News Desk

March 31 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said Tuesday that an employee accused of involvement in a North Korea drone incident acted independently, describing the case as “personal misconduct” unrelated to official duties.

The agency said its internal inspection found the employee was an administrative staff member with no authority to collect or handle intelligence.

Officials added that the employee had known the main suspect – a graduate student in his 30s – since their college years, and that funds transferred in connection with the case were personal money, not tied to the agency.

Earlier in the day, a joint military-police task force referred the employee and two military officers to prosecutors without detention. The case involves allegations of aiding violations of national security and aviation safety laws.

The intelligence employee was sent to civilian prosecutors, while the two active-duty officers were referred to military prosecutors, all with recommendations for indictment.

Investigators said the suspects were involved in assisting the graduate student, identified only by his surname Oh, in flying a drone into North Korea.

The employee is believed to have known about the civilian suspects’ drone development activities and related business operations. Authorities said he provided about 2.9 million won ($2,200) to help cover production costs and meal expenses on the day of a test flight.

An intelligence agency official said the employee’s actions were “an individual deviation unrelated to official duties” and that the agency had cooperated fully with investigators to clarify the facts.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260331010009597

Plea comes hours after sheriff’s report said the golfer showed signs of impairment at the scene of last week’s crash.

Golfer Tiger Woods pleaded not guilty in his driving under the influence case in Florida on Tuesday, hours after a sheriff’s report said he had pain pills and showed signs of impairment at the scene of the crash last week.

The online court docket for Martin County, Florida, showed that Woods entered a written plea of not guilty and planned to waive his appearance during an arraignment hearing next month.

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Woods’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his pupils were dilated, and he had opioid pills in his pocket when interviewed at the scene of the crash, according to the arrest report released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

The golfer’s movements were slow and lethargic, and he was sweating as he talked to deputies and told them he had taken prescription medication earlier in the morning, according to the report. Woods told deputies he had been looking at his phone and fiddling with the radio before he clipped a truck in front of him, the report said.

Deputies found two white pills, which were identified as the opioid hydrocodone, used to treat pain, in his pocket, the report said.

When asked by a deputy if he took any prescription medications, Woods said, “I take a few.”

Woods’s agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, has not responded to multiple messages seeking comment.

The golfer was travelling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island when his Land Rover clipped the truck and rolled onto its side, according to the sheriff’s office, which noted that Woods had shown signs of impairment.

The truck had $5,000 in damage, according to the report.

The truck driver and another person helped Woods out of his vehicle, with the golfer needing to climb out from the passenger side. Neither Woods nor the truck driver was injured.

During a field sobriety test, deputies noticed Woods limping and that he had a compression sock over his right knee. The golfer explained he had undergone seven back surgeries and more than 20 leg operations, and that his ankle seizes up while walking. Woods, who was hiccupping during the questioning, continuously moved his head during one of the sobriety tests, and deputies had to instruct him several times to keep his head straight, the report said.

“Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed that Woods’ normal faculties were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle,” the deputy wrote after the tests.

Woods, 50, is the most influential figure in golf and has become as recognisable as any athlete in the world. The first person of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf fans with records likely never to be broken.

But his injuries kept him from accomplishing more, including those suffered in a 2021 car crash that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation.

At this latest crash, Woods agreed to a breathalyser test, which showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said. He was arrested and released on bail eight hours later.

No one from Woods’s camp or the PGA Tour – he is on the board and is the chairman of the committee reshaping the competition model – has commented since his arrest.

Woods, who has been involved in many crashes over the years, is charged with driving under the influence, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He is scheduled for arraignment on April 23. Online court records do not list a lawyer for him.

Under a change to Florida law last year, refusing a law enforcement officer’s request to take a breath, blood or urine test has become a misdemeanour, even for a first offence.

Judy Reyes is making every moment count.

Earlier this year, the Bronx-born Dominican actor reprised her breakthrough TV role as Carla Espinosa on the reboot of the beloved ABC medical sitcom, “Scrubs.” For just four episodes, she returned to Sacred Heart Hospital as head nurse and an exhausted mother of four daughters, whom she parents alongside her onscreen hubby, chief of surgery Dr. Christopher Turk (played by Donald Faison).

While fans only caught a quick glimpse of Carla — who is said to be picking up extra shifts elsewhere — her name lingers in the script.

“I’m like the Lord,” said Reyes on a recent video call with The Times. “Just when you think you’re getting away with something, there’s Carla!”

In reality, Reyes has been splitting her time on set with another ABC workplace drama. Now in its second season, “High Potential” sees Reyes leading a top-notch team of crime solvers as Lieutenant Selena Soto, opposite Kaitlin Olson and Daniel Sunjata. “I don’t know any other way to be!” she said of the role. “Latinos are lieutenants and nurses and doctors, et cetera!”

When The Times connected with Reyes, she was crouched down backstage at the Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College in the Bronx. We spoke merely hours before the debut of “Freestyle: A Love Story,” a stage production that follows two lovers who meet at a freestyle show — then reconnect at a concert 20 years later.

Created and directed by George Valencia, with Reyes as one of the executive producers, the story interlaces the history of freestyle music: a Latin hip-hop and pop hybrid genre popularized in the 1980s by acts like Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, George Lamond and Judy Torres.

“Our very existence is political no matter what. Our joy is a problem for a lot of people,” said Reyes. “It’s really important for us to tell our stories.”

