would love to just turn up and play football, but we use our voice and we try to get involved in conversations with the hierarchy so that they at least have our perspective. Whether they listen to it or not, is out of our control.”

Players’ union FifPro released a report, external in November saying that last year was the first time since it started collecting data in 2020 that the top 15 players in the world had all played 50 games or more in a season.

England midfielder Keira Walsh previously urged governing bodies to “listen to the players” about the congested fixture schedule.

Asked whether Williamson would consider more drastic action, such as players striking, she said: “I’ve not had any conversations about this right now, but if a group of people don’t feel like they’re getting listened to, then history suggests that’s the only way they can be heard.

“I would never take it off the table. I don’t think that’s where we are now. I think we’re still in a place where we can collaborate, listen and educate.”

Williamson also revealed players have been “forthcoming” with providing stakeholders with training load and female health data.

“It’s mainly around the rest periods and trying to get all governing bodies to align. It always sounds like we’re asking for a holiday, but that’s not the case,” she added.

“I’m a professional footballer and part of my job is also to rest, which I’m encouraged to do so by my managers and the environments we play in.

“So why is that not prioritised when we’re left to our own devices?”

Feb. 24 (UPI) — The Olympic gold-winning U.S. men’s hockey team and several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein‘s sex trafficking scheme will be among the dozens of people invited to attend President Donald Trump‘s State of the Union address on Tuesday.

It’s Trump’s first official State of the Union address during his second term in office, though in March 2025, he did address a joint session of Congress. His theme this year is “America at 250: Strong, Prosperous and Respected,” unnamed officials who have seen a draft of the speech told CNN.

To that end, Trump has invited Team USA’s men’s hockey team to attend the speech at the U.S. Capitol, two days after they won the gold medal in a game against Canada in Milan, Italy. It was the men’s first gold medal in hockey since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team won in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Trump’s invitation — which came during a phone conversation over speakerphone with FBI Director Kash Patel and the team — caused a stir Sunday after the president said he’d also have to invite the women’s team. His comment was met by laughter among some of the men in the locker room, though at least one did yell out that Team USA was “two for two,” seemingly in support of the women.

The women’s hockey team also won gold in a final game against Team Canada. It was their third Olympic gold medal after 1998 and 2018. After Trump’s comments, they declined his invitation to Tuesday’s State of the Union.

First lady Melania Trump invited two people to sit with her during the speech — Sierra Burns, 24, who took part in Trump’s Foster Youth to Independence program; and Everest Nevraumont, 10, who attends a school that incorporates artificial intelligence curriculum.

Meanwhile, several Democratic members of Congress have invited survivors of sex abuser Epstein, The Hill reported. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., invited the family of the late Virginia Giuffre; Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., invited Haley Robson; Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., invited Jess Michaels; Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., invited Annie Farmer, the sister of survivor Maria Farmer; House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., invited Marina Lacerda; and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., invited Dani Bensky.

Some of those survivors, however, will be attending the State of the Union without their respective hosts. Some Democratic lawmakers intend to skip the speech entirely or participate other events in protest of Trump’s policies.

A coalition of liberal activist groups, including MoveOn Civic Action, is holding a so-called “People’s State of the Union” event on the National Mall around the same time as Trump’s speech. The group said the event will include “everyday Americans most impacted by Trump’s dangerous agenda.”

Lawmakers expected to attend the event include Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Adam Schiff of California and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, along with Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Becca Balint of Vermont, Greg Casar of Texas, Veronica Escobar of Texas, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Delia Ramirez of Illinois, Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, John Larson of Connecticut and April Delaney of Maryland, The Hill reported.

The National Press Club is also hosting an event it’s calling “State of the Swamp” to take place ahead of Trump’s speech. Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Seth Moulton, D-Mass., plan to attend both this event and Trump’s speech, while Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.’s office said he’ll only be attending the “State of the Swamp.”

Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., said he plans to boycott the State of the Union this year.

“After watching President Trump run roughshod over the Constitution, display utter disregard for Congress, and openly engage in corruption as he and his family use the office to enrich themselves and tarnish this country that I love, I will not give him the dignity of having my presence at the State of the Union,” Bera said.

Captain Brook’s century guides England home in chase of 165 with Pakistan staring at the prospects of an exit.

England have qualified for the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with a nervy two-wicket win in their Super Eight match against Pakistan, who have inched closer to exiting the tournament.

Captain Harry Brook scored a sublime century under pressure on Tuesday as his side successfully chased a 165-run target in 19.1 overs at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium outside Kandy, Sri Lanka, and became the first team to enter the knockouts.

Brook formed a 52-run partnership with in-form all-rounder Will Jacks, who scored 28 runs in the winning cause.

England’s win, though, began with a tumble and ended with a wobble as their top-order and lower-middle-order batters slumped in the face of a par total of 164-9 set by Pakistan.

The two-time champions went through to the last four by winning their second game of the Super Eights stage to bag four points while Pakistan remain on one point after two games.

England’s run chase got off to a horrible start when Shaheen Shah Afridi removed opener Phil Salt off the first ball of the innings. Salt edged a length delivery to wicketkeeper Usman Khan, who obliged with a diving catch.

Afridi, who was dropped from the Pakistan team for their washed-out match against New Zealand, carried on his dream return with a wicket in his second over as former captain Jos Buttler was dismissed in a similar manner.

Jacob Bethell, caught in the deep off Afridi, and Tom Banton, caught behind off Usman Tariq, were the next two wickets to fall as Pakistan seemed to have the upper hand in the second innings.

However, Brook’s measured yet attacking onslaught combined with some poor fielding by Pakistan to help England revive their innings in the middle overs.

Just as his team looked certain of victory, Brook fell after scoring his 100, triggering a late batting collapse that gave Pakistan some hope before it was crushed by a Jofra Archer boundary on the first ball of the 20th over to seal England’s win.

Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan continued his imperious run-scoring form to score 63 runs off 45 balls, which became the cornerstone of Pakistan’s innings.

The opener was briefly supported by Babar Azam, who fell for 25 runs.

Fakhar Zaman’s 25 and Shadab Khan’s 23 runs helped Pakistan cross the 160-run mark in a must-win game.

Spin bowler Liam Dawson’s figures of 3-24 in four overs were supported by two wickets each from pacers Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton as England made it four wins in their last four games in the tournament.

They will face New Zealand in their last Super Eight fixture on Friday while Pakistan will play against hosts Sri Lanka the following day.

