News Desk

DOLLY Parton has issued a major announcement about Dollywood after taking time off for a health crisis.

She opened the amusement park, which is located in her native Tennessee, back in 1986 and it hosts nearly three million guests each year.

Now it’s been revealed that Dollywood is officially open for the new 2026 season.

She shared the exciting news on her Instagram feed with a throwback picture of herself standing at her theme park.

The 80-year-old penned: “I look just like the girls next door… if you happen to live next door to an amusement park.

“@dollywood is officially open for the 2026 season!”

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Fans flocked to the comments section to share their excitement as one said: “Yayy I love Dollywood!!”

Another person commented: “The girl next door who owns an amusement park. Because Dolly showed us, girls can do anything.”

Somebody else enthused: “Can’t wait to go back!!”

Yet another expressed: “The Queen of Tennessee, beautiful Dolly.”

While a fifth added: “Going in August – taking a family vacation and Dollywood is definitely on the itinerary.

This comes after Dolly sparked health concerns last fall when she canceled several performances.

At the beginning of fall in 2025, the Tennessee native announced she was forced to postpone her Las Vegas residency after dealing with a number of “health challenges.”

Dolly’s shows were scheduled for six dates in early December at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Tim McGraw subsequently took her place and the rescheduled shows have been set for September 2026.

In her message to fans, Dolly explained that she couldn’t perform due to doctor’s orders and had to undergo “a few procedures.”

“He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you.

“I love you and thank you for understanding.”

She assured fans that she would be back on stage soon, writing, “And don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet.

After taking some time off, she returned last month as she told her fans some exciting news.

Looking incredible while sitting in a colorful room, Dolly delivered the news that East Tennessee Children’s Hospital was officially becoming Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.

In the video, she explained how she believed every child should grow up healthy and with a fair chance.

She then revealed the hospital’s name change before saying, “I can’t do it all myself,” and asking for people to get involved via her website.

Meanwhile, the caption of the video read: “A new chapter begins.

“East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is proud to share we are becoming Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital.

“Inspired by Dolly’s commitment to children, this transformation represents more than a name change, it’s a promise. A promise to bring hope, healing and world-class care to patients and families across our region.

“Together, we’re building a future where every child has the chance to grow, thrive and feel the comfort of compassionate care.

“The same dedicated team. The same trusted care. Now carrying a name that reflects the heart of our mission. Learn more at DollyChildrens.org.”

March 13 (UPI) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday thanked security personnel for risking their lives to thwart a potentially deadly attack on a temple this week.

Whitmer spoke at a news conference one day after a person drove a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Mich., calling the attack “anti-Semitism at its absolute worst.”

Her comments followed the attack at the temple on Thursday, where more than 100 children were attending school at the time.

“I want to thank Temple Israel’s security personnel — they were selfless in their courage and they saved lives,” Whitmer said. “Let’s be very clear: Yes, this is a place of worship, but at the time that this attack occurred, it was a school. One hundred and four children aged 5 and younger.”

The attacker, according to police, drove through the doors of the temple and down a hallway “with purpose” when a fire started inside the vehicle.

A security guard was hit by the vehicle, but security guards also responded to the driver with gunfire and the driver died.

Temple Israel is one of the largest reform Jewish congregations in the country, Whitmer noted, attracting more than 1,000 people for Friday night Shabbat services.

“Parents bring their children to daycare and school, and it’s a place of peace, unity, light and life,” Whitmer said. “Yesterday’s attack was anti-Semitism. It was hate, plain and simple.”

“We will fight this ancient and rampant evil,” she said.

There has been an uptick in anti-Semitic incidents in recent years and, according to the American Jewish Committee, roughly 70% of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the United States are committed against Jewish people.

Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s an off-topic thread.

This week’s second caption reads:

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN AIR FORCE STATION, Colo.—Runners participating in the North American Aerospace Defense Command 5k Tunnel Run exit the Cheyenne Mountain Complex through the north portal at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colorado, May 10, 2018. The run was open to all local military personnel, friends and family and was held to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of NORAD and the U.S. Canadian binational NORAD agreement.. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dennis Hoffman)

Also, a reminder:

Prime Directives!

• If you want to talk politics, do so respectfully and know that there’s always somebody that isn’t going to agree with you. 
• If you have political differences, hash it out respectfully, stick to the facts, and no childish name-calling or personal attacks of any kind. If you can’t handle yourself in that manner, then please, discuss virtually anything else.
• No drive-by garbage political memes. No conspiracy theory rants. Links to crackpot sites will be axed, too. Trolling and shitposting will not be tolerated. No obsessive behavior about other users. Just don’t interact with folks you don’t like. 
• Do not be a sucker and feed trolls! That’s as much on you as on them. Use the mute button if you don’t like what you see.  
• So unless you have something of quality to say, know how to treat people with respect, understand that everyone isn’t going to subscribe to your exact same worldview, and have come to terms with the reality that there is no perfect solution when it comes to moderation of a community like this, it’s probably best to just move on. 
• Finally, as always, report offenders, please. This doesn’t mean reporting people who don’t share your political views, but we really need your help in this regard.

STRANGER Things sensation Millie Bobby Brown is one of the top ten highest-paid Hollywood screen stars — aged just 22. 

The Brit actress earned a whopping £19.6million last year, Forbes magazine has revealed. 

Her bumper pay makes her the youngest star to grace the business bible’s annual highest-paid actors list.

It comes after Millie’s hit Netflix sci-fi show ended with its fifth and final series last year — becoming one of the streamer’s most-watched shows of all time. 

Topping Forbes’ 2025 list is US actor Adam Sandler, 59, known for his comedy roles.

He reportedly made £36.2million last year from producing and starring in Happy Gilmore 2, and co- starring in Netflix comedy drama Jay Kelly. 

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Tom Cruise, 63, came in second with a £34.7million payday off the back of Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.

Scarlett Johansson, 41, was fourth and the best-paid woman in the industry, raking in some £32.4million. 

While Hollywood pay is still huge, the combined earnings of the top 20 actors actually fell from 2024’s £551million — down to £445million. 

March 13 (UPI) — The USS Tripoli, and the 2,500 Marines on the amphibious assault ship, are headed to the Middle East to bolster U.S. military power there as the war in Iran enters its third week.

The Tripoli, along with Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Group, had been operating in the Philippine Sea but is now headed west south of Taiwan through the Luzon Strait, USNI News reported.

Although the Tripoli had been with the USS San Diego and USS New Orleans in the Philippine Sea, it is not clear if the San Diego and the New Orleans are also being moved closer to Iran.

As Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to most traffic, and is targeting vessels that transit it, the move comes as U.S. Central Command asked the Pentagon for additional military options in the conflict, Axios reported.

The 31st MEU can conduct ground operations, which have not been announced but have not been ruled out, according to the Trump administration.

The deployment comes as President Donald Trump said he is considering sending U.S. Navy vessels to escort shipping vessels through the strait, the military is planning to take out anti-ship missiles that have been sent by Iran to the area.

CENTCOM is particularly focused on ensuring freedom of navigation in the straight, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine told reporters on Friday, which “means going after Iran’s mine-laying capability and destroying their ability to attack commercial vessels.

Oil prices have surged over the last week after Iran shut down the strait, though Caine noted that some traffic is moving through it.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said Friday that the military is “dealing with” Iranian attacks on the strait, saying that “we have been dealing with it and don’t need to worry about it.”

Hegseth added that as the military campaign continues and Iran’s military capabilities weaken, the United States has also been taking out Iranian defense companies to prevent the ability to build more weapons.

The disclosure of an FBI alert warning about the possibility of an Iranian drone attack on targets in California in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes on its territory got a lot of attention earlier this week. The notice described a scenario involving drones launched from a ship off the coast. It has since been confirmed that the alert was based on raw, unverified intelligence, and was sent out of an abundance of caution rather than any fears of an imminent threat. However, this episode has served to highlight what is still a highly plausible mode of attack that TWZ has been drawing direct attention to for years now. The U.S. authorities themselves now regularly highlight growing threats posed by drones, in general, despite continuing to play catch-up in establishing domestic defenses against them.

ABC News first reported on the alert on March 11. The FBI had sent out the notice to members of a Joint Terrorism Task Force last month, ahead of the current conflict in the Middle East. The United States and Israel began launching strikes on Iran on February 28.

The main body of the alert, which the FBI has now released, reads:

“We recently acquired unverified information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran. We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.”

The alert is marked as unclassified, but also as “law enforcement sensitive.” It declares up front that “NOT FOR DISSEMINATION TO THE PUBLIC OR PRESS” and that “THIS MESSAGE CONTATINS [sic] RAW INFORMATON [sic] SUBJECT TO REVISION AND IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ONLY.”

Subsequent reporting from the Los Angeles Times, citing anonymous California law enforcement sources, said that the alert was based on intelligence the U.S. Coast Guard had received.

Additional context

Overall, much still remains unknown about the underlying intelligence behind the FBI’s drone attack alert. For unclear reasons, ABC‘s original report, which has since been updated, also did not note that the warning was the product of unverified intelligence or that it had been sent out as a precautionary measure.

For its part, the FBI had initially declined to comment in response to queries for more information from multiple outlets, including ABC and TWZ. We also reached out to U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), the principal U.S. military command for defense of the homeland, which directed us to contact the FBI. We contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the White House, as well.

“No such threat from Iran to our homeland exists, and it never did,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a post on X on Wednesday, which also called for a full retraction of ABC‘s piece.

This post and story should be immediately retracted by ABC News for providing false information to intentionally alarm the American people.

They wrote this based on one email that was sent to local law enforcement in California about a single, unverified tip. The email even… https://t.co/jKey9ahsNk

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 12, 2026

“I am in constant coordination with security and intelligence officials, including at @Cal_OES [California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services], to monitor potential threats to California – including those tied to the conflict in the Middle East,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote in his own post on X on March 11. “While we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared for any emergency in our state.”

I am in constant coordination with security and intelligence officials, including at @Cal_OES, to monitor potential threats to California — including those tied to the conflict in the Middle East.

While we are not aware of any imminent threats at this time, we remain prepared…

— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) March 11, 2026

“It’s all-around intelligence collecting, and it’s all about a posture of preparedness for the worst-case scenario,” Gov. Newsom said in response to ABC’s initial reporting, as well, according to The Sacramento Bee. “We have been gaming those out for some time as it relates to, again, what the FBI has been warning of. Again, it’s not a surprise, and it’s sort of a large part of the larger spectrum of considerations that we have as it relates to doing what we can to support our federal partners and local partners at the state level, in terms of what could happen next.”