Between the passion project and two highly-rated Hulu shows, which continue to stream on the platform despite eventual plans to merge into the Disney+ app, Reyes is not taking her spotlight for granted — especially amid a sinking Hollywood industry model that’s made it difficult for some to find work — “I’m milking it for all it’s about,” she said.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

How were you able to film both the “Scrubs” reboot and Season 2 of “High Potential”?
ABC was willing to make it work. “Scrubs” had been in the works for a long time. From Zach Braff and Donald Faison doing their podcast [during the pandemic], to the T-Mobile commercials … A whole new generation became interested in and got hitched to “Scrubs.”] It just so happened at the same time that “High Potential” was happening. My manager was wonderful about making sure [filming] was accommodating.

 Did it feel natural to return as your character Carla on “Scrubs”?
 It did. They did right by making all these characters older. We were all older with each other. We’re all friends that don’t necessarily talk to each other every day [except] Zach and Donald — they’re pretty much married — but it was like we never left.

 What has changed in Carla — and what hasn’t changed?
What’s changed in Carla is that she’s got four kids and she’s tired and she’s older. The consuming passion of her work is not what it used to be because it’s physical. Life is catching up. Her kids are older, so everything changes and she’s not able to work her ass off the way she used to and she has to confront that.

In season 2 of “High Potential,” your character Lieutenant Soto faces a moment of defeat when she’s not chosen to be captain. What thoughts popped into your head as you rehearsed the scene?
It’s extremely well-written. Defeat is very relatable as a woman — [and] as a woman of color, as a woman of a certain age and as a woman of a certain position. I think we can all, as actors, relate to not getting something you are sure you deserved. But there’s also the surrendering. It’s opening up to all the [possibilities] because if you don’t do that, then you get paralyzed. It stops you in your tracks. “Well, what if I feel this defeat again?” You might, you know, but what’s your alternative?  You gotta eat s— to move ahead.

There are some moments in “High Potential” when your character is holding up a mug with the Dominican Republic flag. How do you find other ways to incorporate your Latinidad in the story?
When we did the “High Potential” pilot, the props department said I got a mug in the scene and if I wanted anything on it. I was like, “Hmm, no one ever asked me before. Can you do a Dominican flag?” That was in Vancouver and I’ve had it since. The Dominicans lose their f— minds on social media and I love it. It fills my heart.

The other stuff is just being me, which is the purpose of being an artist. I don’t know how much sense it makes to throw in the Spanish word, unless you have other Latino people with you.

Latinos haven’t historically been represented as leaders in Hollywood. Has it evolved?
Things progressed before DEI collapsed. There was an active attempt and pursuit of putting people of color in leadership roles. I’m grateful it’s happened. I’m sad it’s retreated a little bit, but I think it has to start behind the camera. We need to champion writers, directors, producers and the stories or get risky and daring with casting.

 What has changed in Hollywood and what has not changed in your perspective?
Many things have changed from the way we view television. Everything is streamed. Now everything is a limited series. There’s such a political impact in what gets seen and what doesn’t. It’s very hard for people right now and I feel challenged to say how it is better, because I’m working. I see how hard it is. The best thing I can do is seize the platform and connect with other creatives who want to go ahead and take a chance and make investments in stories.

Now with the growing monopolies in the entertainment industry, I’m sure that’ll likely change Hollywood too.
It continues to affect the workforce. The workforce is gonna be severely impacted. The more you merge, the more people you fire and the more machines you put in their place. It’s a frightening moment.

I’m grateful I saw Noah Wyle represent against the [Paramount-Warner Bros.] merger. I’m motivated, because I think we ultimately have to protect each other and protect the art for as long as we can.

What grounds you and your art in an era that is often trying to strip you away from your creative liberties?
My company GoodTalk Films, myself and my partner and husband George Valencia are working with the Watford F.C. Women’s League to launch a Latina Women’s Football Club here in L.A.. We [want to] train Latinas to be coaches. That’s another way to reach out to the community and help people see themselves. That keeps you grounded in the creative process.

I see a lot of theater. I make a lot of trips to New York. I just saw [the Broadway adaptation of] “Dog Day Afternoon,” produced by Stephen Adly Guirgis. My kid is in the arts and I hang out a lot with him and help him sing and perform.  The process is what brings joy in working with other people interested in the same thing.

The headquarters for National Public Radio is seen in Washington, D.C., on May 27. A federal judge sided with NPR’s lawsuit saying Trump’s cut to federal funding was a violation of the First Amendment. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

March 31 (UPI) — A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Tuesday that President Donald Trump‘s executive order cutting funding to NPR and the PBS was a violation of their First Amendment rights.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss said the executive order signed in May violated the companies’ constitutional rights to a free press because Trump targeted for what he described as liberal views. He described the cut to funding as “viewpoint discrimination.”

“The message is clear: NPR and PBS need not apply for any federal benefit because the president disapproves of their ‘left-wing’ coverage of the news,” Moss said in his ruling.

“It is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints that the president does not like and seeks to squelch,” he added.

“To be sure, the president is entitled to criticize this or any other reporting, and he can express his own views as he sees fit. He may not, however, use his governmental power to direct federal agencies to exclude plaintiffs from receiving federal grants or other funding in retaliation for saying things that he does not like.”

Trump’s executive order, called Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media, ordered the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop funding National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service to the maximum extent allowed by law.

At the time, more than 70% of CPB’s congressionally approved $535 million budget went directly to public media stations through grants.

According to NPR, about 1% of its annual operating budget came in the form of grants from CPB and federal agencies and departments, excluding CPB funding for the Public Radio Satellite System. Its largest funding stream — about 36% — comes from sponsorships, donations, memberships and licensing fees.