The next Group 2 match is between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on Wednesday.

Pakistan must now hope that Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by a big margin and England do the same two days later to dent the Kiwis’ net run rate.

Salman Ali Agha’s side must then follow it up by handing Sri Lanka a third defeat to knock them out and emerge as the second team to qualify for the semifinals from their Super Eight group.

WHEN it comes to having A-list siblings, these two nepo-sisters are at the top of their game.

The two women, who both have popstars for sisters, looked incredible as they stepped into their spotlight at London Fashion Week – but can you guess who they are related to?

The nepo-sisters in question are Rita Ora‘s sister Elena, 37, and Dua Lipa‘s little sis Rina, 24,

The pair were spotted posing for the cameras at London Fashion Week.

Dua’s sister Rina looked chic in white trousers and a striking turquoise jacket.

The aspiring model was spotted at the after party for the Burberry 2026 show.

WHINE & DINE

Brooklyn and Nicola’s life of nepo luxury… from £75k wine to supercar garage

Gill-igent

Nepo-baby with I’m A Celeb mum breaks down in tears and suffers ‘panic attack’

Meanwhile, Rita’s big sister Elena looked stunning in a black cut-away dress at the Royal Ascot Millinery Collective, which was held at posh hotel, Claridge’s.

At another London Fashion Week event earlier in the week, she looked equally incredible in a black and gold dress.

Elena works as Rita’s talent manager, creative director, and business partner.

The pair are extremely close, and the popstar involves her big sister in every aspect of her life.

Rita was just a year old when her parents moved her and three-year-old Elena to the UK to escape persecution in Kosovo.

But the pair have gone onto become a sibling powerhouse.

Rita has had Elena by her side since she shot to fame in 2012.

Elena previously said that her little sister’s success is a “team celebration” for both of them, as she has been such a big part of her fame.

“I get as proud of the success as Rita does. But I guess the public only sees her reaction to it,” Elena told Idris and Sabrina Elba on the Coupledom podcast, when she chatted to them in 2021 with Rita.

“It feels like a team thing. Obviously the public just sees Rita, but to us that’s just how it is, you know?”

Rita added: “Elena is really good at protecting me. I think that is so important in this industry.”

Together the sisters have negotiated movie roles, fashion brand deals and lucrative TV contracts.

But the sisters admitted on the podcast that there has often been a battle for Elena to be taken seriously.

“It’s really tough in such a male dominated industry to really stand up for yourselves and navigate this s**t,” Rita candidly admitted.

“What do they expect people in power to look like? There’s not an identity.”

Continuing, proud sister Rita said of Elena:“But she’s never lost her cool. She’s always kept it very together.” Rita says she has always had the same trusted people around her in her career.

“I try to keep my team very small. I don’t really like change. That’s why I’ve had the same team for over 10 years. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

The star siblings also thrilled fans in 2023 when they appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox together, with fans hailing them “the most beautiful sisters”.

Meanwhile, Dua Lipa‘s sister Rina is forging a career as a model

The rising star has done well for herself and has already worked with fashion houses like Miu Miu and Versace.

The model has also walked the runway at the prestigious Milan Fashion Week.

Rina has also set her sights on becoming an actress.

Speaking about going on auditions, she told Nylon: “There’s something about walking into the room and saying, ‘Hi, nice to meet you,’ and having that energy and that aura and that little repertoire between people.

“You can leave feeling like you had a connection if you walk in and you’re a bit bubbly and you are happy to be there. I’m really happy to do really fun auditions. Even if I don’t get the job, that’s absolutely fine.”

Rina got her first taste of fame when her big sister pulled her and their younger brother Gjin up on stage at the Brit Awards.

It came in 2018, when the singer won the Best Female Solo Artist gong and invited her siblings to join her accepting the award,

Speaking to Off Set about the sweet moment, Dua said: “I didn’t even know what I was gonna say onstage and I was like, ‘Come with me! You two — with me.

“They were so terrified. When we got offstage, my little brother and sister were like, ‘Why did you do that to us?’ ”

“They were like, ‘We love you, but that’s crazy. Don’t do that one again.;”

A strange quirk at San Quentin state prison is that most of those incarcerated behind its towering walls are unable to see the San Francisco Bay that literally laps at the shore a few yards away.

That changed recently with the completion of new buildings — holding among other accouterments a self-serve kitchen, a library, a cafe and a film studio — and third-floor classrooms that look out over that beautiful blue expanse, long a symbol of freedom and possibility.

In the new San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, along with learning job skills and earning degrees, incarcerated men can do their own laundry, make their own meals, and interact with guards as mentors and colleagues of sorts, once a taboo kind of relationship in the us-and-them world of incarceration.

“You want to clothes wash? You wash them,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom, debuting the new facilities, including laundry machines, for reporters last week. “You want to get something to eat. You can do it, whenever.”

“All of a sudden, it’s like you’re starting to make decisions for yourself,” he said. “It’s called life.”

Listen closely, and one can almost hear President Trump’s brain exploding with glee and outrage as his favorite Democratic foil seemingly coddles criminals. A cafe? C’mon. Bring on the midterms!

March 2024 of the East Block of San Quentin’s former death row.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

But what Newsom has done inside California’s most notorious prison, once home to the largest death row in the Western Hemisphere, is nothing short of a remarkable shift of thinking, culture and implementation around what it means to take away someone’s freedom — and eventually give it back. Adapted from European models, it’s a vision of incarceration that is meant to deal with the reality that 95% of people who go to prison are eventually released. That’s more than 30,000 people each year in California alone.

“What kind of neighbors do you want them to be?” Newsom asked. “Are they coming back broken? Are they coming back better? Are they coming back more enlivened, more capable? Are they coming back into prison over and over?”

When it comes to reforming criminals, “success looks like more and more people gravitating to their own journey, their own personal reform,” Newsom said, sounding more like a lifestyle influencer than a presidential contender. “It’s not forced on you, because then it’s fake, man. If it’s coerced, I don’t buy it.”

Of course, coming back better should be the goal — because better people commit fewer crimes, and that benefits us all. But coming back over and over has become the norm.

Traditional incarceration, a lock-’em-up and watch-them-suffer approach, has dramatically failed not only our communities and public safety writ large, but also inmates and even those who guard them.

Incarcerated people come out of prison too often in California (and across the country) with addictions and emotional troubles still firmly in place, and no job or educational skills to help them muddle through a crime-free life. That means they often commit more crimes, create more victims and cycle back into this failed, expensive, tough-on-crime system.

