WASHINGTON — A Florida airport was cleared to be renamed after President Trump on Monday, hours before the president separately revealed plans for a Miami skyscraper planned to house his presidential library.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill allowing Palm Beach International Airport to be renamed the President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The change is set to take place in July, formally rebranding the airport near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Later Monday, Trump posted a video to social media that appears to show digital renderings for his presidential library. Set to dramatic music, the video unveils a piercing tower along the Miami skyline emblazoned with the signature “Trump” lettering seen on his other towers.

The video includes panning shots of the tower’s exterior and interior, with a presidential jet parked in the lobby alongside a gold escalator like the one Trump rode down while launching his presidential campaign in 2015. Other shots show a giant ballroom like the one he’s planning for the White House, a replica Oval Office, rooftop gardens and a large, gold statue of Trump.

A credit says the design comes from Bermello Ajamil, a Miami-based firm. Trump posted the video with no explanation beyond a link to a new website for the library. The website says, “coming soon,” with a link to donate money.

The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the plans.

Miami Dade College gave up a nearly three-acre plot of downtown real estate as a gift for the future library. A judge in December dismissed a complaint challenging the gift on grounds that the college’s board didn’t give sufficient public notice. The site is valued at more than $67 million.

Trump’s son Eric previously said the library will be “one of the most beautiful buildings ever built” and “an Icon on the Miami skyline.”

Since he returned to the White House, Trump has pressed to get his name on all manner of American institutions, including the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and U.S. currency.

In Palm Beach, a stretch of road from the airport to Trump’s estate was recently renamed Donald J. Trump Boulevard.

The PGA Tour also issued its first comment on Woods following the golfer’s statement.

“Tiger Woods is a legend of our sport whose impact extends far beyond his achievements on the course,” it said.

“But above all else, Tiger is a person, and our focus is on his health and well‑being. Tiger continues to have our full support as he takes this important step.”

The golf body’s CEO, Brian Rolapp, added: “Tiger Woods is one of the most influential figures the sports world has ever known.

“Over the last year, I have come to deeply appreciate Tiger not only for his impact on the game, but for his friendship and the perspective he has shared with me as I joined the golf industry.

“My thoughts are with him and his family as he takes this step, for which he has my full respect and support.”

Last week’s accident was the latest in a string of incidents that have littered Woods’ recent years.

His marriage ended – as did lucrative sponsorship deals – after he struck a fire hydrant, a tree and several hedges outside his home in a 2009 incident which sparked accusations of extramarital affairs.

Then in 2017 he was sentenced to a year’s probation after pleading guilty to reckless driving. That came after police officers found Woods slumped at the wheel of his car near his home. A toxicology report found he had several legal medications in his system and marijuana’s active ingredient.

In 2021, Woods survived a serious accident which left him with extensive injuries. He has had multiple surgeries since, and played only a limited schedule.

Last week, he competed in the TGL indoor golf league – his first competitive golf for more than a year – following more back surgery and an Achilles injury.

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.

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.

“I’m so honored and so thrilled to be part of what I consider a television history,” said Judy Reyes of her role as Carla Espinosa on the ABC medical sitcom “Scrubs.”

(Jeff Weddell / Disney)

 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.

Judy Reyes portrays Lieutenant Selena Soto in “High Potential,” leading a top-notch team of crime solvers opposite Kaitlin Olson and Daniel Sunjata.

(Jessica Perez / Disney)

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.

President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday purporting to place new federal controls on voting by mail in states such as California, repeating his long-held but unsubstantiated claim that mail-in ballots are a source of widespread fraud in U.S. elections.

California leaders immediately responded with promises to fight the order in court. They said mail ballots are a safe and secure method for voting relied on by millions of Californians, that Trump’s order infringes on the state’s constitutional right to administer elections as it sees fit, and that it amounts to an “illegal power grab” ahead of midterm elections in which his party is poised to suffer substantial losses.

The order directs the United States Postal Service to take control of mail balloting by designing new envelopes with special bar codes that will allow the federal government to ensure that such ballots go out only to eligible voters, and that only eligible voters return such ballots.

It requires states to submit to the USPS process if they plan to use the federal mail system for sending or receiving ballots, and to submit to the USPS lists of eligible voters in advance of such ballots passing through the mail system.