According to PBS, federal funding covered about 15% of its revenue.

CPB was founded in 1967 as a private nonprofit corporation to fund public television and radio stations and their programs.

NPR sued the Trump administration later in the month, citing First Amendment and 1967 Public Broadcasting Act violations.

A Russian tanker has delivered enough fuel to meet Cuba’s energy needs for up to 10 days, following a three-month blockade.

A Russia-flagged tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of oil has docked in Cuba, marking the first time in three months that an oil tanker has reached the island nation.

The administration of United States President Donald Trump allowed the Anatoly Kolodkin to proceed despite an ongoing US energy blockade. The Aframax tanker entered the Bay of Matanzas – the country’s largest supertanker and fuel storage port – on Tuesday at daybreak.

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The vessel, under US sanctions, entered Cuban territorial waters late on Sunday, not far from the US Navy base at Guantanamo Bay. The United States said it was allowing the tanker to deliver fuel for humanitarian reasons.

The Anatoly Kolodkin entered the Bay of Matanzas under clear skies and light winds at sunrise. Much of the nearby city – and the majority of Cuba – was without power when the tanker arrived at the port area.

Cuba has not received an oil tanker in three months, according to President Miguel Diaz-Canel, exacerbating an energy crisis that has led to seemingly endless blackouts across the country of 10 million people and brought hospitals, public transportation, and farm production to the brink of collapse.

Cubans, including Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy, cheered the ship’s arrival. A shortage of petroleum has exacerbated a deep economic crisis, leaving the population mired in long blackouts and facing severe shortages of food and medicine.

“Our gratitude to the Government and People of Russia for all the support we are receiving. A valuable shipment that arrives amidst the complex energy situation we are facing,” de la O Levy wrote on X.

The fuel, if delivered, would give Cuba’s communist-run government breathing room amid growing pressure from the Trump administration, which has promised change in Cuba.

It will take days before the crude on board the Anatoly Kolodkin can be processed domestically and turned into motor fuel and refined products, such as diesel and fuel oil for power generation.

The ship is carrying Russian Urals, a medium sour crude, which is a good fit for Cuba’s ageing refineries.

Cuba produces barely 40 percent of its required fuel and relies on imports to sustain its energy grid. Experts say the anticipated shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to feed Cuba’s daily demand for nine or 10 days.

Cuba used to receive most of its oil from Venezuela, but those shipments have been halted ever since the US attacked the South American country and abducted its leader, Nicolas Maduro, in early January.

EXCLUSIVE: Lisa Kudrow has returned to our screens for the third and final season of The Comeback.

The Comeback co-creator has opened up on working with Lisa Kudrow as HBO Max finally arrives in the UK.

From Succession and Euphoria, to Game of Thrones and The Sopranos, HBO Max is home to some of the biggest global hits with new series continuing to be added.

One of which is the third and final season of The Comeback which revolves around the turbulent career of sitcom star Valerie Cherish (played by Lisa Kudrow).

12 years after series two, Valerie takes on a new sitcom written by AI in a bid to try and salvage her dwindling career but it’s not exactly plain sailing.

Of course, Kudrow is famed for portraying Phoebe Buffay in the unforgettable 1990s comedy Friends but The Comeback’s co-creator Michael Patrick King insists she’s “a lot more than Phoebe”.

Opening up to Reach Plc, King, who is best known for directing Sex And The City, shared: “First of all, the thing I really want to say about Lisa Kudrow is she’s a brilliant writer.

“You know she’s a brilliant actress. All you have to do is look at the contrast between Phoebe and Valerie and you can see her amazing range.

“She’s a very, very, very good writer. She has a scientific mind. She has a degree from Vassar [College] in biology.

“So she’s a lot more than Phoebe. And what’s great about working with her is she’s smart and hilarious and discerning. Very, very discerning.”

Kudrow recently spoke to CBS Sunday Morning about the reason why she’s still happy to be known for Friends, despite the show ending in 2004.

She said: “I never went through that period of ‘no I don’t want to talk about Friends. I have to move on, I want to play other characters and no, you have to know me from -’.

“No, no, that’s fine. Because Friends gave me everything.

“It just did. And I loved being Phoebe. I loved the whole experience and I don’t need to move away from it.

“I had done independent films and played different characters and, whether you’ve seen it or not, that’s fine.

“And it’s fine if all you know I’ve ever done with Friends, how could I not be OK with that?”

The Comeback is available to watch on HBO Max

Slavery has been declared the gravest crime against humanity in a United Nations resolution. Argentina, Israel, and the United States were the only countries that voted against it, with many others abstaining. So what does this resolution mean, and why won’t the countries that built their wealth on slavery agree to a path for justice? Al Jazeera’s Marthe van der Wolf explains.

Mérida, March 31, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government has officially retaken control of its diplomatic headquarters in Washington, DC, as part of the two countries’ diplomatic rapprochement.

The move followed days of high-level activity in the US capital by a Venezuelan delegation with the aim of rehabilitating consular services for hundreds of thousands of nationals residing in the United States.

On Thursday, Venezuelan officials re-hoisted the national flag at the diplomatic mission buildings, which had been under the “temporary control” of the US State Department since 2023.

The properties, including the embassy in Georgetown and the ambassador’s residence, were previously handed over to the self-proclaimed “interim government” led by Juan Guaidó after the first Trump administration recognized it as Venezuela’s legitimate authority in 2019. The Venezuelan embassy was forcefully taken over by security forces after a group of solidarity activists attempted to defend it from the US-backed hardline opposition.