Still, it’s a favorite trope of Trump, and the justification for both his immigration roundups and his deployment of National Guard troops in Democratic cities, that policies such as Newsom’s are weak on crime and have led to the decline of American society.

This narrative of fear and grievance goes back decades, recycled every election by the so-called law-and-order party because it’s effective — voters crave safety, especially in a chaotic world. And locking people up seems safe, at least until we let them go again.

But, as Chance Andes, the warden of San Quentin, pointed out last week, “Humanity is safety,” and treating incarcerated people like, well, people, actually makes them want to behave better.

Here’s where the tough-on-crime folks will begin composing their angry emails. Why are we paying for killers to have a view? Why should I care if a rapist has a good book to read? Our budget is bleeding red, why are tax dollars being used for prison lattes? (To be fair, I do not know whether they actually have lattes.)

But consider this: The prison guards back Newsom.

“Done right, it improves working conditions for our officers and strengthens public safety,” said Steve Adney, executive vice president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., the union that represents guards, of the California model, as Newsom calls his vision.

Faced with high rates of suicide and other ills such as addiction, corrections officers have long been concerned about the stress and violence of their jobs. A few years ago, some union members traveled to Norway to see prisons there. I tagged along.

A correctional officer at Halden prison in Norway checks out the ice cream freezer in the grocery store inside the facility.

(Javad Parsa/For The Times)

The American officers were shocked to see Norwegian prisoners access kitchen knives and power tools, but even more shocked that the guards had built relationships with these criminals that allowed them to do their jobs with far less fear.

Rather than jailers, these corrections officers were more like social workers or guides to a better way of living. Of course, the corrections officers aren’t dumb. That only works with vetted inmates, such as those at San Quentin, who have proved they want to change.

But when you have officers and incarcerated people who are able to coexist with respect and maybe a dash of kindness, you get a different outcome for both sides.

“If we are capable of building this at San Quentin, then we are capable of making the workplace safe for every officer who walks in the gates,” said CCPOA President Neil Flood, a startling statement in favor of radical reform from a law enforcement officer.

But in a moment when most Democrats with ambitions for national office (or even an eye on replacing Newsom) are backing away from criminal justice reform, it would be naive to think the California model won’t be used to bludgeon Newsom in a presidential race, and provide further fuel to the dumpster-fire narrative about the state.

Soon — before the midterms — many expect Congress to move forward on Trump’s expressed desire for a crime bill that would empower police with even greater immunity for wrongdoing, create longer sentences for crimes including those involving drugs and further erode criminal justice reform in the name of public safety.

Trump is going hard in the opposite direction, toward more punishment, always the easier and more understandable route for voters fed up with crime (even though crime rates have been declining since President Biden was in office).

The California model is “a political liability in this environment,” said Tinisch Hollins, a victims advocate who worked on the San Quentin transition and heads Californians for Safety and Justice.

But she retains faith that “the majority of people don’t believe that shoving everyone into prison is how we resolve the problem.”

Newsom deserves credit for standing by that position, when simply backing away and dropping the California model would have been the simpler and safer route — it’s complicated and messy and oh-so-easy to make it sound dumb.

I refer you back to the cafe. If construction had been cut at San Quentin, the budget cited as the reason, no one would have noticed and few would have complained.

Instead, sounding a bit like Trump, Newsom said he “threatened the hell out of them if they didn’t get it done before I was gone.”

“This is not left or right,” he said. “This is just being smart and pragmatic and you know, I just … I believe people are not the worst thing they’ve done.”

Politically at least, San Quentin is a legacy for Newsom now, the best or worst thing he’s done on crime, depending on your personal views of second chances.

But it is undeniably a vision of public safety starkly at odds with Trump, one Newsom will carry into his next political fight — where it is certain to cause him some pain.

‘Clocked’ by a bouncer in Wellington, as culpable as anyone in the dismal Ashes defeat in Australia, pictured drinking in Noosa and found to have lied when apologising in Sydney.

Brook has had quite the winter.

This, though, was everything good about England’s white-ball captain. He batted at his destructive best.

Surprise greeted the sight of Brook walking down the steps rather than Bethell after Salt nicked off to Shaheen but the thinking was smart.

It kept the right-hander away from Pakistan’s five spinners on a turning pitch at the start of his innings and allowed him to take advantage of the powerplay fielding restrictions.

Brook faced three dots in his first five balls but then took left-armer Salman Mirza for a four and six in the second over.

He muscled a brutal straight six over long-on off while hitting spinner Mohammad Nawaz for 17 in the sixth, before nudging singles after Banton nicked off to Usman Tariq. The mystery spinner was Pakistan’s major threat.

At halfway, Brook kicked on again, crashing leg-spinner Shadab Khan for a perfect straight six. He scored all around the ground but those straight hits and his drives through the covers were particularly eye-catching.

He reached three figures with two more hits over mid-off – one for six and another a one-bounce four.

It made him the third man to score centuries in all three formats for England, after Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan, but more importantly it keeps them on course for a third T20 title.

The White House’s comment comes days after a senior Trump aide said Iran is one week away from having material for nuclear bomb.

The White House has insisted that last year’s strikes against Iran destroyed the country’s nuclear programme despite a recent claim by a senior US official that Tehran is a week away from having bombmaking material.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokesperson, told reporters on Tuesday that the June 2025 attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, known as Operation Midnight Hammer, was an “overwhelmingly successful mission”.

The attack “did, in fact, obliterate Iran’s nuclear facilities“, Leavitt said.

But just this weekend, President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff suggested that Iran is close to having enough material to build a nuclear weapon.

“They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material,” Witkoff told Fox News on Saturday.

Since last June’s strikes, Trump has repeatedly hailed the attack, arguing that it eliminated Iran’s nuclear programme and led to “peace” in the Middle East. Operation Midnight Hammer came towards the end of a 12-day war Israel initiated with Iran that month.

But eight months later, US and Iranian officials are once again holding talks to reach a nuclear deal and avert another war.

On Tuesday, Leavitt said the destruction of Iran’s nuclear programme had been “verified” by Trump and the United Nations’ watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“That does not mean that Iran may never try again to establish a nuclear programme that could directly threaten the United States and our allies abroad, and that’s what the president wants to ensure can never happen again,” she added.