“Law enforcement sources experienced in intelligence said such alerts are cautionary in nature,” the Los Angeles Times had also reported. “The source is experienced in counter-terrorism and said ‘that it’s not been deemed credible at this time.’ The sources stressed the warning was cautionary and there was no indication Iran was planning an attack or that it could successfully launch one.”

“This is not actionable,” a “California-based federal law enforcement official” separately told CBS News.

“All this means is we got this information and we want to get it out to law enforcement executives to make sure they’re up to speed on it,” a second law enforcement official from California also said, per that outlet. “There is absolutely nothing more to it.”

🚨Multiple US and state law enforcement and intel officials told @CBSNews there is no credible intelligence underpinning the bulletin distributed on the unverified possibility that Iran could retaliate for American attacks by launching drones at the West Coast. “This is not… https://t.co/gcdUBdgDX6

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) March 11, 2026

Generally speaking, there are long-standing concerns that Iran and/or other actors operating on its behalf could seek to launch asymmetric attacks on targets in the United States, as well as elsewhere outside of the Middle East, in retaliation for large-scale strikes. The risks of Iranians deciding to take such action have historically been seen as especially high in any scenario where they might be an existential threat to the regime in Tehran.

Earlier this week, ABC News also reported that U.S. federal authorities had issued another alert to law enforcement agencies after they “intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated in Iran that may serve as ‘an operational trigger’ for ‘sleeper assets’ outside the country.”

“Although a large-scale physical attack is unlikely, Iran and its proxies probably pose a persistent threat of ​targeted attacks in the Homeland, and will almost certainly escalate retaliatory actions — or calls to action – if reports of the Ayatollah’s death are confirmed,” the DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis also warned in a threat assessment published on February 28 also said, according to a story last week from Reuters.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump had said “no, I’m not,” when asked about whether he was worried that Iran might attempt to attack targets in the United States in response to ongoing U.S.-Israeli operations, per Reuters.

Trump says he is not worried about Iran-backed attacks on US soil

— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) March 11, 2026

“It’s being investigated, but you have a lot of things happening, and all we can do is take them as they come,” Trump also said later in the day.

“I have been,” the President added at the time when asked if he had been briefed about Iranian “sleeper cells” in the United States. “We know where most of them are. We’ve got our eye on all them, I think.”

Doocy: What have you heard about this bulletin about an Iran revenge plot in California — some kind of boat offshore launching drones?

Trump: It’s being investigated. You have a lot of things happening. pic.twitter.com/n4nj3LIPe1

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 12, 2026

DOOCY: If Iran tries to hit us back, have you been briefed about how many Iran sleeper cells there could be inside the US right now?

TRUMP: I have been, and a lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border. But we know where most of them are. pic.twitter.com/3mKVmq1uh9

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 11, 2026

Trump had previously downplayed concerns about attacks on the U.S. homeland in retaliation for the ongoing conflict against Iran in an interview with Time, which was published last week.

“I think they’re worried about that all the time. We think about it all the time. We plan for it,” he said. “But yeah, you know, we expect some things. Like I said, some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.”

A real threat vector

Regardless, the prospect of a drone attack, launched by the Iranians or other actors, on targets in coastal areas of the United States is very plausible. The threat here is not new, and is something TWZ has been sounding this alarm for years now, especially when it comes to the clear dangers this reality poses to the U.S. homeland.

Long-range one-way attack drones with endurance measured in many hundreds of miles, if not more than a thousand miles, are increasingly a staple in military arsenals globally, and have also been proliferating to larger non-state actors.

Firms in Israel have been and continue to be pioneers in this space. However, Iran and its regional proxies have also emerged as leaders in this domain. Iranian designs have also now become a fixture in Russian attacks on Ukraine and have been cloned in the United States. U.S. Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) kamikaze drones, reverse-engineered from the Iranian Shahed-136, have been launched at Iran in the current conflict.

The Shahed-136 has become a particularly dominant example of this broad category of weapons, due in large part to Russia’s heavy use of variants and derivatives of the design in the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, it represents just one class of one-way attack drone, and there are many other types being produced globally with different capabilities.

In addition to being relatively low-cost, many of these kamikaze drones are very flexible in terms of where and how they can be launched. Iran and the U.S. military have notably demonstrated how Shahed-136-type and other kamikaze drone designs can be readily fired from ships, even smaller ones, and do not require significant deck space to be employed in this way. This also makes it easier to conceal the drones and their launchers before use. A warship with a purpose-built launch system is definitely not required. Even smaller commercial vessels could fire off multiple long-range one-way attack drones.

Iran Navy unveils its first drone division in the Indian Ocean

“Bravo Zulu. U.S. Navy forces in the Middle East are advancing warfighting capability in new ways, bringing more striking power from the sea and setting conditions for using innovation as a deterrent.” – Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM Commander https://t.co/TgQ4WLbph3 pic.twitter.com/WUiAVojTht

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 18, 2025

Once launched, the drones fly relatively low and slow, under the long-range radar horizon, creating complications for defenders. They are also relatively small and can be difficult to spot on radar, as well as by their infrared and acoustic signatures, making them even harder to spot and track. These complexities would be further amplified by a surprise attack launched from anywhere in the massive swaths of ocean ranging out many hundreds of miles from America’s shores.

For years, the U.S. military itself has been highlighting the danger of standoff cruise missile attacks on the homeland launched from ships offshore, potentially including cargo ships and other unassuming civilian vessels. Russia, China, Iran, and the United States have all developed launchers that can fit inside standard shipping containers. Cruise missiles proliferating to non-state actors has also been a major factor dating back two decades.

Cruise missile threats to the homeland from rogue states and actors were a major factor in the U.S. Air Force deciding to install new active electronically-scanned array radars on F-15C Eagles primarily belonging to the Air National Guard. Up until recently, Guard F-15C units were tasked with guarding America’s ocean borders. Today, F-35As share that responsibility. Over a decade later, F-16 Viper fighters charged with the homeland defense mission also began getting AESAs, in part due to the need to better defend against drones and cruise missiles. The F-16 radar upgrade effort has since expanded to hundreds of other jets. This was also the key driver behind the abortive Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) radar blimp program.

So, yes, for many years the military has been very concerned with surprise standoff attacks coming from far off its shores from non-traditional platforms, enough for that threat to drive critical procurement initiatives. And all this was before the long-range one-way attack munition became a primary threat.

“Our potential adversaries have created significant capacity to reach us asymmetrically. Our forward layers, our allies, our partners, our forward combatant commands and geographic commands, have largely kept those threats away from the United States,” U.S. Air Force Col. Kristopher Struve, then Vice Director of Operations for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said during a virtual roundtable the Missile Defense Advocacy Association (MDAA) hosted back in 2021. “As we look into threats from cyber actors, space threats, as well as kinetic conventional cruise missiles, which have [seen] significant improvement on the part of China and Russia in recent years, those create avenues that can create havoc in the homeland while we are trying to project our power forward to potentially a regional conflict.”

Struve also said at that time that the U.S. homeland was “not a sanctuary any longer” and called for expanded defenses, including new surface-to-air missile batteries, to protect domestic critical infrastructure.

TWZ has noted in the past that the line between traditional cruise missiles and long-range kamikaze drones, as well as decoys, is increasingly blurry. Long-range one-way attack drones are definitely more accessible, and often have greater reach, than most traditional cruise missiles.

“We’re behind. I’ll just be candid. I think we know we’re behind,” Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commander of the U.S. Army’s V Corps, said at a panel discussion at the Association of the U.S. Army’s (AUSA) main annual symposium last year. “We’ve been talking about counter-UAS [uncrewed aerial systems] and UAS capability for a better part of a decade, since, really, we watched the war in Armenia and Azerbaijan [in 2020] go on, and saw very much the beginning of the drone UAS capabilities.”

“We aren’t moving fast enough,” Costanza continued. “And it really took Russia’s invasion of Ukraine [in 2022], and the way they’re innovating, and Ukrainians are innovating, to realize, hey, we need to move fast.”

Vessels sitting off the coast could also be vectors for near-field drone attacks using shorter-ranged types. The barrier to entry is already especially low when it comes to employing weaponized commercial designs, even by non-state actors and lone wolf terrorists, and it only continues to drop. It has been well established at this point that smaller armed uncrewed aerial systems, whether they are purpose-built or improvised in nature, also inherently lend themselves to covert and clandestine employment. Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb’s unprecedented attacks on multiple airbases across Russia last year, as well as Israel’s near-field drone and missile attacks to destroy Iranian air defenses in the opening phases of the 12 Day War last June, are prime examples.

СБУ показала унікальні кадри спецоперації «Павутина», у результаті якої уражено 41 військовий літак стратегічної авіації рф

➡️ https://t.co/OSxqEsI9CD pic.twitter.com/aGSZNEsoX3

— СБ України (@ServiceSsu) June 4, 2025

TWZ just highlighted the overall drone threat ecosystem and the dangers it presents this past weekend in the context of Iranian attacks on prized missile defense radars in the Middle East. As we wrote:

“Now, long-range one-way-attack drones, as well as increasingly capable cruise and ballistic missiles, continue to proliferate steadily, including to smaller nation-state armed forces and even non-state actors. An attack could even come from a small drone with a C4 charge launched from a fishing trawler 10 miles away from one of these critical radar installations. The threat of these kinds of near-field attacks has largely been overlooked for years, even as the low-end drone threat has exploded and ‘democratized’ precision-guided weaponry, as they did not fit the established aerial threat matrix and the countermeasures used to repel those threats.“

The potential for shorter-range drone attacks to come from vessels offshore, specifically, is also not simply an academic assessment of the available technology and its accessibility. U.S. authorities at least explored the possibility that a Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier, the M/V Bass Strait, might have been tied to still mysterious drone swarms that harassed U.S. Navy ships off the coast of southern California back in 2019, which TWZ was first to report. Whether the Bass Strait or another nearby ship was the source of the harassment, or when it came from somewhere else, potentially further away, remains unknown, at least publicly.