Caracas’ delegation, sent by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, was led by Félix Plasencia, Venezuela’s Chargé d’Affaires to the US, and Oliver Blanco, Vice-Minister for Europe and North America. The group inspected the facilities, and Plasencia confirmed that the buildings would undergo an immediate “rehabilitation process” to resume institutional functions.

“This is a significant achievement in the protection of our national assets,” Plasencia stated via social media, sharing images of the Venezuelan flag outside diplomatic venues.

“We are working to reinstate these spaces as a service to all Venezuelan citizens, to support them in their consular needs, the authentication of their identity documents, and the protection of their rights abroad,” he added.

According to Blanco, the delegation held meetings with several State Department officials last week with the purpose of “exploring opportunities to strengthen the bond between both nations” and establishing a permanent presence to address bilateral interests, specifically in trade, migration, and energy.

Venezuela’s retaking of its diplomatic facilities on US soil was made possible by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issuing General License 53.

The sanctions waiver allows the provision of goods and services to Venezuela’s diplomatic missions, allowing them to engage in financial transactions to ensure the normal functioning of consular activities.

Since 2019, Venezuelans residing in the US have faced hurdles to access official channels for passport renewal and birth certificate issuance, and have been forced to seek alternative solutions through third-country consulates or by utilizing expired documentation. 

Venezuelan migrants have also been heavily targeted by the Trump administration’s anti-migration crackdown, with hundreds of thousands placed at risk of deportation with the suspension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and the CHNV parole program. US and Venezuelan authorities presently coordinate three weekly deportation flights.

Caracas and Washington fast-tracked a diplomatic re-engagement in the wake of the January 3 military attack that saw US special forces kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. The pair is currently facing charges including drug trafficking conspiracy.

The two countries formalized the reestablishment of diplomatic ties on March 5 following a seven-year hiatus. Days later, the Trump administration recognized Rodríguez as Venezuela’s “sole” authority. On Monday, the US State Department announced the reopening of the US embassy in Caracas.

Since January, the acting president has hosted multiple White House officials who have praised her government’s pro-business reforms in the energy and mining sectors. For her part, Rodríguez has defended diplomacy and the prospect of “mutually beneficial” relations with the US.

“Faith diplomacy” gathering

The Rodríguez administration’s outreach to the US recently included a high-profile “faith diplomacy” gathering with evangelical pastors. Venezuelan authorities stated that the meeting aimed to promote “peace and spiritual union.”

The Friday event in the Poliedro in Caracas featured prominent international religious figures alongside Venezuelan cabinet members and the national evangelical community. The guest of honor was Pastor Ramiro Abel Peña Jr., a key figure in the “Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships” during Trump’s first term and a current spiritual advisor to the US President.

Peña, a pastor from the “Christ the King” Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, has cultivated close ties with the Trump family and has been a vocal advocate for hardline evangelical and zionist causes. During the event, Peña led the central prayer for the “restoration” and “blessing” of Venezuela.

He was joined by other international religious leaders such as Pastor Roosevelt Fonseca of the “Christian Life Mission” (Colombia-USA), who participated in “revival prayers” intended to foster social cohesion during the 2026 Holy Week.

For her part, Rodríguez called for “an end to hatred” and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a national amnesty law that has seen thousands released from prison or have their judicial cases dropped. She urged a prayer for an end to US sanctions and advocated for Venezuelans to look to “the words of Jesus” as a guide to overcoming the country’s struggles.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to suspend its construction of a $400 million ballroom where it demolished the East Wing of the White House, barring construction work from proceeding without congressional approval.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted a preservationist group’s request for a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts President Trump’s White House ballroom project.

Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, concluded that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims because “no statute comes close to giving the President the authority he claims to have.”

“The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” the judge wrote.

Leon suspended enforcement of his order for 14 days, acknowledging that the case “raises novel and weighty issues, that halting an ongoing construction project “may raise logistical issues.” He also recognized that the administration is likely to appeal his decision.

The judge ruled that any construction work that’s necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House is exempt from the scope of the injunction. Leon said he reviewed material that the government privately submitted to him before concluding that halting construction wouldn’t jeopardize national security.

Trump, in a social media post, criticized the trust for suing him over a project that he said is being built at no cost to taxpayers. “Doesn’t make much sense, does it?” he wrote.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.

The preservationists sued to obtain an order pausing the ballroom project until it undergoes multiple independent reviews and receives congressional approval.

The White House announced the ballroom project over the summer. By late October, Trump had demolished the East Wing to make way for a ballroom that he said would fit 999 people. The White House said private donations, including from Trump himself, would pay for the planned construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.

Trump proceeded with the project before seeking input from a pair of federal review panels, the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. Trump has stocked both commissions with allies.

On Feb. 26, Leon rejected the preservationist group’s initial bid to temporarily halt the ballroom’s construction. He said the privately funded group had based its challenge on a “ragtag group” of legal theories and would have a better chance of success if it amended the lawsuit, which it did.

The administration has said above-ground construction on the ballroom would begin in April.

“We are two weeks away,” plaintiffs’ attorney Thaddeus Heuer said during a March 17 hearing. “The imminence is now imminent.”

During the hearing, Leon sounded skeptical of what he referred to as the government’s “shifting theories and shifting dynamics” for its arguments in the case.

“I don’t think it’s a new theory,” Justice Department attorney Jacob Roth told the judge.

Leon expressed frustration at Roth’s attempts to equate the massive ballroom project with relatively modest construction work at the White House under previous administrations.