It also requires the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Social Security Administration to “compile and transmit to the chief election official of each State a list of individuals confirmed to be United States citizens who will be above the age of 18 at the time of an upcoming Federal election and who maintain a residence in the subject State.”

Those lists will be drawn from federal citizenship and naturalization records, Social Security records and “other relevant Federal databases,” and the USPS will be barred from transmitting ballots that do not match those lists, the order says.

“Secure ballot envelope identifiers provide a reliable, auditable mechanism to enforce Federal law without unduly burdening or infringing on the rights of eligible voters,” the order reads. “Unique ballot envelope identifiers, such as bar codes, enable confirmation that only citizens receive and cast ballots, reducing the risk of fraud and protecting the integrity of Federal elections.”

Trump — who recently voted by mail himself in Florida — framed the order as a solution to “massive cheating” in U.S. elections currently, which he did not back up with evidence.

“The cheating on mail-in voting is legendary. It’s horrible what’s going on,” Trump said.

“He’s going to make sure that mail-in ballots are safe secure and accurate,” said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who appeared alongside Trump and whose agency the order requires to be involved in the coordination of the new voting measures.

California officials blasted the president for attacking and undermining election integrity, rather than shoring it up, and said they would fight the order from taking effect.

“President Trump’s Executive Order marks a dangerous and unprecedented escalation in his ongoing attacks on our elections. The power to regulate elections belongs to the States and to Congress — he has no role to play. We blocked his previous Executive Order on elections in court, and we are prepared to stop him again,” said California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta.

“The reality is that President Trump and Congressional Republicans see the writing on the wall — that they are likely to lose in the upcoming midterms — and they are pushing to make it harder for people to vote,” Bonta added. “We won’t stand idly by.”

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), in a statement to The Times, said Trump’s actions were “a clear and present threat to our democracy,” that he will “use every tool I can to stop him,” and that he expects “immediate legal challenges in order to protect our free and fair elections.”

“Instead of focusing on lowering the cost of energy, groceries, and health care, Donald Trump is desperately attempting to take over and rig our elections and avoid accountability in November. This executive order is a blatant, unconstitutional abuse of power,” said Padilla, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

“The President and the Department of Homeland Security have no authority to commandeer federal elections or direct the independent Postal Service to undermine mail and absentee voting that nearly 50 million Americans relied on in 2024,” he said. “A decade of lies about election fraud does not change the Constitution.”

“In the middle of an unauthorized war abroad and an escalating authoritarian crackdown by ICE here at home, Trump is attempting another illegal power grab,” Padilla said.

A vast majority of Californians vote by mail. In the state’s 2025 special election on Proposition 50, the state’s mid-decade redistricting measure, nearly 89% of votes were cast by mail, according to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber’s office — or nearly 10.3 million out of about 11.6 million votes cast.

Trump has long criticized mail-in ballots — without evidence — as a source of fraud and a factor in his losing the 2020 election to President Biden, which he still contends was illegitimate.

Election experts, voting rights advocates, local elections officials and other California leaders have all dismissed those claims as unfounded and inaccurate. They have also been preparing for Trump to act to curtail such voting.

Padilla previously warned colleagues that he would force a vote on any effort by Trump to declare a national emergency in order to seize control of this year’s midterm elections from the states, forcing them to either co-sign on the power grab or resist it.

Critics of mail ballots have also been actively working to end or curtail the practice. Just last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case in which the Republican Party challenged a Mississippi law that allows ballots to be accepted and counted if they arrive up to five days after election day.

During those arguments, the court’s six conservatives sounded ready to rule that federal law requires ballots to be received by election day in order to be counted as legal.

Weber, California’s top elections official, has warned that attacks on mail-in voting risked undermining a system the state has spent years building around universal mail voting.

Trump’s executive order is the latest front in a years-long campaign he has led attacking the integrity of U.S. elections — which has contributed to a steep decline in voter trust in U.S. elections.

On Tuesday, Trump said his order was drafted by “great legal minds,” and will survive any legal challenges unless “rogue” judges rule against it inappropriately.

“We want to have honest voting in our country,” he said.

Rick Hasen, an election law expert and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA Law, argued otherwise in a post Tuesday, noting that an earlier executive order purporting to place new federal controls on elections was blocked in court, and “this one is likely to fare no better.”