More recently, authorities in Europe have raised the possibility that Russia has been launching drones for harassment purposes from a ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers it otherwise uses to skirt international sanctions.

It’s also worth noting that Representative Jeff Van Drew, a New Jersey Republican, alleged that there was an “Iranian mothership off the coast of the United States launching … drone incursions” at the height of a rash of reported sightings of uncrewed aerial systems over various parts of the United States in late 2024. The U.S. military categorically denied this assertion at the time, and Van Drew subsequently retracted his claims. That wave of drone sightings blurred the line between hysteria and real national security concerns.

The FBI’s alert about the possibility of an Iranian drone attack also comes at a time when the U.S. government continues to lag behind in establishing counter-drone defenses domestically, despite how long the threat has been apparent. Significant progress has been made under the Trump administration in addressing this threat, including the fielding of new counter-drone capabilities and the reworking of legal and other frameworks to enable their use in a more effective manner. At the same time, much work is still clearly to be done, as was evidenced by a sudden airspace closure over El Paso, Texas, last month and the chaos that ensued. That incident was prompted by the use of a counter-drone system featuring a laser-directed energy weapon, as you can read more about here.

From what is known now, the FBI’s warning about a potential Iranian drone attack on California does not appear to have reflected an imminent cause for concern, and it remains unclear exactly what triggered it. Still, even if this specific threat has not turned out to be credible, the danger of such an attack is certainly well within the realm of possibility.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

ZENDAYA grows back in time with a classic floral dress.

The actress, 29, posed in the gown, featuring a gilded ­hibiscus flower on the shoulder, at an awards bash this week.

Sarah Jessica Parker’s character Carrie Bradshaw strutted in it in 2008’s Sex and The City film.

And Whitney Houston wore a similar dress on a tribute issue of Life magazine in 2012.

Zendaya appeared to confirm she has wed Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland, 29, at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards in LA.

The host asked for “a signal” on whether she should send a wedding gift, prompting Zendaya to show a gold band on her ring finger.

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Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach has told how the A-List couple, both 29, have gotten hitched after getting engaged last year.

The singer has now been snapped at a Louis Vuitton fashion show, flaunting what appears to be her “wedding ring.”

She was spotted donning a thin gold band on her ring finger hidden among three huge silver rings.

Zendaya looked incredibly chic, flashing her legs in a white bubble skirt.

The US star wore a long sleeved white shirt with dramatic collars and cuffs and finished the outfit off with a chunky black belt and matching heels.

Her short brunette locks were tightly curled and tucked behind her ears.

Speaking on the red carpet at the Actor Awards earlier this month, Law told Access Hollywood: “The wedding has already happened. You missed it.”

When asked to spill more details by the reporter, the stylist laughed and said: “It’s very true.”

March 13 (UPI) — A federal judge this week quashed subpoenas the Department of Justice had issued to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell because they were issued to pressure him into adjusting interest rates.

Judge James Boasberg redressed the DOJ for the subpoenas, saying that their purpose had nothing to do with a probe about renovations at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C.

The DOJ in January launched a criminal investigation into Powell’s testimony last year about the renovations, which Powell at the time said were “pretexts” to punish him and the Fed after they did not set interest rates at levels demanded by President Donald Trump.

“The Government has produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime; indeed, its justifications are so thin and unsubstantiated that the Court can only conclude that they are pretextual,” Boasberg wrote in the opinion.

The department in January issued grand jury subpoenas in reference to Powell’s comments about the multi-year project to renovate the Fed’s office buildings during his June 2025 testimony before the Senate Banking Committee.

During a tour of the renovations, Powell disputed Trump’s over-estimates of the renovation’s cost, and threatened to sue him for the “horrible and grossly incompetent job” Powell had done on the project.

Overall, however, Trump has repeatedly ripped into and mused about firing Powell, which he cannot do, because the Fed chair has repeatedly said that interest rate changes would be dictated by only the market, rather than the preferences of any one person.

In the opinion, which was unsealed Friday, Boasberg said he blocked the subpoenas because “a mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning.”

ACTOR Warwick Davis’s mystery lover is a woman named Yvette who he has been dating for a year.

The star, whose wife Samantha died in 2024, ­affectionately referred to his new partner as “Sponge” in a speech last year.

Pals said American-born Yvette, who Warwick said had helped him “to laugh and to love again”, was his ­formal date when he received his OBE from Prince William at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

The Sun can reveal she also attended the Bafta Film Awards with the Harry Potter star, 56, at London’s Royal Festival Hall last month.

And they were also seen backstage together at a Madness concert in Cornwall last July.

A source told The Sun: ­“Warwick has been with Yvette for over a year now and they couldn’t be happier.

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“She has no interest in being a public figure and — although she has accompanied Warwick to events — Yvette does not court the limelight.

“Yvette is so proud of Warwick and loves to be by his side at events, but she will stand back and allow him to be in the ­spotlight.

“Yvette is close with his children and they have a lovely life together.

“All anyone wanted was to see Warwick happy and he has that with Yvette.”

Warwick revealed he had started dating again at the Bafta Film Awards in February last year.

After accepting the Bafta ­Fellowship on stage, he said: “Above all I’d like to dedicate and thank my wonderful wife Sammy, who died almost a year ago.

“Since then life has been pretty tough for me, but thanks to the support of our wonderful children Annabelle and Harrison, I’ve been able to continue working and engaging in life.

“A special mention too should go to Sponge, you know who you are.

“Thank you for showing me that life can still have meaning and helping me to laugh and to love again.”

This week at his investiture, Yvette was spotted in the background with his children while her partner spoke to William.

Warwick, who was born with a rare form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia ­congenita, was named in King Charles’ New Year Honours list.

He was praised for his work supporting people with dwarfism, co-founding the charity Little People UK in 2012 with Samantha.

Meanwhile, the Star Wars actor is to reprise his role as Professor Filius Flitwick in the upcoming Harry Potter TV spin-off.

March 13 (UPI) — Several people, including tourists and influencers, have been arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for possessing, sharing or commenting on digital content that shows attacks or damage from attacks by Iran in the country.

There have been 21 people arrested in the emirate, said advocacy organization Detained in Dubai.

“The charges sound extremely vague but serious on paper. In reality, the alleged conduct could be something as simple as sharing or commenting on a video that is already circulating online,” said Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International.

“Under UAE cybercrime laws, the person who originally posts content can be charged, but so can anyone who reshapes, reposts or comments on it. One video can quickly lead to dozens of people facing criminal charges,” Stirling said.

Penalties can include up to two years in prison, fines ranging from about $5,500 to $55,000, and foreign nationals will face deportation.

“Foreigners need to understand that what may seem like normal social media behavior elsewhere can lead to arrest in the UAE,” Stirling said. “In some circumstances people can find themselves treated as national security suspects before the facts are even clarified.”

One 60-year-old British tourist has been charged under cybercrime laws for allegedly filming Iranian missiles over the city.

“We are in contact with the local authorities following the detention of a British man in the UAE,” the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office told CNN.

The UAE’s ambassador to the United Kingdom told British radio station LBC that the “United Arab Emirates is very safe.”

“The guidelines and regulations are there in the UAE to ensure people’s safety,” he said. He added that people filming could be hit by “falling debris.”

Stirling also said that Qatar has already charged more than 200 people under similar laws since the Iran war began.

The UAE defense ministry said on X Friday that 1,800 drones and missiles have been fired at the UAE since the war with Iran began.

Six people from the Emirates, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh have been killed, and 141 people have suffered mild to moderate injuries.

AN unexpected Brit name has been thrown into the ring to play the next James Bond.

Bookmaker Coral has announced the surprising news about who is currently in the lead to scoop the iconic role.

It has been revealed that Jack O’Connell’s name is flying high after seeing support rise over the last 48 hours.

The SAS: Rogue Heroes star is a big contender to jump into James Bond‘s boots with odds to 8-1 (from 33-1).

“Jack O’Connell’s next James Bond odds have collapsed over the last couple of days, with the British actor now just single figures in our betting for the iconic role,” said Coral’s John Hill.

The new movie will be written by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Steven Knight – who was behind iconic TV show Peaky Blinders.

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Steven also wrote SAS: Rogue Heroes and worked with Jack on the feature.

The 28 Years Later actor has come a long way since his days in the Skins cast.

O’Connell has played a variety of roles since he starred in the TV teen drama as James Cook from 2009 to 2010 – and for the show’s final season in 2013.

Ever since Daniel Craig said goodbye to the role in 2021 release No Time To Die, the role of super spy 007 has been up for grabs, with speculation rife over who should take over. 

Coral stated the odds: 4-5 Callum Turner, 3-1 Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 3-1 Theo James, 6-1 Henry Cavill, 8-1 Jack O’Connell, 10-1 Anthony Boyle, 12-1 Harris Dickinson, 16-1 Jack Lowden, 16-1 James Norton.

Actors thought to be in the running to play Bond include Spider-Man star Tom Holland, 28, Bridget Jones hunk Leo Woodall, 28, SAS Rogue Heroes leading man Connor Swindells, 28, plus Hero Fiennes Tiffin, 27, and Kit Connor, 21. 

Irishman Paul Mescal, 29, is also said to be in the frame along with Wuthering Heights heart-throb Jacob Elordi, 27.

Among the other names rumoured to be in the frame included Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Callum Turner and Henry Cavill.

The Sun recently revealed the latest 007 adventure — spearheaded by new owners Amazon Prime Video — will start filming before the end of the year.

Work has already begun on assembling the crew with a view to starting filming late autumn into early winter.

Amazon has yet to confirm anything about the new Bond movie and there’s no hint as to what it will be called.

But if the cameras start to roll this year it means it could wrap in 2027 and be on our screens by 2028.

The franchise was snapped up by the streaming giants after 2021’s No Time To Die featured the death of the super-spy, played by Daniel Craig.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad says Qatar will ‘not hesitate’ to ensure its stability as US-Israeli war on Iran continues.

Qatar’s Interior Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad has said the situation in the Gulf country is “stable” amid Iranian drone and missile attacks launched across the Middle East in response to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

In an interview with Qatar Television on Friday, Sheikh Khalifa said the Qatari government had a plan in place to deal with the prospect of more Iranian attacks amid a regional war.

“The security situation in the country is stable, and we will not hesitate to take any measure that ensures the stability of our nation,” he said.