“This is an iconic symbol of this nation,” the judge said.

The administration argued that other presidents didn’t need congressional approval for previous White House renovation projects, large and small.

“Many of those projects were highly controversial in their time yet have since become accepted — even beloved — parts of the White House,” government attorneys wrote.

Kunzelman writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

March 31 (UPI) — Increased military pressure by the United States on drug trafficking routes in the Pacific Ocean has forced criminal groups to sharply raise payments to those willing to transport narcotics by sea, a police official said.

In Ecuador’s coastal provinces of Manabí and Santa Elena, recruitment costs for local fishermen tasked with moving cocaine to Central America on speedboats have surged to unprecedented levels.

According to Ecuadorian outlet Primicias, in 2023 and 2024 criminal organizations paid up to $20,000 per trip to boat operators and about $5,000 to their assistants.

However, a large-scale deployment of U.S. and Ecuadorian forces under Operation Southern Spear, launched in October, has increased the risks of these journeys and driven up payments offered by traffickers.

Col. William Calle, head of Ecuador’s National Police in Zone 4, said operators piloting speedboats or semi-submersibles can now earn around $40,000 per trip. Assistants receive about $20,000, while those handling mid-sea refueling earn roughly $15,000.

Local reports, including from El Diario de Manabí, indicate payments can reach as high as $90,000 for high-risk missions or large shipments.

Since 2024, U.S. and Ecuadorian maritime authorities have conducted patrol flights and interdiction operations to monitor and intercept drug trafficking vessels in Ecuadorian waters.

President Daniel Noboa ratified two military cooperation agreements in February. The risk for traffickers has shifted from capture to potential airstrikes in international waters if vessels fail to stop.

Despite arrests and international warnings, criminal groups continue to rely on fishing vessels to transport drugs.

According to El Diario, fishermen detained after operations in Manta and Salinas on Thursday told courts that successful trips carrying one to two tons of drugs can yield payments of up to $90,000. Military intelligence has described these sums as the “price of silence” and compensation for the risk of attack.

Ecuador’s Navy said traffickers increasingly use so-called “mother ships” to extend range and cargo capacity, while smaller fiberglass boats serve as logistical support or for transfers at sea. This tactic complicates interdiction efforts, though shared intelligence has enabled several recent seizures.

Ecuador has become a primary departure point for cocaine produced in the region, with about 80% of shipments moving through the Pacific corridor.

For artisanal fishermen facing economic hardship due to declining catches and piracy targeting boat engines, a $40,000 payment can equal up to a decade of legal earnings.

However, many fishermen say participation is not voluntary but enforced under threats. Organized crime groups such as Los Lobos and Los Choneros control ports, extorting and forcibly recruiting experienced navigators whose knowledge of ocean currents helps evade detection.

The escalation of U.S. military actions under Operation Southern Spear has included at least 47 airstrikes against suspected vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. These operations, described President Donald Trump‘s administration as part of a fight against “narco-terrorism,” have resulted in at least 150 deaths.

Authorities have also reported significant seizures, including more than 2.9 tons of drugs near the Galápagos Islands and an additional 2 tons intercepted at sea in March

This month, the U.S. government also launched military and intelligence operations in Ecuadorian territory with authorization from Noboa.

The White House said the operations are aimed at dismantling Los Lobos and Los Choneros, which the U.S. State Department designated as foreign terrorist organizations in late 2025.

According to U.S. Southern Command, these groups are no longer treated solely as criminal organizations, but as threats to hemispheric national security.

The TWZ Newsletter

Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.

Fielding more hardened shelters to better protect U.S. forces at bases in the Middle East is now a top priority in the face of Iranian attacks, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. At the same time, this underscores questions about why more investments in physical hardening were not made in the region well before the current conflict. This is especially true given months of planning leading up to this and the clear threats that Iranian drones and missiles posed.

For years now, TWZ has been highlighting how the lack of hardened infrastructure at American military facilities abroad and at home creates worrisome vulnerabilities. This is especially concerning when it comes to aircraft parked in the open, like the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) that was destroyed in an Iranian attack last week.

Hegseth talked about U.S. defensive posture in the Middle East at a press conference today at the Pentagon. The Secretary also announced that he had made a previously undisclosed visit to the region to meet with American service members.

“I’ll say, what I witnessed, where I went, was a completely locked-in discipline of bunker use and bunker improvement. So, from the beginning, as we stated very clearly, the first thing we did was set up a defense and make sure our defensive capabilities were maxed out before any of this even started,” Hegseth said. “That included fortifications, as much as possible, but it also included dispersement [sic]. If all of our people are in one place, you can imagine why that’s a big problem.”

“Alongside that dispersement [sic] is more and more bunkers. And I can tell you, talking to base commanders, talking to our allies in Israel, talking to others, rapidly fielding that and then improving those positions is a theater priority, no doubt, as are the air defenses and the layered air defenses,” he continued. “It’s not just Patriots and THAADs [Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems]. It’s fighters and defensive CAPs [combat air patrols]. It’s other kinetic defeat systems. It’s electronic warfare. So the defense of our troops and our assets is max [sic].”

“I will say, on some of those other assets you talked about, air wings, airframes, there’s some things adversaries are doing to provide info and intel that they shouldn’t. We’re aware of it, and ultimately, we move things around,” he added. “One of the biggest principles you learn in the military is to not set patterns, predictable patterns, and so we’re – commanders are working hard to adjust in real time with those systems and make sure they’re in the right places and not easily targetable.”