Last year, after the US attack, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said Iran could resume uranium enrichment “in a matter of months”.

But the UN agency’s inspectors have not been able to assess Iran’s nuclear sites since the US strikes.

The Pentagon’s public assessment was that the Iranian nuclear programme was set back by one to two years.

There has been no official confirmation of the US claims that Iran has restarted nuclear enrichment after the attack.

After a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the US in December, Trump renewed his threats to attack Iran if it tries to rebuild its nuclear or missile programme.

Tensions have spiralled since then, with the US amassing military assets near Iran.

Still, Tehran and Washington are set to hold the third round of negotiations this year to push for a nuclear deal.

Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear weapon, has said it would agree to minimal uranium enrichment under strict IAEA supervision in exchange for lifting sanctions against its economy.

But Trump has repeatedly stressed that it is seeking zero enrichment.

Enrichment is the process of isolating and concentrating a rare variant, or isotope, of uranium that can produce nuclear fission.

At low levels, enriched uranium can power electric plants. If enriched to approximately 90 percent, it can be used for nuclear weapons.

Before the June 2025 war, Iran was enriching uranium at 60 percent purity.

Tehran had been escalating its nuclear programme since 2018, when Trump, during his first term, nixed a multilateral agreement that capped Iran’s enrichment at 3.67 percent. He instead started piling up sanctions on the Iranian economy, as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign.

The White House on Tuesday suggested the military option against Iran remains on the table.

“President Trump’s first option is always diplomacy. But as he has shown, he is willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary,” Leavitt said.

The pitched battle for Warner Bros. took yet another turn Monday night as Paramount Skydance enhanced its bid for the storied studio.

The decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to leave the door slightly ajar for Paramount came after weeks of pressure from its leader, tech scion David Ellison, and his billionaire father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.

The media company has been vying to acquire Warner since late last year, and that fight only increased after the “Casablanca” and “Harry Potter” studio chose Netflix as the winning bidder back in December.

The bidding war has divided Hollywood’s creative community, with filmmakers, producers and unions all staking positions on the deal.

The latest to weigh in was “Avatar” and “Titanic” director James Cameron, who reportedly described Warner’s sale to Netflix as “disastrous for the theatrical motion picture business” in a Feb. 10 letter to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), chair of the Senate subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy and consumer rights.

“I am very familiar not only with ships that sail, but also those that sink,” he wrote. “And the theatrical experience of movies could become a sinking ship.”

Actor Mark Ruffalo shot back at Cameron: “Are you also against the monopolization that a Paramount acquisition would create? Or is it just that of Netflix?” he posted on Threads over the weekend, adding that he was “speaking on behalf of hundreds of thousands of filmmakers worldwide.”

Regardless of which bidder prevails, consolidation in the industry is a major fear, particularly after waves of job cuts due to the pandemic and pullbacks in production spending amid streaming losses. And for the theatrical exhibition business, any merger revives concerns about an even greater decrease in films headed to theaters — particularly if the winning bidder is Netflix.

The health and future of cinemas is an especially sensitive topic in Hollywood. Box office revenue still has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, and some fear it never will, leaving theaters scrambling for alternative ways to fill their auditoriums.

Paramount has positioned itself as a champion for theatrical films, and David Ellison has said a combined Paramount and Warner Bros. would release 30 films a year.

But theater owner trade group Cinema United and the Writers Guild of America have warned that further consolidation would further concentrate the entertainment business, bringing more layoffs and theater closures.

Netflix co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos has since tried to temper these concerns.

In a recent Senate subcommittee hearing, he pledged to maintain a 45-day theatrical window for Warner Bros. films, while also saying the deal would increase production investments going forward. In a recent letter to Lee responding to Cameron’s missive, Sarandos said he had previously spoken with the director in December about Netflix’s plans for Warner Bros., and that he had been “very supportive.”

Then there’s the politics of it all.

My colleague Meg James has written about Paramount’s efforts to use its political influence with the Trump administration to push its deal — and undermine Netflix’s. Paramount has declined to comment on the matter.

To put it mildly, Trump is a deeply unpopular figure in liberal-leaning Hollywood.

Creatives have feared a chilling effect on speech, particularly after Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr has aggressively tried to enforce long-dormant rules that require broadcast TV stations to give equal time to opposing candidates. The free-speech matter came to a head last year, when Carr warned that ABC could lose its TV station licenses after late-night host Jimmy Kimmel made a remark about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

More recently, the equal-time rules resurfaced when CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert blasted his own network over its handling of his interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Colbert said that CBS told him he could not air the interview because it would require giving equal time to Talarico’s opponents in the Senate primary and that he was instructed not to talk about the issue on the air, which he refused. CBS has disputed Colbert’s comments, saying he was not prohibited from airing the interview.

News industry insiders also raised concerns after the installation of Bari Weiss as editor in chief of CBS News. Two months into her tenure, she made the decision to pull a “60 Minutes” episode that investigated the alleged abuse of detainees sent from the U.S. to an El Salvador prison, a highly unusual step that critics interpreted as a decision to placate the Trump administration.

CBS News, which aired the episode in January, denied the claim, saying the piece had only been held for additional reporting.

On the film side, Paramount continues to make deals with creatives, including the irreverent South Park creators, who have churned out parodies of the Trump administration, “Wicked” director Jon M. Chu and writer, producer and actor Issa Rae, who in a statement earlier this year vowed to “tell stories for and by the diverse communities that have supported my work over the years.”

As the Warner Bros. deal drama unfolds, we’ll see how the lines continue to form in Hollywood’s creative class.

Stuff We Wrote

Film shoots

Number of the week

Sony Pictures Animation’s “Goat” led the domestic box office this weekend with an estimated three-day total of $17 million, beating out the Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi-led “Wuthering Heights.”

The film, which was also produced by Warriors star Stephen Curry’s production company, has bucked the trend for original animated movies, which have largely faltered at theaters in recent years.

What I’m watching

Last week, I watched more Olympic figure skating (who didn’t watch Alysa Liu’s joyful, gold medal-winning performance?), but I’m also now re-watching 2000s teen detective drama “Veronica Mars.” I’m not Gen Z, but my newfound zeal for comfort TV is not unlike the story my colleague Stephen Battaglio wrote last year about young people’s interest in nostalgic shows.

Warner Bros. Discovery said Tuesday that it was “reviewing” a revised offer from Paramount Skydance — the latest twist in the high-profile auction to claim one of Hollywood’s corporate jewels.