The interior minister said Qatar’s early warning system has been effective as authorities responded to reports of falling missile fragments at more than 600 sites across the country.

He added that Qatar has enough water to last for several months, as well as food reserves that will cover the nation’s needs for a year and a half.

Sheikh Khalifa’s remarks come as Qatar and other countries in the Gulf region have faced a barrage of Iranian attacks since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28.

While Iran has said it is targeting US and Israeli military interests in the wider Middle East, the strikes have hit civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas facilities.

That has prompted a slowdown in regional energy production, which – coupled with Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key Gulf waterway – has raised concerns around the war’s effects on global economies.

Earlier this week, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution denouncing the Iranian attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, Qatar’s ambassador to the UN, had condemned the firings as “a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter”.

The attacks, she told reporters in New York on Wednesday, “impacts deeply the foundation of understanding upon which bilateral relations between our countries have been built”.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says Darren Beattie was ‘prohibited from visiting’ Bolsonaro in prison.

The government of Brazil has revoked the visa of Darren Beattie, a far-right adviser to United States President Donald Trump who had planned to visit ex-President Jair Bolsonaro in his prison cell in Brasilia.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva confirmed on Friday that Beattie’s visa has been pulled. He equated it to the US pulling visas from Brazilian officials in Washington, DC.

Among them was Brazilian Health Minister Alexandre Padilha, whose US visa was revoked last year.

“That American guy who said he was coming here to visit Jair Bolsonaro was prohibited from visiting, and I forbade him from coming to Brazil until they release the visa for my health minister,” Lula said during an event in Rio de Janeiro.

Separately, Brazilian officials told news services, including the AFP, that Beattie had lied about the purpose of the visit on his visa request.

Bolsonaro is a far-right ally of President Trump, and he is currently serving a 27-year sentence for his role in a coup plot after Brazil’s 2022 election.

Friday’s decision shows the continued tension between the Brazilian and US governments, even as Trump and Lula have enjoyed warming relations.

Last August, Trump placed Brazil under heavy tariffs — some of the highest in the world — in protest against Bolsonaro’s prosecution. He demanded that the country’s legal system drop the case against Bolsonaro and accused Brazil of persecuting right-wing voices.

After Trump met Lula at the United Nations General Assembly in September and again at a summit for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in October, relations between the two leaders improved.

Lula also reached out by telephone in October in a bid to ease the cumulative 50-percent tariffs on certain Brazilian products. On November 20, Trump responded by issuing an executive order “modifying the scope of tariffs” on Brazilian exports like beef and coffee.

But speculation has remained high that Trump could again intervene in the country’s domestic politics to boost the prospects of the Brazilian right.

Brazil is set to hold a new presidential election in October, where Lula is facing off against Bolsonaro’s eldest son, Flavio.

Lawyers for the imprisoned Bolsonaro had asked the Brazilian Supreme Court to approve a visitation request from Beattie this week, but the court rejected that request on Thursday.

Beattie, a strong critic of Lula’s government, was fired during Trump’s first term in office following reports that he had attended a white nationalist conference.

Bolsonaro, meanwhile, was placed in intensive care on Friday, with hospital officials saying the 70-year-old had a “high fever, a drop in oxygen saturation, sweating and chills” linked to pneumonia.

The 10th season of “Love Is Blind” ventured to Ohio, yielded a record seven engaged couples and made structured cape blazers and the idea of daily Pilates classes feel like rage bait.

With the season over, and just two couples saying “I do,” the cast of the popular Netflix dating series came together for this week’s reunion special to share updates on their lives since the cameras went down — and to unpack the twists, turns and lies that played out over the season. The result was a reunion that finally provided (mostly) satisfying questions and answers about participants’ pasts and presents instead of dancing around topics.

Unable to budget the time for a trip to Cabo — or even Malibu — to process it all, TV editor Maira Garcia and I have brought our running “LIB” thread out of our Slack DMs to unpack our thoughts in this safe place.

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include a spray-tan crime comedy and a Morgan Freeman-narrated mind trip about the rise and fall of dinosaurs. Plus, we tell you where you can stream the slate of best picture nominees ahead of this Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony.

This is your cue to block off some “couch time” in your calendar this weekend.

— Yvonne Villarreal

Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Will Forte as Martin and D’Arcy Carden as Vicki in a scene from “Sunny Nights.”

(Lisa Tomasetti / Hulu)

“Sunny Nights” (Hulu)

D’Arcy Carden fans, and I can’t imagine anyone who’s ever seen her work isn’t one, will be elated to find her at full force starring in this dark, sometimes violent Australian crime comedy alongside Will Forte, who, yes, has fans of his own. They play brother Martin (cautious) and sister Vicki (impulsive), who have traveled to Sydney to flog a tanning spray at a lifestyle convention, though Martin has an ulterior motive, to win back his wife, Joyce (Ra Chapman). What with one thing and another, they find themselves repeatedly in need of cash and mixed up with a panoply of criminals, some fairly sympathetic (former rugby star Willie Mason, excellent as former rugby star Terry; Jessica De Gouw as Susi), and others not at all (Rachel House as kingpin Mony, just out of the jug). All are trying to change their lives, or at least their business plan, including Joyce, a journalist stuck writing clickbait articles for an editor who doesn’t want to know, and Megan Wilding as Nova, an animal control worker who knows something important about an exploding crocodile. — Robert Lloyd

A still from “The Dinosaurs.”

(Netflix)

“The Dinosaurs” (Netflix)

This four-part series will have you mentioning the Carnian pluvial episode in every conversation. Aptly narrated by Morgan Freeman and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the sweeping CGI-enhanced nature documentary traces the evolutionary history of dinosaurs, from their origins in the Triassic period to their extinction 66 million years ago. And it’s more proof that attention spans, no matter a person’s age, will always lock in for dinosaurs. Before morning, your Google search history will include terms like “Marasuchus,” “Vulcanodon,” “Heterodontosaurus” and that Carnian pluvial episode (a.k.a. the longest downpour in history, which lasted more than a million years). Prepare to have your perception of time forever altered. Still, it’s a surefire way to give your mental health a break from current events — though, for a certain generation, it may also unlock those “Land Before Time” memories. — Y.V.

Catch up

Everything you need to know about the film or TV series everyone’s talking about

Scenes from “One Battle After Another,” left, “Hamnet” and “Sinners.”

(Warner Bros. Pictures; Focus Features)

The 98th Academy Awards will broadcast Sunday at 4 p.m. Pacific. How many of the best picture nominees have you seen? Is it less than the number of think pieces you’ve read on Timothée Chalamet’s comments on ballet and opera? We’re here to help. If you’re feeling inspired to be a studious viewer ahead of film’s big night, here’s where you can stream the best picture nominees:

• “Bugonia” (Peacock): Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, the surreal comedy thriller follows a paranoid bee keeper (Jesse Plemons) who kidnaps a pharmaceutical CEO (Emma Stone), convinced she is an alien responsible for destroying humanity. The film received four Oscar nominations.
• “F1” (Apple TV): From “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski, the sports drama stars Brad Pitt as retired F1 driver Sonny Hayes, who agrees to compete in the globe’s most prestigious racing event to salvage his reputation and the failing team of his buddy. The film received four Oscar nominations.
• “Frankenstein” (Netflix): Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of the classic horror tale transforms Jacob Elordi into the tragic monster, known here as The Creature, and features Oscar Isaac as its titular mad maker. The film received nine Oscar nominations.
• “Hamnet” (Peacock): Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, Chloé Zhao’s historical drama explores the grief, love and strained marriage of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley). The film received eight Oscar nominations.
• “Marty Supreme” (Available to rent or buy on platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV): Directed and co-written by Josh Safdie, the film is loosely based on the life of American table tennis player Marty Reisman, here called Marty Mauser and played by Timothée Chalamet. It is expected to be released on HBO Max later this spring. The film received nine Oscar nominations.
• “One Battle After Another” (HBO Max): Paul Thomas Anderson’s satirical political thriller, a loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s “Vineland,” follows a paranoid ex-revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) trying to save his daughter when an old enemy (Sean Penn) resurfaces. The film received 13 Oscar nominations.
• “Sentimental Value” (Available to rent or buy on platforms like Prime Video and Apple TV): Joachim Trier’s Norwegian drama follows two sisters (played by Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) as they reunite with their estranged filmmaker father (Stellan Skarsgard). The film received nine Oscar nominations. It is expected to be released on Hulu later this month.
• “Sinners” (HBO Max): Ryan Coogler’s gothic horror drama is set in 1932 Mississippi and follows twin brothers (played by Michael B. Jordan) who, trying to leave their troubled past behind them, return to their hometown to start anew — only to face new horrors. It became the most-nominated film in Academy Awards history with 16 total nominations.
• “The Secret Agent” (Hulu, Disney+): Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, the Brazilian historical political thriller stars Wagner Moura as a former professor fleeing persecution during the 1970s military dictatorship while trying to protect his son. The film received four Oscar nominations.
• “Train Dreams” (Netflix): Based on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella of the same name, the film is an intimate birth-to-death portrait of a quiet railway laborer (Joel Edgerton) as he watches the world change around him. The film received four Oscar nominations.

Break down

Times staffers chew on the pop culture of the moment — love it, hate it or somewhere in between

It’s crazy to think that about six years ago, golden goblets, pods and “the experiment” were disparate ideas and objects that were on the precipice of infiltrating the culture. Now, you can’t think of one without the others. “Love Is Blind,” the reality dating show that tests the premise of whether singles can find love sight unseen and marry at the end, marked a milestone this year with its 10th season, filmed in Ohio.

While the series has produced a number of marriages and engagements, some have ended in breakups and divorce, as we saw on Wednesday’s Season 10 reunion. So while the answer to the question “Is love blind?” seems to be no, the series has nonetheless made for entertaining television for viewers who have made dissecting the people, fights and makeups a sport. Why are we so invested? Because it’s a reflection of where we are as a society when it comes to relationships and what we expect from partners emotionally, politically, physically and financially. With that in mind, Yvonne and I sat down with our golden goblets to unpack the Season 10 reunion. Here are five moments that stood out. — M.G.