Hegseth was responding to a two-part question about the status of efforts to establish additional bunkers at bases in the region and what other measures were being taken to better protect high-value assets, including aircraft like the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS). On March 27, an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia succeeded in destroying one of these prized AWACS jets, as well as damaging other aircraft and injuring several American service members, as you can read more about here.

Separately, on March 23, the U.S. Space Force had put out a contracting notice to identify “potential sources” of “prefabricated, transportable, hardened shelter systems” that could be delivered to Jordan within weeks or even days of a contract award. The U.S. military has a major presence in Jordan, particularly at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, which has been a key hub in the current campaign against Iran. Muwaffaq Salti has, in turn, also come under Iranian attack, with an AN/TPY-2 missile defense radar there having been notably targeted.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also put out another contracting notice regarding planned new hardened underground facilities at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on March 25, which TWZ was first to report. This is a longer-term project, with work not expected to start until 2028.

Though Hegseth says more bunkers for bases in the Middle East are now a priority, it remains unclear why this was not already the case years ago. There has been no shortage of examples in the region of the threats posed by Iran’s drone and missile arsenals, as well as those employed by Iranian-backed proxies. This includes numerous instances of direct and sometimes fatal attacks on U.S. forces, as well as on allies and partners. Drone threats, in general, are not new and have only continued to grow, something TWZ has been sounding the alarm on for nearly a decade now. In turn, we have also highlighted the curious lack of investment in hardened infrastructure, especially to better protect aircraft, which are especially vulnerable when parked out on open flight lines.

In recent years, U.S. military officials have often pushed back on calls for more physical hardening, having questioned the cost-effectiveness and general utility of doing so. More emphasis has generally been put on expanding active defenses, such as surface-to-air missiles, as well as employing concepts of operations centered on dispersion of forces and camouflage, concealment, and deception. In addition to talking about the importance of bunkers, Hegseth hit these same general talking points himself just this morning.

The destruction of the E-3 at Prince Sultan Air Base raises additional questions about the limits of dispersal and other operating concepts, which the U.S. Air Force has codified under the banner of Agile Combat Employment (ACE). Satellite imagery makes clear that E-3s and other aircraft have continued to be parked out in the open at well-established points on the taxiways at the base in Saudi Arabia. More broadly speaking, American forces in the region continue to operate primarily from a small number of large bases, the locations of which are well known.

Visualizing ACE

Furthermore, in his remarks today, Hegseth alluded to reports that Russia and China have been helping Iran target key assets at bases in the Middle East, including through the provision of satellite imagery. In the past decade, the Chinese have dramatically expanded their space-based surveillance capabilities. The commercial satellite imagery sector in that country has also grown.

At the same time, while additional information from those sources would help refine Iranian targeting processes, it would not be necessary to launch attacks on key assets and facilities, especially larger ones, at locations like Prince Sultan or Muwaffaq Salti in Jordan. Iran has its own intelligence streams in the region that it could leverage, as well. We have seen numerous examples of very deliberate targeting on the part of Iranian forces, especially when it comes to prized air and missile defense radars and communications arrays, many of which are fixed in place, from the start of the current conflict.

And they VERY likely had recent intel from satellite imagery (China and Russia)

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) March 30, 2026

There are ways to provide targeting data beyond near real time satellite imagery. And even then, who knows how often they are moving them. It would be worth a BM and definitely worth a hopeful shot of a one-way attack drone.

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) March 29, 2026

In the past few years, there has been some signs of a tonal shift across the U.S. military when it comes to physical hardening, especially against drone attacks. Just last week, authorities at Shaw Air Force Base in California put out a contracting notice regarding plans to put up counter-drone nets around non-hardened sunshade-type shelters on the flightline, a defensive measure that other Air Force facilities have been exploring, as well. In addition to seeing more pushes for additional passive defenses at established bases, work has been touted on more rapidly deployable capabilities to support expeditionary and distributed operations.

At the same time, the U.S. military is clearly still playing catch-up in this regard. These are issues that extend well beyond the Middle East and the current conflict with Iran, too. Though Iran’s drones and missiles clearly present real dangers, the scale and scope of those attacks pale in comparison to the volume and diversity of incoming threats U.S. forces would expect to face in a large-scale conflict in the Pacific against China.

It is true that you cannot protect everything from every threat, but physical hardening can help lessen the impacts. It also limits the overall options an enemy has for attacking a particular target and imposes additional costs to achieving the desired level of destruction. Paired with other tactics, it can drastically improve the survivability of a combat air force on the ground.

Hopefully there will FINALLY be a real wake up call here on hardened infrastructure for air bases. They (DoW leadership) have and are living in a fantasy land with this. It’s maddening. It’s easier to kill your most potent combat aircraft on the ground, where they sped the vast…

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) March 29, 2026

And this is at home and overseas. You can’t protect everything, not even close, but you can protect a portion of your fleet and plan around that capacity.

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) March 29, 2026

The current conflict with Iran has clearly put new emphasis on expanding the hardened infrastructure at air bases and other facilities in the Middle East, but it remains to be seen whether this latest wakeup call will be heard more broadly.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

NELLY Furtado has silenced body shamers in a curve-hugging strapless red gown, as she was honored with a Hall of Fame award.

The iconic singer, 47, has faced cruel comments about her figure since her return to the spotlight, but defied the haters to accept the coveted achievement.

Nelly looked stunning in her dress, as she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2026 Juno Awards.

The stunning star oozed sex appeal in the incredible dress as she collected her gong.