The company did not provide any details of Paramount’s bid. Paramount separately confirmed that it submitted a revised offer.

In a short statement, Warner acknowledged that Paramount had submitted a modified proposal to buy all of the company’s outstanding shares and that board members were evaluating the offer “in consultation with our financial and legal advisors.”

“We will update our shareholders following the Board’s review,” Warner said.

The Larry Ellison-backed Paramount had been facing a late Monday night deadline to boost its bid to claim the company that owns CNN, HBO, TBS and the storied Warner Bros. movie and film studios. Last week, the auction’s winning bidder — Netflix — agreed to allow Warner Bros. Discovery to reopen talks with Paramount for seven days to determine whether Paramount would bring more money to the table.

Warner instructed Paramount to present its “best and final” offer.

Netflix has matching rights should Warner Bros. Discovery reverse course and accept the Paramount bid.

The move comes nearly three months after Warner’s board unanimously agreed to sell HBO and studio assets, including its deep library that includes Superman, Harry Potter, Scooby-Doo, “Game of Thrones,” and “The Big Bang Theory,” to Netflix for $27.75 a share.

Netflix’s deal, valued at $82.7 billion, does not include Warner’s basic cable channels, including CNN, TBS and HGTV.

Those channels are slated to be spun off to a new company later this year.

But Paramount, managed by scion David Ellison, has repeatedly cried foul, saying its cash bid for all of Warner Bros. Discovery, including the Warner cable channels, would be more lucrative for shareholders. Paramount, which enjoys friendly relations with President Trump, has also boasted that it has a more certain path to win U.S. regulatory approval compared to Netflix.

But Warner Bros.’ board has stuck with Netflix’s bid, saying the streaming giant’s financing was more secure.

“The Netflix merger agreement remains in effect, and the Board continues to recommend in favor of the Netflix transaction,” Warner said in its Tuesday statement.

Warner Bros. Discovery told Paramount last week that it expected the billionaire Ellison to put more money into the deal.

Paramount has previously said that the tech billionaire would guarantee more than $41 billion in equity financing that was needed to pull of the more than $108-billion take-over.

Under Paramount’s previous offer, the Ellison family was planning to contribute about $12 billion. Another $24 billion was expected to come from the royal families from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

In recent weeks, Paramount agreed to cover a $2.8 billion break-up fee that Warner would owe Netflix should Warner walk away from the Netflix deal. Paramount also suggested that it would increase its offer to at least $31 a share.

The move comes amid heightened political interest in the monumental deal that would reshape Hollywood.

The Department of Justice is investigating whether a Netflix takeover, or Paramount’s alternative bid, would harm competition.

Republican lawmakers have been critical of the Netflix deal, saying it would blunt competition.

President Trump has said he didn’t plan to get involved in the investigation, but over the weekend he threatened Netflix, writing on social media that Netflix must fire Susan Rice, a former high-level Obama and Biden administration official, from its board or “pay the consequences.”

Warner Bros. Discovery is consulting with investment bankers from Allen & Company, J.P. Morgan and Evercore and the law firms Wachtell Lipton and Debevoise & Plimpton.

One of the rarer football fashion choices is that of tracksuit bottoms, which goalkeepers are allowed to wear.

They are among the game’s more retro fashion choices, though former Crystal Palace No 1 Gabor Kiraly famously wore them throughout his career.

“I’m a goalie, not a model,” he once said. “I’ve played on clay or grass that’s been frozen in winter; it makes your legs hurt when you fall so jogging bottoms seemed obvious.”

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Massimo Taibi wore tracksuit bottoms during his short stint at Old Trafford, while former Colombia keeper Rene Higuita was wearing them while making his famous scorpion-kick save against England in 1995.

Acceptability: 2/10

Who: Real Madrid vs Benfica
What: Champions League playoff, second leg
Where: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
When: Wednesday at 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Real Madrid carry a slender 1-0 lead over Benfica going into the second leg of a Champions League playoff tie that has been overshadowed by allegations of racism.

UEFA has suspended Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni from the second leg on Wednesday after he was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, who scored the only goal in the first game in Lisbon last week.

Meanwhile, Benfica coach Jose Mourinho, who is also suspended for the second leg, has come under fire for criticising Vinicius for his effusive goal celebration.

So the Portuguese side will be expecting an especially hostile welcome at the Bernabeu as they try to overturn their one-goal deficit and reach the last 16.

Courtois ‘disappointed’ in Mourinho’s response

Vinicius wrote that “racists are above all cowards” on social media after the game while Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe backed his teammate and said he had heard Prestianni calling the winger a “monkey”.

The 20-year-old Benfica midfielder, who hid his mouth with his shirt during the confrontation with Vinicius, insisted he did not racially abuse the Brazilian forward after his stunning goal at the Estadio da Luz.

Prestianni could miss at least 10 games if European football’s governing body finds he racially abused Vinicius.

Mourinho waded into the controversy by saying Vinicius’s goal celebration was disrespectful and insisting Benfica was not a racist club because their biggest icon, Eusebio, was Black.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he disagreed with Mourinho’s words.

“At the end of the day, Mourinho is Mourinho. As a coach, you’re always, I think, going to defend your club and what your player has told you,” Courtois said.

“The only thing that disappoints me a bit is using Vini’s celebration. I don’t think Vini did anything wrong there,” he added.

“I don’t think we can justify alleged racism because of a celebration.”

Mourinho’s Bernabeu homecoming upended by suspension

Benfica’s boss has not set foot in the Santiago Bernabeu since leaving Real Madrid in 2013, and he cannot sit in the dugout for the playoff’s second leg after being sent off during his team’s 1-0 first-leg defeat in Lisbon last week for making vituperative complaints about the officials from the touchline.

Mourinho said referee Francois Letexier was avoiding booking Madrid players who were at risk of suspension for the second leg.

“I’ve had my butt on the bench for 1,400 games and [I could see that] he knew perfectly well who he could book and who he couldn’t,” Mourinho complained bitterly.

“I [won’t be] sitting on the bench. I can’t go to the dressing room. I can’t communicate with the team,” he added. “It’s hard for me, but my teammates and my assistants are there. They’ll do their job.”

Benfica also said Mourinho was not going to attend the pregame news conference on Tuesday and his assistant would take over.

Arbeloa says UEFA have chance for ‘turning point’ against racism

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa called on UEFA to make their fight against racism into more than just a slogan after the alleged abuse of Vinicius Jr.