Jordan and Amber are now divorced

Jordan Faeth and Amber Morrison were one of two couples to say “I do” at the altar. Morrison, a single mom, discussed with Faeth over the course of the show if he was ready to be a stepparent and where they would live, given that Morrison owned a home and her daughter was happy at her school. At the reunion, the couple revealed that they never moved in together and that they divorced after four months. Morrison talked about how her daughter was distraught after the breakup, leading to an emotional moment where Morrison ran offstage in tears. It raised an important question that fans have debated closely: Should parents be on the show? Seasons 6 and 9 also featured single parents, neither of whom made it to the altar. Given the compressed timeline of when people meet, become engaged and head to the altar, deciding whether marriage should include parenthood at the start adds another layer of complexity, not to mention how it could affect a child, who suddenly has a stranger in their life. The outcome wasn’t necessarily surprising, but it was sad.

Vic and Christine: boring but perfect. More, please

The other couple to make it down the aisle was Vic St. John and Christine Hamilton, who hit it off from the get-go and seemed to exist in their own blissful bubble. According to Netflix production, the show only budgets for six couples to go on a trip after the reveal and engagement. But they continued to track them, with St. John and Hamilton spending time in Malibu instead, taping dispatches together and getting to know each other without the rest of the cast in proximity. Throughout the course of the show, you see their connection grow. Their mature and thoughtful conversations about being an interracial couple and potentially raising biracial children were exactly the type of discussions you would hope they’d have before proceeding down the aisle. It may not make for dramatic TV, but it was genuinely thrilling to see a couple so well-suited for each other continuing to thrive. And in an effort to make up for not getting to go to Cabo, Mexico, with everyone else, the show offered them a trip paid by … Turbo Tax? It was an odd product placement, but if they want to foot the bill for their honeymoon, no one’s complaining. As long as it’s somewhere tropical on a beach — and not Lake Erie.

Who took accountability?

Despite not making it to the altar on screen after the blazer cape breakup, Connor Spies and Bri McNees are still together. But the bigger record-scratch moment arrived later, when it was revealed that Devonta Anderson broke up with Brittany Wicker a few days after what he told her was a work trip but was actually a getaway to Austin, Texas, to attend a concert with McNees, Ashley Carpenter and Priyanka Grandhi. Wicker didn’t seem thrilled that she had to find out about the trip from Amber (who found out from Jordan, who can’t remember that he even knew about it). McNees didn’t like the implication that she may have broken “girl code” with the whole fiasco — but if all the women are as close as they say they are, why wouldn’t you check in about such an arrangement regardless of the relationship status? (It was weird, too, that Connor thought it was a girls’ trip.) And the fact that it was the same three women who listened to Chris Fusco talk poorly about his former fiancée Jess Barrett — giant sigh. During the reunion, after Barrett voiced her disappointment in her friends about that incident, Carpenter apologized for not doing more to defend her in the moment.

Meanwhile, Nick unleashed his best attempt to channel Andy Cohen and grilled Fusco about his highly questionable behavior and the backlash over his comments to Barrett about her body, specifically stating he usually dates women who do Pilates or workout daily, and for trying to make the moves on McNees. Fusco, mostly quiet and stone-faced (could it be the shame?), acknowledged he was not proud of the moments he watched back and apologized to Barrett. His seat mate, goalkeeper Alex Henderson, was also on the defense. The self-proclaimed nomad never fully seem to vibe with his fiancée, Carpenter. He admitted she’s not his usual type. She still maintained he wasn’t telling the whole truth about his job or dating history, and overall lifestyle. Throughout his segment, Henderson was noticeably irritated by the insinuation that his stories didn’t add up. But he did seem to enjoy being asked to describe his relationship with Carpenter as if it was a soccer match, prompting him to cite a Liverpool game that ended in a tie. Are you laughing too?

Can this be a TikTok?

To commemorate the milestone season, the audience for the reunion special consisted of 150 former participants of the series. And while the time spent getting life updates with some of them throughout the show felt less forced and time-consuming than reunions past, it still felt like an add-on better suited to live in a separate (shorter) special or as social media content. If we wanted an update on these people’s lives, we can find them on social media. A gender reveal courtesy of someone’s dead grandmother, as sweet and touching and lovely as that may for an expectant couple, is not the sort of jaw-dropping moment a show like this needs. And maybe the money saved — assuming production footed the bill for those flights — could have sent every couple to Cabo.

Did you hear? Nick Lachey is from Ohio, guys.

His constant mention of his hometown roots was unquestionably the biggest declaration of love in the 90-minute special. Sorry, Vanessa.

ICYMI

Must-read stories you might have missed

It took just two days for Lebanon to be dragged into the US-Israeli war against Iran.

After a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect in Lebanon in November 2024, cross-border violence did not really end.

Now, nearly one million people have been forced from their homes.

The UN chief said Lebanon is part of a war it did not choose, but Israel is ramping up its offensive.

The Israeli defence minister says that if the Lebanese government will not rein in Hezbollah, Israel will.

So, what happens if it does? And what does that mean for civilians?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Nadim Houry – Executive director of the Arab Reform Initiative

Maureen Philippon – Norwegian Refugee Council’s country director for Lebanon

Nicholas Noe – Editor-in-chief of the Beirut-based news service, Mideastwire.com

A Lebanese father mourned the death of his four daughters, mother, father, brother-in-law and nephew, after they were killed in an Israeli attack. Israel has killed at least 770 people in Lebanon since last Monday. Around 750,000 have been forcibly displaced.

Read more

Stranger Things’ The Duffer Brothers have teamed up with Baby Reindeer’s director for an “atmospheric” new horror drama.

Netflix has dropped the hotly-anticipated trailer for Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen just days before it premieres.

The eight-part limited horror series, starring The Night Manager actress Camila Morrone and The White Lotus actor Adam DiMarco, is scheduled to be released in full on Thursday, March 26, on Netflix.

The streamer teases that it will revolve around an “atmospheric wedding…following a bride and groom in the week leading up to their ill-fated nuptials”, cheekily teasing that it’s “not a spoiler”, given the show’s title.

The trailer sees loved-up Rachel (played by Camile Morrone) and Nicky (Adam DiMarco) head up to his family’s log cabin where they plan to get married but she soon feels as if something “weird” is happening.

While fans have shared their excitement at the upcoming horror, some couldn’t help but point out it resembles the plot of horror franchise Ready or Not.

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

Released in 2019, the original horror film saw Grace (Samara Weaving) fight for her life on her wedding night as she is forced to play a deadly game of hide-and-seek with her wealthy in-laws.

The sequel to Ready or Not is scheduled to be released next month and will see Grace joined by her sister as they try and survive rival families hunting them down.

Taking to YouTube ’s comments section, a viewer posted: “Feels like ‘Ready Or Not’ without a sense of humour.”

“What in the Ready or Not,” another said followed by a crying face emoji as a fan replied: “Right??! Like haven’t we already seen this.”

Someone else asked: “Is this like Ready or Not or something?”

But not everyone agreed that it was the same story as a user pointed out: “Ready Or Not isn’t the first film to have a spooky marriage plot, begging you people to watch movies.”

What makes Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen stand out even more is the fact that it’s executive produced by Stranger Things legends The Duffer Brothers and directed by Baby Reindeer’s Weronika Tofilska.

“The Duffers Cooked,” a fan praised as another posted: “I just realized this is a show by the Duffer brothers..I will be checking it out.”

Someone else then joked: “Imagine Vecna making an entry.”

The official synopsis reads: “Rachel (Camila Morrone) is getting married in five days.

“Together with her fiancé, Nicky (Adam DiMarco), she embarks on a road trip to his family’s vacation home, secluded in a snowy forest, for the intimate wedding ceremony of their dreams.

“Which really would be so lovely, except… prone to superstition and paranoia, Rachel can’t shake the relentless feeling that something bad is going to happen.

“Her foreboding doubts, coupled with a series of eerie coincidences and dreadful surprises, force her to ask the question: What makes two people soulmates? And worse — what could be scarier than lifelong commitment to the wrong person?”

Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen premieres on Thursday, March 26, on Netflix.

March 13 (UPI) — Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Enrique Marset Cabrera, known as the “King of the South” and considered a priority fugitive for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, was captured Friday in Bolivia and was being transferred to the United States, authorities said.

The arrest occurred during a raid early in the morning in Las Palmas, an upscale residential neighborhood in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, where Bolivian security forces began the operation about 2 a.m., according to regional media reports.

Bolivia’s Ministry of Government said Marset was to be transported from Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz under a heavy police guard.

The minister of Paraguay’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat, Jalil Rachid, said his office received information from Bolivian authorities confirming the arrest.

“The operation began early in the morning. Around 2 a.m. The information I received is positive. He has already been secured,” Rachid said.

“He was one of the most wanted people worldwide, Rachid said. Many will be seeking his head. I am sure the American government is also interested in that because he used its financial system.”

Images circulated by regional media show Marset under the custody of U.S. agents.

Paraguay’s interior minister, Enrique Riera, said the capture could provide new information about the drug trafficker’s criminal structure in the region.

“More than one person will be worried right now if he tells everything he knows about past events and his connections in Paraguay” Riera said.

Paraguayan Sen. Eduardo Nakayama wrote on X that Marset’s capture was linked to renewed international cooperation.

“Marset’s capture is a key blow to organized crime and was not a coincidence. It coincides with the restoration of cooperation with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration under the government of Rodrigo Paz in Bolivia after 18 years of rupture (2008-2025), during which the country made no progress in the fight against drug trafficking, demonstrating the importance of shared intelligence,” Nakayama wrote.

Images shared by local media also show police escorting other handcuffed individuals while securing the perimeter of the raided residence.

“The information provided to us is that there are five Venezuelan citizens, four men and one woman, who would be part of the operational arm of the Uruguayan Sebastián Marset,” Bolivian journalist Jaime Herrera told ABC TV Paraguay.

Marset, 34, a Uruguayan national, has been identified by authorities in several countries as the leader of an international network involved in cocaine trafficking and money laundering that operated between Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Europe.

Investigations indicate his organization coordinated cocaine shipments departed from Bolivia, crossed Paraguay and were later sent to European ports.

Authorities link his network to seizures involving more than 16 tons of cocaine as part of the Paraguayan investigation known as Operation A Ultranza PY, considered the largest operation against organized crime in Paraguay’s history.

Marset’s first known links to drug trafficking date to 2013, when he was arrested in Uruguay after receiving a marijuana shipment connected to Paraguayan traffickers. He was convicted of drug trafficking and regained his freedom in 2018 after serving five years in prison.