The Grammy Award winning artist wore her brown locks tied back, and she accessorised with huge earrings.

Nelly beamed and threw her arms in the air as she walked on stage to be inducted into her native country’s Hall of Fame.

Addressing the audience, the thrilled star said: “Honestly, I’m just really proud to be Canadian. I live in Canada.

“I make my music in Canada.

“I work with Canadian musicians, songwriters, producers because I totally believe in the Canadian dream.

“Please believe it, too.”

It comes after Nelly revealed how she was retiring from performing, after 25 years in the spotlight.

Taking to Instagram last October, the Grammy winner made an emotional post expressing gratitude for her career but that she felt it was time for a change.

Addressing fans, Nelly said: “I have decided to step away from performance for the foreseeable future and pursue some other creative and personal endeavours that I feel would better suit this next phase of my life.

“I have enjoyed my career immensely, and I still love writing music as I have always seen it as a hobby I was lucky enough to make into a career.

“I’ll identify as a songwriter forever.”

Nelly shot to fame in 2000 with her debut album Whoa, Nelly!.

The record was a huge success and spawned the single I’m Like A Bird which went was played on radio stations around the world.

The star is also well known for her song Promiscuous as well as her collaboration with singer James Morrison on Broken Strings.

Another huge hit for Nelly was her chart topping song Maneater.

March 31 (UPI) — Three former FBI agents filed a lawsuit against FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi and their departments Tuesday for firing them, claiming it was for political retribution.

The suit includes a proposed class-action of all FBI employees already fired or potentially fired in the future for political reasons. It was filed in the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C.

Former FBI agents Jamie Garman, Blaire Toleman and Michelle Ball served on a public corruption squad at the FBI that investigated President Donald Trump‘s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Special counsel Jack Smith eventually took over the investigation code named Arctic Frost. He dropped the charges against Trump after he was elected in 2024.

The three agents were fired last fall.

“Our removal from federal service — without due process and based on a false perception of political bias — is a profound injustice that raises serious concerns about political interference in federal law enforcement,” they said in a statement released by their lawyer, Daniel M. Eisenberg. “We bring this lawsuit to protect the rule of law and to allow our former colleagues to do their jobs without fear of retaliation.”

A federal judge will have to decide if the case can be a class-action suit. The three agents are seeking to include more than 50 FBI employees who have been fired since Trump took office.

Since taking control of the FBI in February 2025, Patel and the other defendants “have summarily terminated members of the proposed class because of their perceived political affiliation, without legitimate investigation, finding of misconduct, pre-termination notice of charges to the employees, an opportunity for the employees to present a defense, and/or any compelling or exigent circumstances,” the suit said.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas Thursday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a speech that Patel had “cleaned house” at the FBI.

“There isn’t a single man or woman with a gun, federal agent, still in that organization that had anything to do with the prosecution of President Trump,” the lawsuit alleges Blanche said.

Tehran, Iran – Strikes by the United States and Israel have hit Tehran, Isfahan, and other Iranian cities, as local commanders said they were prepared for a war of attrition involving potential US ground incursions.

Numerous air raids struck areas across the capital before and after midnight – and periodically throughout Tuesday – once more leading to electricity outages in multiple areas. The Ministry of Energy confirmed that shrapnel and shock waves damaged a main power transfer line, but said the disruption was fixed within hours.

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A number of industrial areas in nearby Karaj and surrounding towns were also struck, while the Israeli army released a new aerial map to warn citizens to stay away from an area of Vardavard, located west of Tehran, pending attacks. The area is a base for multiple pharmaceutical companies.

Authorities reported extensive damage was done to a major pharmaceuticals company, Tofigh Darou, which was believed to have been targeted with multiple projectiles.

Iran produces more than 90 percent of its medicine domestically due to US sanctions, and the company is among the top producers of ingredients used in a wide range of drugs, including cancer medication and immunomodulator medication used to treat multiple sclerosis.

In central Iran’s Isfahan, residents were shocked after a large number of heavy bunker-buster bombs were dropped over a mountainous area next to the metropolis in an apparent attempt to target military installations. The munitions caused secondary explosions that were some of the largest recorded since the start of the war over a month ago and lit up the night sky, followed by massive sounds that reverberated across the city.

 

In Zanjan to the northwest of Iran, local media showed footage of considerable destruction after a building described as the “administrative department” of Hosseinieh Azam, a major religious centre, was hit. At least four people were killed and others injured, according to local authorities, who did not identify the deceased.

Iranian authorities say that more than 2,000 people have been killed in US-Israeli strikes since the start of the war on February 28, and a large number of residential units, schools, hospitals, and historical sites have been impacted.

US and Israeli warplanes this week also bombed multiple civilian nuclear sites, the country’s top steel manufacturers and their electricity sources, petrochemical plants, and the Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran, where an imaging satellite had been developed. A professor at the university, who had helped advance Iran’s missile programme, was assassinated along with his two children at their home in northern Tehran last week.

US President Donald Trump again threatened to attack oil and gas installations, destroy power generation plants, and “possibly” obliterate all of Iran’s water desalination plants.

‘Wish they will take to the grave’

The top commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), currently believed to be running the war and deciding the future of the country, have continued to signal defiance after this week’s attacks.

The spokesman of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the IRGC said on Tuesday that Tehran’s enemies are “humiliated and on the path of destruction” as the US raises the prospects of launching ground attacks on strategic islands on Iran’s southern shores.