“To put this in plain terms: the order would use the USPS, which is not under the direct control of the President, to interfere with a state’s lawful transmission of ballots. If the state does not comply with these rules, federal law would purport to interfere with a state’s conduct of its own elections,” Hasen wrote. “The President does not have the authority to do this.”

Three top-20 sides faced by Thomas Tuchel’s England – and still no wins.

The Three Lions breezed through qualification for the World Cup winning all of their eight games without conceding a goal.

But after losing 1-0 to Japan, the world’s 18th-ranked side, at Wembley in England’s last match before Tuchel names his World Cup squad, questions about whether the Three Lions struggle when they come up against elite nations are being asked.

After their loss at Wembley, which saw Japan become the first Asian side to beat England, the Three Lions end the March international break without a win.

There is an argument that Tuchel experiemented with his line-ups in last June’s 3-1 loss to 14th-ranked Senegal, the 1-1 draw with 17th-ranked Uruguay and in the Japan defeat, something he would not do at a major tournament.

But critics will suggest that the England manager should be using these games to find his best XI, and get them ready for the challenge that is coming at this summer’s World Cup, especially as the sides that England did not face the same tests in qualification.

Serbia, England’s toughest oppnent in qualification, are ranked 39th in the world, and were comfortably beaten 5-0 away by England and 2-0 at Wembley in November.

The biggest worry for England and for Tuchel is what they will do without captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane if he is not available.

Kane missed the game against Japan after picking up a knock in training and England, who lacked ideas in attack, do not have a candidate who is ready to be his back-up.

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden was trialled as a false nine and did not have a good night but Tuchel has said this window has provided him “more clarity” than questions about his side.

“I am disappointed, everyone is.” Tuchel said. “I knew that we had a top exam in this window because our players are heavy in club football and in European football in the most physical toughest league that there is.

“We played against two top-20 teams, well drilled and very good opponents who arrived with their best line-up

“We had big changes in the middle of camp, suddenly after the [Uruguay] match we had seven or eight injuries who had to leave.

“It is not an excuse, it is just an explanation why things are not perfectly smooth and perfectly at the highest level we expect.”

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.

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

NASHVILLE — The crews of two AH-64 Apache helicopters that hovered next to Kid Rock’s swimming pool while he clapped and saluted Saturday have been suspended from flying pending an investigation of their actions, a U.S. Army spokesperson said Tuesday.

The suspension is a discretionary, but not unusual, step when an investigation is underway, Maj. Montrell Russell said.

“The Army has confirmed that on March 28, two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell conducted a flight in the Nashville area that has attracted public and media attention,” according to a statement from the Army on Tuesday. The Army is reviewing “the circumstances surrounding the mission, including compliance with relevant FAA regulations, aviation safety protocol, and approval requirements.”

Kid Rock, an entertainer who is an outspoken supporter of President Trump, told WKRN-TV on Monday that it’s not uncommon for helicopters from nearby Ft. Campbell to fly near his home. He said he is a big supporter of the military and he’s performed for troops overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries.

“I think they know this is a pretty friendly spot,” he said. He noted that at Thanksgiving he was at Ft. Campbell, a sprawling Army base on the Tennessee-Kentucky border, with Vice President JD Vance. “I’ve talked to some of these pilots. I’ve told them, ‘You guys see me waving when you come by the house?’ I’m like, ‘You guys are always welcome to cruise by my house, any time,’” he said.

Kid Rock posted two short videos Saturday on social media. Each shows a helicopter hovering alongside his swimming pool while the entertainer claps, salutes and raises his fist in the air. One post included a caption by Kid Rock disparaging Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent Trump critic.

In the videos, Kid Rock stands next to a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a sign by the pool that reads, “The Southern White House.” His home on a hill overlooking Nashville was built to resemble the White House.

The helicopters were on a training mission when they stopped by Kid Rock’s house, said Maj. Jonathon Bless, public affairs officer for the 101st Airborne Division. The helicopters also flew over a “No Kings” protest against Trump in downtown Nashville, but Bless said their presence had nothing to do with the protest.

Kid Rock said he thought it was “really cool” that they stopped to hover at his house.

“If it makes their day a little brighter for their service to our country, protecting us, I think that’s a great thing,” he said.

Asked about possible repercussions for the crews, he said, “I think they’re going to be all right. My buddy’s the commander in chief.”

Loller writes for the Associated Press.

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.