After leaving prison, according to investigations, he expanded his criminal network across several countries in the region.

Paraguayan authorities have also linked him to contacts within the Insfrán clan, an organization associated with drug trafficking in Paraguay.

Marset gained international attention after the murder of Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, who was killed in May 2022 on a beach in Barú, Colombia, while he was on his honeymoon.

According to statements cited by Colombian authorities and judicial investigations, Marset was identified as the “determining figure” in the crime, meaning the person who allegedly ordered the assassination.

The international search for Marset intensified in May when the U.S. Sate Department offered a reward of up to $2 million for information leading to his capture.

The U.S. Department of Justice also filed money laundering charges, accusing him of using the U.S. financial system in his operations.

The War Zone has obtained a tranche of documents shedding new light on what police and other government officials actually saw during the New Jersey drone scare that began in late 2024. We were the first to write about an incident that occurred on Nov. 19, 2024, involving drones over the U.S. Army’s Picatinny Arsenal facility in northern New Jersey. We have been documenting highly concerning drone incursions over military installations and critical capabilities for years. But this time what came after was very different.

In a very short period of time, there was an avalanche of drone reports from all over the region and a crush of media coverage from around the globe. As we frequently noted, the vast majority of these so-called drones were reported by civilians and turned out to be misidentified manned aircraft and even stars and planets. In fact, we saw no visual evidence of any mass drone incursions or strange objects over New Jersey during this prolonged series of events. Shortly after President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, his administration announced that the Jersey drones were approved by the FAA “for research and various other reasons.”

That isn’t to say that nothing occurred, but drone mania was clearly sweeping amongst the populous, with every aircraft in the sky suddenly becoming a spooky drone. The mainstream media did not help at all here, either. Videos from local and national news reports showing 737s and helicopters, but being passed off as mysterious craft, became the norm, not the exception. There were also government drones deployed during this period that were surely seen by some as possibly hostile. The lack of understanding about drones and their varied capabilities and configurations among local governments and officials also added to the confusion and fear.

However, there were still sightings that can’t be easily explained as planets or low-flying cargo feeder aircraft. The cache of documents we reviewed, which were obtained by the Freedom of Information Act and local Open Public Records Act, contains thousands of pages and are mostly emails, police reports and internal memos that began being created on Nov. 18, 2024, a day before our Picatinny Arsenal story.

The documents show how police departments and government agencies were alarmed as reports of “rogue drones” started to pour in. They also offer first-hand accounts of sightings by law enforcement officers out in the field. These direct observations include reports of drones flying over military installations, swarms interfering with airport operations and helicopter rescue flights and a host of other issues. There are also claims of the drones disabling police communications and jamming air traffic control radars, although these have to be taken as highly speculative, as we don’t have any info on further investigations into potential electronic warfare effects from any unidentified craft.

We have chosen some of the most interesting reports and documents to share, published here for the first time. While they do not represent a ‘smoking gun’ as to what occurred over the Northeastern United States during the winter of 2024, they do offer additional color as to what law enforcement at least thinks they saw and how local governments reacted to these sightings.

Some of them have been lightly edited for clarity.

Nov. 18, 2024

Watchung Police Department (WPD) 6:41 PM

From Sherif Zalton to all WPD members:

Subject: Re: Rogue Drone Flights

All,

There have been reports county wide of rogue drone flights (multiple drones flying in pattern over sensitive sites). Due to the nature of President-elect Trump frequenting our county, if we receive or observe any reports of this type, please notify me. If I’m not available please reach out for Carolyn Solon.

Thanks,

Captain Sherif Zaiton

Nov. 19, 2024

Peapack and Gladstone Police Department 3:49 PM

From: Police Chief Stephen Ferrante to several other police officials.

Subject: Drone Form

All,

I just sent a form with information regarding drones. As I advised last night… there were multiple reports of large drones in our area. The info on the paperwork I emailed has important information regarding operating drones, information we need to gather if we locate these individuals, etc.

Please carry a couple of copies with you.

Stephen C. Ferrante

Chief of Police

—–

Watchung Police Department 4:02:04 PM

From Chief Scott Anderle to all WPD members

Subject: Re: Rogue Drone Flights

Members,

The County, NJSP, and the FBI are all working together on this. If we get reports of drone or other UFO activity, notify County Communications in addition to the Command Staff. These drones are reported to be far bigger than typical hobbyist models and require special licensing from the FAA. If you encounter someone operating, landing, or possessing a drone, especially in the dark, you can detain and ask them to provide licensing information using the attached Drone Operator Sheet. There is also a specific 2C charge that is applicable for operating unlicensed drones. Please be alert, especially over the next few evenings. These events are extremely concerning.

In the event you locate a landed drone, consider contacting NJSP to have it cleared by the Bomb Squad as the size of the recent drones encountered make them potentially military grade.

This information is Law Enforcement Sensitive. Direct all inquiries to the Captain.

Reach out if you have any questions.

Chief Scott Anderle

Watchung Police Department

——

Watchung Police Department. 4:29 PM

From: Sherif Zaiton to Scott Anderle

Subject: Re: Rogue Drone Flights

All,

The latest update we just received suggests these drones were purposely operating around County radio towers. The tower on Johnston Drive is a County radio tower. Please keep this in mind.

Additionally, as the Chief said, we are being told to very much consider that these drones could be carrying an explosive payload and to treat them as such. If one lands or crashes, please keep this in mind.

Any questions please let me know.

Captain Sherif Zaiton

Watchung Police Department

Executive Officer

—–

Raritan Boro Police 5:33 PM Eastern:

D/Sgt Benjamin Griffin observed a fixed wing drone approximately 400ft in the air traveling from South West to North East towards Somverille. At [5:39 PM], I observed a second fixed wing drone traveling in almost the same flight path. I observed a smaller, possibly a quad drone, flying North to South from Raritan towards Hillsborough in the area of River Road. County [Office of Emergency Management] OEM was notified.

Given all the reports, Morris County law enforcement leaders felt compelled to issue a statement.

Nov. 21, 2024

Bedminster Township Police 7:31 AM

From Chief Francesco Bernardo to several township officials.

Subject: Re: Drones

We have federal, state, county, and local agencies all involved investigating these incidents. Tom and I are attending a briefing today for an update. As per the FBI, we are not to issue any press releases. I also don’t want to discuss this in any [Township Council] meetings because it could have national security implications and there would be nothing that I could disclose anyway.

If we ever get any intel that there is a real or active threat to Bedminster we will obviously act accordingly. Rest assured, there are a lot of resources being dedicated to this.

Respectfully,

Chief Francesco Bernardo

Bedminster Twp Police Department

Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. 3:53 PM

From: Sergeant Andrew J. Winter, Counterterrorism Coordinator to county officials

Subject: ALERT Suspicious NJ UAS Activity – PLEASE NOTIFY ALL PATROL UNITS

The FBI and [Joint Terrorism Task Force] JTTF is requesting assistance regarding suspicious unmanned aircraft in New Jersey. Please see the alert and notify all patrol units to document and make notification as outlined below –

Thanks,

 Andrew

Nov. 23, 2024

Branchburg Township Police Department. 11:57 PM

On November 23, 2024, at approximately [11:57 PM] I observed that both my portable radio and the radio in my patrol vehicle were “Out of Range.” At the same time, I was contacted by Ofc. Conforti inquiring about this same issue with his radios. I contacted Somerset County Communications and advised them of what was occurring. They initially advised that they did not notice any radio issues and placed me on a brief hold. 

Then they advised me that all police departments utilizing the Somerset County Communications Center were all experiencing the same issue with all radios in county being “Out of Range.” The radio signal was out for approximately three to five minutes before resuming normally. At this time Sgt. Cronce was on an alarm call with an open door when he lost radio communication while clearing the building. Our police department’s OEM Coordinator, Ofc. Russoniello was notified of this issue as well as the remainder of the Somerset County OEM Coordinators.

After the radio issue was resolved, I spoke with Ofc. Magos who advised me that he was at police headquarters when the radio issues occurred. He noted that when this occurred, observed a drone flying near police headquarters in the sky. He did not obtain an image or video of the drone.

I then notified the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness via email to their Counter-Terrorism Watch of this incident. I also notified Chief Buck, Captain Edgar and Lt. Jepsen of this matter via email.

Nov. 24, 2024

Parsippany Police Department. 6:39 PM

Sgt. Lesiak, Ptl. Sisco and I responded in the areas of the Reservoir Rt 46 W and Greenbank Rd on a report of drone activity flying over the reservoir. Upon arrival at the Rockaway Sewage Plant, I observed more than 13 drones flying through the area in a Northerly direction. Sgt. Lesiak and Ptl. Sisco arrived on scene. Officers were unable to identify the style and size of the drones. Officers observed the drones in the area for approximately 30 minutes. Ptl. Sisco made contact with CT watch and a [suspicious activity report] SAR report was generated. The NJ State Police were requested to monitor the 287 Corridor due to the critical infrastructure areas of the reservoir and water treatment plants. Sgt. Lesiak was later informed that the FBI, US Marshals and [Morris County] MC Sheriff’s Office were currently tracking the suspicious drones.

Nov. 25, 2024

Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

From: Sergeant Andrew J. Winter, Counterterrorism Coordinator to county officials.

Subject: ALERT Suspicious NJ UAS Activity – PLEASE NOTIFY ALL PATROL UNITS

Hi All,

Please accept this an update to my earlier alert –

There have continued to be unexplained drone sightings around high tension wires, power  stations, and military bases in New Jersey. These alerts are being released almost daily from NJ [Regional Operations Intelligence Center] ROIC per [New Jersey Suspicious Activity Reporting] NJSARS notifications. Please remain alert and ask that patrol divisions make immediate notification should a sighting be confirmed in Middlesex County, NJ. Some of these unknown fix wing drones have been quite large. These aircraft have flown over critical infrastructure in the State of New Jersey and there is a concern this could be “out of country” nations. At the current time, there have NOT been any sightings in Middlesex County, NJ to my knowledge, but that may change.

I have received several calls on this from our local jurisdictions. Please heighten awareness and, if possible, attempt to enhance regular patrols around areas of substations and critical infrastructure. The FBI is requesting immediate notification on sightings. Please call me as well to make appropriate notifications to NJ ROIC and for the NJSAR. I hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving with your families!