“We have a great opportunity to mark a turning point in the fight against racism,” Arbeloa told reporters on Tuesday.

“UEFA, which has always been and has led this fight against racism, now has the chance not to leave it at just a slogan, at just a nice banner before matches, and I hope that they seize this opportunity.”

Arbeloa said he believed Vinicius will thrive on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu as the record 15-time champions bid to reach the last 16.

“Vinicius Jr has always shown a lot of bravery and a lot of character,” Arbeloa said. “That is always his response. It always has been, and I think it always will be.

“He is a fighter, and I’m sure tomorrow he will go out to fight and have a great game and keep showing he’s one of the best players on the planet.”

Head-to-head

This is only the sixth meeting between two of the biggest clubs from Spain and Portugal. Benfica have won three of the games while Real Madrid have won two.

The two clubs also faced each other in a league stage match in January when Mourinho’s team stunned his former club in a 4-2 win that allowed Benfica to qualify and prevented Madrid from automatically reaching the round of 16.

How many times have Madrid and Benfica won the Champions League?

Madrid are the record winners of Europe’s premier club competition with 15 titles to their name, the last coming in 2024.

Benfica have lifted the trophy on two occasions, and both of those came in consecutive years.

In what was regarded as Benfica’s golden era, Portuguese legend Eusebio helped the team to wins against Barcelona in 1961 and Real Madrid in 1962.

A hat-trick from Hungary’s finest export, Ferenc Puskas, could not save Madrid as Benfica earned a 5-3 win that included a double from Eusebio.

Real Madrid’s team news

Jude Bellingham, Dani Ceballos and Eder Militao have all been ruled out through injuries while centre back Dean Huijsen, who missed the 2-1 defeat at Osasuna over the weekend with a muscular problem, is a major doubt.

Winger Rodrygo will be unavailable due to a suspension but would anyway be a doubt as he struggles to recover from a hamstring issue.

Raul Asencio is available again after returning from suspension.

Vinicius Jr will be looking to score for the fifth game in a row as he is set to start up front alongside Mbappe.

Predicted starting XI

Courtois (goalkeeper); Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Rudiger, Carreras; Valverde, Guler, Tchouameni, Guler; Mbappe, Vinicius Jr

Benfica’s team news

The Portuguese side’s only injury concern appears to be midfielder Joao Veloso, who will miss the game with a shoulder issue.

Richard Rios could come into the midfield to replace the suspended Prestianni.

Benfica will look to Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis to add to his 28 goals in all competitions this season as he is set to lead the line.

Predicted starting XI:

Trubin (goalkeeper); Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Rios, Aursnes; Lukebakio, Rafa, Schjelderup; Pavlidis

Paris St-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi says he is set to face trial after an allegation of rape was made against him.

A woman has accused the Morocco captain of raping her at his home in the French capital in 2023, when she was aged 24. He denies the allegations.

The public prosecutor’s office in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris, began a preliminary investigation in March 2023.

“Today, a rape accusation is enough to justify a trial,” Hakimi posted on X, external.

“This is as unjust to the innocent as it is to the genuine victims. I calmly await this trial, which will allow the truth to come out publicly.”

No date has been set for the trial.

Hakimi’s lawyer confirmed in a statement that a “trial has been ordered” and that “it is with determination and resolve that we await this trial so that justice may be served”.

BBC Sport has contacted the Nanterre prosecutor’s office for comment.

Paris St-Germain host Monaco in the second leg of their Champions League knockout round play-off tie on Wednesday.

Hakimi was named in PSG’s initial squad, published last Tuesday.

The 27-year-old was born in Spain but represents Morocco and has made 194 appearances for Paris St-Germain, winning the Champions League and Ligue 1 titles last season.

His performances led to him being honoured at the Best Fifa Football Awards ceremony held in Paris on Monday, where he was named in the Fifpro men’s world team of the year.

Morocco will face Scotland, Haiti and Brazil at the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada this summer.

The director of one of the best films of 2025 that’s up for several Oscars is working on a highly anticipated revival of an iconic series

Ryan Coogler’s The X-Files reboot has just been given a thrilling update.

The revamped sci-fi mystery drama was first announced back in 2023, with the acclaimed director releasing his hit period horror blockbuster Sinners in the meantime.

Nearly three years later, the project has finally been given a pilot greenlight by streaming service Hulu, with Jennifer Yale (The Copenhagen Test) coming on board as showrunner.

Black Panther filmmaker Coogler will write and direct the first episode, which will star Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson) as an FBI agent investigating the paranormal.

A synopsis via Deadline confirms the series will follow “two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents — one played by Deadwyler — [who] form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.”

Deadwyler has a big year ahead as she’ll next be seen in the HBO comedy series Rooster with Steve Carell as well as the third season of Euphoria. Her X-Files co-star has yet to be confirmed.

The original series starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, a believer and a skeptic who investigate unsolved cases known as X-Files.

Originally airing from 1993-2002 over nine seasons, the series is widely considered one of the greatest shows of all time, with Radio Times calling the first episode ‘the greatest pilot in TV history’. It returned for two new seasons in 2016 and 2018.

One Redditor claimed it’s “never to be dethroned”, and someone else agreed: “This show is my #1 of all time. It has its flaws but this is the show I go to every night.

“If TV died as a whole entirely and I was stranded on a desert island, this would be my one and only choice.”

And an X user called it “literally the best show ever made, so beautifully shot and a killer soundtrack!”

The reboot certainly has a daunting legacy to live up to, though thankfully director Coogler has more than enough credentials to meet fans’ high expectations.

His latest film, Sinners, starring Michael B Jordan as twin gangsters who encounter a chilling cult of vampires in 1930s Mississippi, was named the best film of 2025 by the African American Film Critics Association.

The critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “A rip-roaring fusion of masterful visual storytelling and toe-tapping music, writer-director Ryan Coogler’s first original blockbuster reveals the full scope of his singular imagination.”

Teasing his next project on the Last Podcast on the Left, Coogler said: “I’ve been excited about that for a long time, and I’m fired up to get back to it. Some of those episodes, if we do our jobs right, will be really f***ing scary.

“We’re gonna try to make something really great and really be something for the real X-Files fans, and maybe find some new ones.”

He also revealed that he had spoken to Anderson about the revamped series, though her and Duchovny’s involvement is currently unconfirmed.