The idea of gaining dominance over the Strait of Hormuz through military attack is a “wish they [the US] will take forever to the grave”, Ebrahim Zolfaghari said in a video message as an Iranian drone attack sparked fire on a Kuwaiti tanker at Dubai Port.

The IRGC also released footage of ballistic missiles fired towards Israel and countries across the region, as well as footage of shooting down what it said were two of the US military’s advanced MQ-9 Reaper drones. It said retaliatory attacks would be launched against technology companies linked to the US and Israel in the region.

State television aired a programme where analysts said they believed a ground military incursion by US soldiers amassing in the region could militarily benefit the Islamic Republic, as they could sustain losses while trying to take over fortified positions held by the IRGC on the islands.

“American vessels are the most vulnerable point of the enemy,” Ali Fadavi, one of the most senior remaining commanders of the IRGC, told state television during an interview broadcast on Tuesday.

He claimed that US warships are generating “fake signals” from their transponders and are actually situated far further from Iranian shores than they show, which the commander said reflected “full preparedness of our forces”.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a former foreign minister and longtime foreign policy adviser to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a social media post that any ground aggression would escalate the war into an “historical and civilisational defence”, in reference to Israel and US officials branding the conflict a war for civilisation.

Iran announces more executions

Iranian authorities continue to warn through state media that they take any form of local dissent seriously, and are prepared to exact punishments that include execution by hanging.

Two more people were executed on Tuesday morning, the judiciary confirmed, saying they were armed members of the foreign-based Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) group that is considered a “terrorist” outfit by Tehran.

This comes after executions on Monday, as well as others over recent weeks, some of which were also related to Iran’s nationwide protests in January, when thousands were gunned down on the streets of Tehran and cities across the country.

The United Nations and human rights organisations accuse state forces of carrying out an unprecedented crackdown against peaceful protesters, but the authorities blame “terrorists” and “rioters” backed by the US and Israel.

Iran’s judiciary spokesman Alireza Jahangir told state television on Tuesday that new indictments have been issued against 200 “mercenaries” who are accused of assisting the US and Israel, including by recording footage of air strikes and sending them to foreign-based outlets in defiance of the theocratic establishment.

The judiciary reiterated that punishments for national security charges will include full confiscation of assets, as well as execution. A number of local and foreign-based Iranian celebrities and businesspeople have already had their assets seized for opposing the Islamic Republic.

The government of President Masoud Pezeshkian late on Monday held its first cabinet meeting since the start of the war, with an image showing a makeshift space decorated with a blue covering at an undisclosed location serving as the meeting place.

Israel’s Channel 14 alleged in a report that Pezeshkian has been pushing to gain negotiating powers with the US, as Trump claims talks have advanced. But the Israeli outlet said IRGC chief Ahmad Vahidi declined the request and did not want to give concessions to the US and Israel. Iran has not commented on the report.

“Any decision-making about ending the war will be adopted strictly while considering all raised conditions and in the framework of ensuring dignity, security and interests of the great Iranian nation,” Pezeshkian was quoted as saying during the cabinet meeting, in reference to Iran’s demands for guarantees and reparations.

TAKE That’s Howard Donald has revealed he is selling off his beloved campervan home for a FIVE figure sum, and said that ‘it saddened” him to part with it.

The singer, 57, owns an impressive car collection, but now is selling off his VW camper – but asked fans: “What am I doing?”

The minted star, who has made his millions from touring and making records with Take That, is now giving fans the opportunity to snap up the luxury motor.

For £50K, Howard‘s loyal followers can buy the campervan from him.

The star shared the news on Instagram with a slew of pics of the cosy looking vehicle.

In one snap, Howard is seen standing next to the campervan, as he got ready to say goodbye to it.

He captioned the pictures with: “FOR SALE!!! VW rare double door 4 berth camper van.

“It saddens me to sell this but I never used it!

“I even look at it now and think what am I doing?!”

Howard’s post got some cheeky comments from his fans, with one writing: “Can you be the driver please?!”

Another said: “Does the model come with the car???”

A third quipped: “I think a few of us Take That fans should put in some cash together and buy it and use it at the venues on tour to queue up!”

This saucy fan added: “Does it come complete with you tied up in the back of it?! If so I’ll sell my house and buy it instantly!”

Howard is well known for his impressive car collection, with his VW camper being just one of the multi-millionaire’s impressive motors.

Among the collection, the singer owns a Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, which he uses to drive his family, a 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE Cabriolet, and a 1959 Chevrolet Brookwood.

Howard previously revealed he believes he has around 17 supercars – but that he finds it hard to store them all.

The star told the Fuelling Around podcast in 2023: “It’s come to a point where you’re trying to put them in other people’s garages and you’re thinking, “No, it’s too ridiculous’.”

At the time he said that he was planning to sell some of his cars to pay for his children’s education.

“One day, it’ll come to the crunch where Take That probably will stop eventually, and then you think, ‘I’m going to have to sell one of my cars’,” the star said.

He joked: “I really hate my kids for that, though.”

Howard shot to fame in the early 90s as one of the five original members of Take That.

The Lancashire lad completed the line-up consisting of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Robbie Williams and Jason Orange.

The band went onto to have huge success with songs like Back For Good, Relight My Fire and Never Forget.

Robbie left the band in 1995, and the rest of the group parted ways the following year.

However, they got back together in the early noughties as a foursome, with Jason parting ways with the group in 2014.

But Howard, Gary and Mark continue to fly the Take That flag and are heading out on tour this summer.

Since January 2015, Howard has been married to illustrator Katie Halil, and they share two kids.

He also has two daughters from two separate relationships.