Be safe,

Andrew

Branchburg Police Department 7:26 AM

A quad propeller drone that was hovering within the perimeter of the switching station approximately 150 feet above a pole near Route 202. The estimated altitude of the drone at approximately 300 feet. As I approached the gate at the switching station the drone appeared to turn off its flashing red and green lights and leave the immediate area. Cpl. Martin and Det. Sgt. Decandia then arrived on location to assist with the investigation.

After about a minute the drone along with 2 others were visible on the back side of the property and leaving the area to the North. 

—–

Branchburg Police Department 6:34 PM

Officer Juan Polanco

On November 26, 2024, at approximately [6:34 PM] [New Jersey State Police] NJSP NorthStar [emergency medical helicopter] was requested to land at Raritan Valley Community College (118 Lamington Road) to medevac an injured male from a motor vehicle crash. At approximately [6:39 PM] as North Branch Fire Department was arriving at the landing zone, 3 drones were observed just east of the landing zone. North Branch Fire relayed this information to Somerset County Communications to advise NorthStar of the drone activity. 

As NorthStar was approaching the landing zone at approximately [6:43 PM], multiple more drones were spotted in the area. This information was relayed to NorthStar via radio. Due to the numerous drones in the immediate area, NorthStar was unable to land. A new landing zone was established at Somerset Airport in Bedminster. As NorthStar was flying towards the Somerset Airport, 3-4 drones appeared to follow NorthStar. 

—–

Fair Hills Police Department 10:22 PM 

On the above date and time, while on routine patrol, I observed numerous low-flying UASs maneuver along the US Hwy 202 corridor traveling N/B. Between the span of [10:20 PM and 10:40 PM] I observed approximately 10 UASs follow the general direction of US Hwy 202 N/B towards Bernardsville. I estimated the flight altitudes to range from approximately 200 to 400 feet from the ground. The UASs were of atypical size (significantly larger than standard civilian-model drones), triangular in shape, had strobing white/red LEDs, and solid red/green lights affixed to the wing tips. I advised SCC, who notified OEM director Joe Schardien. I also notified Cpl. Kamieniecki via text message.

Mercer County Sheriff’s Office 12:30 AM

Officer Mattia

On Wednesday November 27, 2024 at approximately 0030 hours, I was parked at 1100 Terminal Circle Drive, Ewing, NJ on the driveway leading to Station 34 when a vehicle approached me occupied by Detective Dilea (NJSP). Det. Dilea asked me if I had seen any drones flying over the airport. Before I could answer he pointed out a drone flying from the direction of I-295 at approximately two hundred feet in the air over the terminal and baggage claim then out of sight towards Capital Health. At this time Ofc. Salvatore #285 notified Sgt. Caruso and we conducted an exterior patrol to try and follow the drone. When we could not locate the drone and returned to the terminal. At that time we were approached by Detective Garzio (TPD) who stated that they have been trying to track multiple drones in the area and that they aren’t normal consumer drones but military style drones with fixed wings and motors. He also stated that the drones “can jam signals.”

—–

Branchburg Police Department: 10:19 PM

Officer Nick Magos

On the above date and time while conducting routine patrol of Route 202, I was conducting a U-turn at Route 202 and Old York (Centerville), when I observed an unidentified drone hovering over the [Public Service Electric & Gas] PSEG Switching Station, 1389 Route 202. The drone appeared to be a quad propeller drone that was hovering within the perimeter of the switching station approximately 150 feet above a pole near Route 202. The estimated altitude of the drone at approximately 300 feet. As I approached the gate at the switching station the drone appeared to turn off its flashing red and green lights and leave the immediate area. Cpl. Martin and Det. Sgt. Decandia then arrived on location to assist with the investigation. After about a minute the drone along with 2 others were visible on the back side of the property and leaving the area to the North.

Dec. 3, 2024

Mercer County Sheriff’s Office 6:50 PM

Sgt. Shane Coderoni

I was informed by Station 34 Captain Corey Platt about drone activity in the Trenton-Mercer Airport airspace. Captain Platt relayed information from Trenton Air Traffic Control (TATC), who reported observing “three to four primary targets in the Delta Airspace at 600 feet and five operating in the southeast.” I immediately dispatched officers on duty contact with TATC Brandon Dominguez…Dominguez reported that in addition to the radar tracking, he visually observed several drones operating in the runway departure zones. The radar data, which could track the speed of the drones, confirmed their presence in the airspace. The fastest speed recorded for the drones was 150 knots (172.6 miles per hour).

As a result of this drone activity, flight operations at Trenton-Mercer Airport were affected. All training flight operations were grounded. Other arriving and departing aircraft were advised to proceed with caution. To address the situation, Dominguez contacted Airport Operations Employee Ed Berry, who issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), which stated:

-TTN 12/002 TTN AIRSPACE UAS W I AN AREA DEFINED AS 4.5NM RADIUS OF TTN SFC-2500FT AGL 2412040017-2412041100-

The NOTAM was valid until [6 AM] Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

I inquired with Dominguez regarding the impact of the drone activity on the inbound Frontier Airlines flight, scheduled to arrive at approximately [9:40 PM]. Dominguez confirmed that, at that time, the flight would not be diverted but advised to proceed with caution due to the ongoing drone activity.

I instructed Dominguez to contact Mercer County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch should any further drone activity impact flight operations. A still photograph was taken of the Trenton Air Traffic Control Radar Unit. TATC Dominguez stated that the blue dots without a designation, were the “primary targets” (drones). I observed several drones flying in and out of radar during my interview with Dominguez… No further information or drone sightings were reported after this discussion.

At approximately [7:59 PM], I was contacted by NJSP Sgt. Wisniewski, attached to the Regional Operations Intelligence Center. Sgt. Wisniewski stated that he received reports of drone activity affecting flight operations at TTN. I advised him of the ongoing investigation and actions taken.

He advised to contact him if anything further was reported.

At approximately [8:12 PM] , Lt. Corban was contacted and notified of the incident.

A Suspicious Activity Reporting Form was submitted to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness CT Watch Unit on Tuesday, December 3 , 2024, at [10:40 PM]. 

—–

Chatham Township Police 10:35 PM

Ptl. Brian McGrath

On December 3, 2024, at [10:35 PM], Officer Colette Murphy and I deployed the Chatham Township Police Department Drone from headquarters due to possible unauthorized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) activity in the area. During my initial scan, at approximately 190 feet in height, I did not observe any drone activity in the immediate area. 

To the southwest of headquarters, I observed several UAVs that were flying in a coordinated fashion and appeared to be moving back and forth in a grid pattern. Their formation changed several times during my 30-minute flight before dispersing in a nonunified way. 

Due to an unknown reason, I was unable to capture photographs or video using our drone. 

—–

Raritan Township Police 11:08 PM

Patrol observed a low flying (large) drone, hovering over the Raritan Train Station. The drone remained hovering over the train station for a period of time before proceeding towards the Somerville Circle at a higher altitude.

Dec. 4, 2024

Readington Township Police 9:47 AM

From Lieutenant Steven Rindock to other police officers

Now that we’ve had significant involvement with these suspicious drones, I’m thinking that we should utilize our own drones and conduct counter-surveillance. While it’s true that we don’t know when or if they will return to Readington, haven’t heard of any agencies being proactive in their attempts to investigate these drones. 

I’m thinking that we should have a drone detail with our certified pilots that can either be an overtime detail, or modified work schedule. If we have a pilot (or multiple) on this detail, they can monitor the CAD and respond to areas where they’re receiving reports. Ideally these reports would be in Readington but I would encourage the pilots to pursue all leads no matter the jurisdiction. 

And if one of our drones were to get too close and cause one of the suspect drones to fall out of the sky, we would call our Federal partners and turn over all intel to them. We have insurance for our equipment. 

Let me know your thoughts, thanks. 

Lieutenant Steven Rindock 

Readington Township Police Department

Readington Township Police 10:27 AM

From Detective Sergeant Jason Phares to Lieutenant Steven Rindock and other police officers.

I am not opposed. A few considerations on both sides so that we come to a sound decision: 

We are somewhat unique in that we have a [Certificate of Authorization] COA and operate under Part 91, meaning we can legally fly at night, which is generally prohibited otherwise. I assume this is why others have not attempted to investigate using their own drones. 

Our drones broadcast an identifier. We could be identified as trying to intercept these unknown drones by other investigating agencies. Again, we are legally allowed to operate, but it is something to consider. We should try to deconflict before moving forward. There probably are Federal agencies/military using their capabilities to monitor already, which I would not want to interfere with. We are able to observe and photograph/record from a lengthy distance because of zoom and IR capabilities, so that is an option also. Those recordings could be passed along. 

These operate at night and usually stay in the area. It could be handled as a callout to try to get a recording when we get reports that they are in the area. I don’t think response time would have an impact if last night’s events gave any indication. 

Dec. 5, 2024

Clinton Township 7:34 PM

Officer John J. Tiger

A report of drones near 45 Deer Hill and Petticoat and Briar. I observed what appeared to be at least three separate 4 drone formations. One was moving west over Runkle Road, another was over Exxon Research, also moving west, and one appeared to be over the north end of town. These appeared to be 4 units moving in a pattern. I am familiar with the air traffic in the area and these were not consistent with that traffic. I observed one unit hovering directly over top of the portion of Exxon Research that has their refinery equipment. I drove through the Exxon Research property attempting to get a better view of the drone, but it moved away. I reached out to their security through dispatch to attempt to have them use their cameras to get video of the drones. While driving through the property one went almost directly over top of my patrol vehicle. The unit was high enough that I could not get enough light pushed out to it to get a visual other than the red/green/white lights it was running. This one did not seem to be making a lot of noise and I believed this unit was a fixed wing version. 

From Cokesbury at Glencree Lane I could see numerous drones. I called dispatch to advise them. They told me that FBI agents were in Readington actively looking. I directed them to this location due to the elevation and clear field of view. From that location, with an approximate 200 degree field of view and clear skies I could see dozens of similar drones all around. Some of them were flying in patterns, others were hovering, and some were moving in group formations. Most of these drones appeared to be at least a half mile from my location with many more well beyond that. 