“She’s incredible. Fingers crossed there,” Coogler added cryptically.

The X-Files does not yet have a release date.

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source.** Click here to activate**** or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.**

WASHINGTON — President Trump is set to deliver a high-stakes State of the Union address on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. Pacific time before a joint session of Congress in the U.S. Capitol.

The president is expected to emphasize economic issues, an immigration crackdown that has been central to his agenda, and tariffs in the wake of a recent legal setback to his trade agenda.

Here is what to know about the event:

How to watch

The remarks will be shown live on major broadcast networks and cable news channels. Another way to watch live is through the public affairs network C-SPAN. The White House will stream the address on its website.

What to expect in the speech

Trump is expected to focus on his immigration crackdown and his promises to go after what he says is government “waste, fraud and abuse,” as previewed in two White House videos on Monday.

One year back in office, Trump has led an aggressive deportation campaign that has involved violent arrests, troops in American cities and an uptick in detentions. The tactics used by federal immigration agents have raised concerns among lawmakers in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. Those concerns are central to ongoing standoff over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

It will also be worth watching how Trump talks about future efforts to target waste and abuse in public spending, an effort that has often roped in blue states like California.

Who will deliver responses?

Democrats have picked Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Sen. Alex Padilla of California to deliver the Democratic responses to Trump’s speech.

Spanberger will give her remarks in English, while Padilla will deliver the Spanish-language response.

Padilla’s remarks will be live-streamed here.

More than 75,000 people packed the Coliseum for a soccer game Saturday night.

LAFC hosted the largest crowd for a soccer game in the world last weekend, the largest crowd for an MLS season-opening game and the second-largest in league history.

MLS moved the game from cozy BMO Stadium, LAFC’s regular home, a few hundred feet west to the cavernous 77,000-seat Coliseum because Lionel Messi, arguably the best to ever play the sport, would be there. It worked: The crowd was the largest at the Coliseum for any event in more than six years.

But the people didn’t come to see Messi or his team, Inter Miami, the reigning MLS champion. The crowd was not dressed in Miami pink but in the black and gold of LAFC, which won 3-0.

And that’s a good sign for MLS.

According to one high-ranking MLS executive who has attended multiple Messi games in NFL stadiums, Saturday was the first time he heard he Argentine captain booed.

“The fans immediately started booing Inter Miami and Messi as they came out of the tunnel for warmups,” said the executive, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “And that continued throughout the game. There were hardly any pink jerseys in the crowd. It was a real testament to the incredible fan base of LAFC.”

The league made a trade-off in 2007 when the Galaxy signed David Beckham, who was followed by a steady stream of big-name stars from Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robbie Keane and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Tens of thousands of curious fans came out to cheer the European soccer royalty, not the local teams they were playing against.

Messi took that to another level. Three MLS teams drew the largest crowds in their franchises’ histories when Messi came to town. He brought attention and excitement to MLS and eyeballs to its TV broadcasts.

What the league needed to move to the next level, though, was an authentic fan culture. It needed supporters who cheered for their team through thick and thin, not curious, casual fans who came out to see whatever big-name player was passing through town but never came back.

It has found that with LAFC.

“This atmosphere in the stadium is nice for the team. We know the fans are coming to support us,” LAFC striker Denis Bouanga said. “It’s good for me and my teammates.”

Twice in the last four seasons an LAFC game produced an attendance record. In 2023, LAFC played the Galaxy before 82,110 at the Rose Bowl, the largest crowd in league history. Saturday’s attendance of 75,673 was the second-largest, and largest for a season opener.

LAFC has earned that following. And if the team is the future of MLS, then it will be a bright future.

Since LAFC began play in 2018, no other MLS team has won more games, scored more goals or amassed more points. No other team has won more trophies either. And while LAFC may not have Messi, it’s hardly lacking for star power.

Son Heung-min, the captain of South Korea’s national team and a former English Premier League scoring leader, assisted on LAFC’s first goal Saturday. Bouanga, who scored the second goal, has more regular-season goals than Messi since Messi joined MLS in the summer of 2023. And Hugo Lloris, who pitched the shutout in goal, has played more World Cup games than any other goalkeeper in history.

Lloris also has played in — and won — as many World Cup finals as Messi. In some parts of MLS, Messi is an enemy to be beaten, not a celebrity to be welcomed.

“We want to beat Messi; we want to beat Miami because Messi is there,” Bouanga said. “The motivation is so high for this game. Maybe this game means more.”

Certainly for LAFC supporters it did. Because more than 75,000 of them came to cheer the local team and boo the visiting one, no matter who was wearing that bright pink uniform.

And that’s a good sign for MLS.

Feb. 24 (UPI) — The U.S. military seized a third oil tanker moving from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

The Bertha, a ship flying the Cook Islands flag, was intercepted overnight in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command region after the Defense Department said it attempted to evade U.S. forces.

“International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned actors. By land, air, or sea, our forces will find you and deliver justice,” the Department of Defense said in a post on X. “The Department of War will deny illicit actors and their proxies freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”

The department alleges that the ship was “operating in defiance of President [Donald] Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

The Cook Islands is a nation of 15 islands located in the South Pacific.

Two more oil tankers were seized in the Indian Ocean by the United States earlier this month.

On Feb. 9, the military pursued an oil tanker from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian Ocean without incident.

On Feb. 14, another oil tanker was captured. The Veronica III was the ninth oil tanker the United States had intercepted or seized that was linked to Venezuela since Dec. 10.

The United States has enforced a blockade on oil tankers from Venezuela since Dec. 10. The initial operation was meant to pressure President Nicolas Maduro to step down. In January, the U.S. military captured and detained Maduro and his wife.

Last week, American diplomats and their Iranian counterparts sat down in Geneva for yet another round of talks mediated by Oman. The outcome seemed unclear. While the Iranians said “good progress” had been made, the Americans claimed there was “a little progress”. Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump threatened once again to strike Iran.

In recent weeks, there has been a heavy US military build-up in the Middle East in preparation for what many observers see as an imminent attack. In this context, it may be apt to question whether the current negotiations are not simply a tactic to buy time to better prepare for the inevitable.

In the face of US military might, some have suggested that Iran’s only option is negotiating an agreement with the US, however unfair it may be. While Iranian military capabilities stand no chance against an army with the world’s biggest budget, accepting capitulation through a debilitating deal that may be broken again by Washington may not necessarily be Tehran’s only choice.

There is another way in which Iran can stand up to US bullying and win.

The fate of past negotiations

The ongoing US-Iran talks cannot be viewed in isolation. For Iran, any diplomatic engagement with the US is overshadowed by the legacy of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Signed by the US, China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the European Union and Iran in 2015, the agreement provided sanctions relief in exchange for full transparency of the Iranian nuclear programme. Tehran accepted the deal even though it had some unfair provisions, including some US sanctions remaining in place.

Nevertheless, it fulfilled its obligations – a fact that was repeatedly verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In return, however, the US as a signatory did not uphold its end of the deal. In 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and reimposed maximum pressure sanctions aimed at crippling Iran’s economy.

It was a stark reminder that American promises are nonbinding. As a leader who has shown no regard for the interests of American allies in pursuit of an “America first” policy, Trump could hardly be expected to respect the interests of American adversaries.

However, even if a Democratic president had been in the White House, there would not have been any guarantee that the JCPOA would have remained in place. In the US’s polarised political climate, an American president’s signature is only valid until the next election.

For the US, negotiations can also be little more than a facade intended to lull adversaries into a false sense of security. Last year, just as US and Iranian representatives were scheduled to meet in Oman for another round of talks, Israel, a key American ally, launched a massive military campaign against Iran.

While the US denied direct involvement, it acknowledged having received prior notice. Given the close ties between the two countries, this prior knowledge strongly implied that the US had given Israel tacit approval for the air attacks.

Today, Iran is engaging in negotiations with the US again, and it is being pressured to accept an even more unfair deal. Should it back down and submit to US demands, then Trump – who preys on perceived weakness – would simply move the goalpost. Demands would shift from Iran’s nuclear programme today to its ballistic missiles tomorrow and regime change the day after.

The special US relationship with Israel means that Washington is fundamentally hostile to an Iranian government that sees the Israeli state as an enemy. Consequently, Trump’s goal is not to reach a durable agreement but to ensure that Iran can never fully comply with his demands, thereby justifying a permanent campaign of maximum pressure and hostility.

In this context and given its recent experience, it would be foolish for Iran to rely on US promises and negotiated agreements.

Leverage through strong regional ties

The current US-Iran standoff is a high-stakes game in which an all-out war is a likely outcome. While the US could achieve an initial victory through overwhelming military superiority, it could also get bogged down fighting a protracted counterinsurgency in Iran’s mountainous terrain.

Conversely, while Iran could eventually repel an American invasion – just as its Afghan neighbours did – the country would be reduced to rubble in the process.

That does not mean Iran should back down. The Greenland crisis and the China-US trade war have demonstrated that Trump’s propensity for sabre-rattling is tempered by his aversion to losses. Even though the EU and China are far more powerful than Iran, a clear show of resolve could compel Trump to retreat.

And Tehran does not have to be alone in its defiance. In its neighbourhood, there are other big players who recognise that another disastrous war led by the US is not in their interests. Iran can and should leverage the regional desire for stability.

For years, Iran pursued a policy of confrontation in the region until it realised that carving out a sphere of influence was actually exacerbating its security dilemma. This recognition ultimately led to the historic normalisation of relations with Saudi Arabia in 2023 – a breakthrough facilitated by China, Oman and Iraq – which in turn set in motion a broader detente with other Arab countries.

Three years later, that decision is yielding dividends. Notably, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkiye and Qatar are lobbying Trump to exercise restraint. Building on this neighbourly diplomacy and investing in developing regional stability and a security architecture could help stave off another major US war in the region.

The most important path to peace – and the only means of countering American gunboat diplomacy – does not lie in matching American military might, a contest Iran is destined to lose, but in establishing good relations with its neighbours and accepting regional stability as part of its national security.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden has been open about her feelings towards Phillip Schofield in recent years, following the pair’s reported fallout in 2018

Amanda Holden has taken a fresh swipe at Phillip Schofield after his name was mentioned live on air on Tuesday. The 56-year-old and her Heart Radio co-host Jamie Theakston were joined by Jack Whitehall ahead of his hosting duties at The Brit Awards this weekend.

During the discussion, Amanda was keen to know what Jack was wearing for the gig, to which he confirmed it would be a suit. Pressed further on whether he would opt for a “snappy pair of socks” like his dad, he joked: “I’m not going to go too jazzy with the socks, you never want to be upstaged by a sock.”

Turning to her co-star following the response, she said: “Well, Jamie, I rest my case.”

Puzzled by her comment, her co-star asked: “What are you talking about? Children’s television? That wasn’t me, that was Phillip Schofield.”

After instantly hearing his name, Amanda didn’t hold back from taking a swipe at her former This Morning co-star. She said with a laugh: “Oh god, please, let’s not mention that name on air, it’s a family show!”

The pair fronted This Morning together for a brief period while Holly Willoughby was on maternity leave in 2014.

Four years later, reports claimed that Phillip had ruined her chances to co-host with him again, as Holly fronted I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! alongside Declan Donnelly.

A former daytime TV executive previously told The Sun that Phillip “actively campaigned” for Rochelle Humes to get the job instead.

However, an ITV spokesperson later denied the reports, stating that presenter decisions are only made by producers.

Phillip also addressed the rumours on social media, branding them “hurtful and wildly untrue”.

While Amanda didn’t comment directly on the reports, she has made no secret of her true thoughts toward him over the years.

During a playful game on Heart Radio about three things she didn’t want to find in her home, she quipped in 2019: “Spiders, flies and Phillip Schofield.”

Later, she revealed she had reached out to him for a heart-to-heart over coffee but claimed he didn’t respond.

Quizzed about her former co-star on Heart, Amanda confessed: “I did offer to meet him for a coffee months ago, he didn’t reply to my text. What can I say?”

Jamie added: “The olive branch had been extended,” to which she replied: “Oh, yes.”

The presenter has also previously appeared to take a swipe at Phillip’s former co-star Holly.

Discussing reports about her and Paul C. Brunson’s show Unfinished Business being commissioned for a second series, Amanda was asked if they were true.

“Well, yesterday I read in the paper that we are doing another series, but I don’t know for sure,” she confessed.

Cheekily stirring things up, he replied: “What are they suggesting, they getting Holly Willoughby?”

Caught off guard, Amanda responded: “I… what?!”, followed with a laugh and the comment: “No, they want a proper presenter.”

Jamie replied: “You’re going to get in trouble for that!”, to which Amanda said playfully: “No one’s listening.”