—–

Dec. 6, 2024

Freehold Township Police 8:25 PM

Lt. Kenneth S. Kleinmann

On 12/06/2024 between [6 PM and 6:30 PM] while in the area of State Route 33…I observed an unmanned aircraft suspected to be a drone hovering in the area. The drone in question continued in a western direction following  SR 33 business ultimately flying in the area of a [Jersey Central Power & Light] JCPL substation and US Army National Guard Armory. The drone continued in a western direction until I lost sight of same. At the time of the incident Fightradar24 showed no registered aircraft in the immediate area and drone scanner yielded no results for RemoteID.

It should be noted, the drone was emitting a green and white light and appeared to have the structure of a large quad-copter.

Incident was documented with Homeland Security through their UAS Sightings Information.

—–

Jefferson Township Police 9:58 PM

Incident Report

Dispatch received a call regarding potential drone activity in the Saffins Pond Dam area approximately one hour prior. The caller had responded home to research what they had seen and once they suspected it to be a drone, they notified dispatch. Patrol responded to the area. PO Ryan and I responded and parked our patrol vehicles at the gate and proceeded to the area described by the caller on foot. 

While proceeding to the area on foot, I scanned the area utilizing my thermal device. In the area of the dam, consistent with the caller’s information, I observed a figure that appeared to be a person standing straight up. From my perspective to the left of the figure, appearing to be in the vicinity of the bridge was a flashing white light. A shape could not be made out. We alerted dispatch to the findings.

While scanning the area, we observed what appeared to be a person shining a flashlight down the path leading toward Weldon Road. We alerted other units to check the area, but they could not locate the person. The light was moving in a manner not consistent with headlights from the roadway. Coincidentally, while approaching the area, our portable radios and cellular devices were operational. While within close proximity to where the person and device was suspected, our radios stopped working. We attempted to transmit, but no signal was relayed. After we left the suspected area, our radios became operational again.

After we cleared the area, we returned to our cars and the radios were operational in the area that they were previously not. [Morris County Sheriff’s Office] MCSO was notified and responded out and checked the surrounding area with other patrol units but did not locate anything. While we were in the area, we did not observe any drone or aircraft flying in our proximity.

—–

Dec. 6, 2024

West Caldwell Police 6:31 PM

Officer Kevin Antero

Headquarters received multiple calls regarding drone activity in the area. Officers also observed multiple drones flying in the area in our jurisdiction. I contacted the Essex County Airport tower and reported the above incident. Employees from the Essex County Airport tower advised they also observed four drones flying above the airport and were not able to observe them using their radar and were also not receiving a remote identification from the drones. Employees advised they believe the drones are using a sophisticated radar jamming technology for the tower to not be able to see them on radar. 

Clinton Township Police 7:34 PM

Officer John J. Tiger

I made contact with FBI special agent Sierputowski. He responded out to confirm what I was seeing. While on scene with me he confirmed that the lights I suspected to be drones did match the description of the units that the ongoing reports around the state have involved. I can only estimate the number of drones due to the extremely clear visibility and their constant movements but there were at least 20 drones visible at any given time. I believed there to be more than that amount actually in the air, but they were at times obscured by ground features. 

Dec. 7, 2024

Carteret Township Police 8:20 PM

Lt. Robert Wargocki

On Saturday December 7th, 2024, I was on patrol eastbound of Industrial Highway in Car # 01 when I observed an unidentified object, which appeared to be a drone, flying in the air over Kinder Morgan [Carteret Terminal] which is a critical infrastructure in the Borough of Carteret. I was unable to determine the approximate size or any distinguishing markings but observed that it had red and white lights that were dimming and reactivating as it slowly flew in an eastbound direction towards the Arthur Kill waterway and Staten Island New York. 

I proceeded to drive onto Roosevelt Avenue towards the east end of the Kinder Morgan facility past Lafayette Street and exited my patrol unit in order to photograph the drone using the shift Commandez’s cell phone. I then observed a second unidentified object / drone flying from the south in a northeast direction paralleling the Arthur Kill waterway with the same type of lights (red/white) that kept dimming and reactivating which I photographed as well. I radioed dispatch to advise them of my findings and create a CAD entry. 

I then drove towards the Carteret Waterfront and observed an additional three unidentified flying objects / drones slowly flying from the south and in a northeast direction and photographed them as well. 

I returned to my patrol unit and proceeded back towards Kinder Morgan to further investigate any additional drones in that area and observed two flying in the vicinity of the NJ Turnpike (Exit 12) and the Amazon Warehouse. Photographs of those drones were also taken using the Shift Commanders cell phone and all are attached to this report. 

In all, ten drones were observed between my first observation at [7:56 PM], until the last one at [8:17 PM]. over the NJ Turnpike.

Dec. 8, 2024

East Rutherford Township Police 5:30 AM

Lt. McCann of the Federal Reserve Bank contacted headquarters to report that three (3) drones were observed flying over their building this morning at approximately 5:30AM. According to Lt. McCann, one large drone (approximately the size of a motor vehicle) and two smaller drones were observed by officers approximately 100 feet above the parking lot, located at 100 Orchard Street in East Rutherford. Lt. McCann submitted pictures taken by his officers at the time and were attached to the report. Surveillance video of the drones taken by the Federal Reserve is also available upon subpoena. Incident was documented with the Emergency Response Bureau (North Region) as well as the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Intel Unit. 

—-

Mercer County Sheriff’s Office 7:30 PM

Sgt. Shane Calderoni

I…was notified by Mercer County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch that Captain Nunn of Trenton-Mercer Airport Fire Station 34 had reported multiple drones/UAV operating around the airfield, specifically flying over runway 24.

At approximately [8:32 PM], I contacted Captain Nunn. Captain Nunn stated that he had visually observed approximately a dozen suspected drones passing through and around the airfield, but these drones were not detected on radar. He had notified Trenton Air Traffic Control (TATC) and Airport Operations. At the conclusion of our conversation, I exited the Sheriff’s Office at 10 Grumman Ave. and observed several suspected drones hovering over the Sheriff’s Office and Signature Aviation, at an altitude of approximately 500 to 600 feet.

At approximately [8:38 PM, I arrived at Trenton Air Traffic Control (TATC) on the airfield. Upon entering, I observed a rotary-style drone/UAV, approximately the size of a truck, operating over the Trenton-Mercer Airport Terminal at an altitude of approximately 400 to 500 feet. The drone crossed into the airfield’s airspace and then took off toward Capitol Health Hopewell….

In TATC, I met with Air Traffic Controller Robert Casey, who confirmed multiple suspected drones were operating around the airfield’s airspace. At that time, no Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) had been issued to warn arriving and departing aircraft. Given the situation, Casey advised that a NOTAM was warranted. I then contacted Airport Operations Jeff Ritter to inform him of the drone activity and recommend issuing a NOTAM. Ritter agreed, and the following NOTAM was issued:

AIRSPACE UAS WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 4.5M RADIUS OF TIN SFC-2500FT AGL. 09 DEC 02:04 UNTIL 09 DEC

11:00 2024. CREATED: 09 DEC 02:04 2024

Casey clarified that no flights would be grounded or diverted unless a specific operational safety concern arose. Arriving and departing aircraft were advised to use caution due to the ongoing drone/UAV activity.

At approximately [8:44 PM], Casey requested an NJSP Helicopter Unit conduct a sweep around the perimeter of the airfield, specifically near Signature Aviation. By approximately [8:54 PM] after several sweeps of the area, no drone activity was detected in the airfield’s immediate airspace. The NJSP Helicopter Unit then landed safely on the NJSP Ramp.

Casey stated that no “false positives” were detected on radar, but the multiple visual sightings of drones were consistent with the lack of radar signals. I advised Casey to notify Mercer County Sheriff’s Dispatch if any further safety concerns arose.

At approximately [9:19 PM], Mercer County Dispatch informed that Ewing Police had reported spotting a drone flying over Fisher Middle School (1325 Lower Ferry Rd), heading in the direction of the airport.

TATC noted several suspected drones in the distance, but none were detected crossing into the Airport’s airspace. At approximately [11:51 PM], an arriving commercial Frontier Airlines Flight #FFT2742 from Orlando, FL, carrying approximately 182 passengers, landed safely and did not report any drone activity.

—–

Carteret Township Police 7:40 PM

Officer Sarah Abdelnabi

I was dispatched to the area Spruce St. for a report of multiple drones in the area. Upon arrival, I observed several unidentified objects, appeared to be drones flying around the area of Spruce St. and Arthur Ave, and disappeared heading towards the area of possibly Police HQ. 

As I was making my way towards the area of Police HQ, Lt. Hart reported observing possibly the same 4-5 drones flying in the area of Dule Pyle ( 5000 Industrial Ave.) down the waterway heading towards Kinder Morgan.

Dec. 9, 2024

Howell Township Police 10:22 PM

Ptl Alex Peltzman

Aircraft incident: Manasquan Reservoir 

Responded to the above area for the report of drones flying over the reservoir. Upon arrival to the [New Jersey Water Supply Authority] NJWSA gate access off of Southard Ave, two un-identifiable flying objects with blinking lights could be seen in the air flying South from my location directly over the body of water. 

Howell NJ – Manasquan Reservoir (4K)

Dec. 10, 2024

There were so many drone sightings that the New Jersey State Police called a special statewide meeting to discuss the issue.

The New Jersey Regional Intelligence & Operations Center (NJ ROIC) also put out information about the drone sightings.

Dec. 12, 2024

Howell Township Police 8:55 PM

Ptl. Chandler Reed

Aircraft Incident – 102 East Florence Circle 

Responded to the above for a report of drones. Upon canvassing the area, I observed multiple Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) in the airspace. While canvassing, Michael Steiger (W/M/44/Howell) flagged me down and advised that over Naval Weapons Station Earle (NWSE) he saw a drone turn into a “white sparkle” and believes that it crashed into the property of NWSE West of Colts Neck Road. A search of aviation flight records for ADS-B yielded negative results. NJSP notified via their UAS sighting platform. NWSE notified of the possible uncontrolled flight into terrain (UFIT). 

Howell Township Police 9:14 PM

Ptl. Chandler Reed

Aircraft Incident Snow Chief Court

Caller reporting drones or possible christmas lights in the sky…concerned for her dog to go outside. 

Responded to the above for a report of possible “christmas lights in the sky” or drones. Upon canvassing the area, I observed multiple Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) in the airspace. A search of aviation flight records for ADS-B yielded negative results. NJSP notified via their UAS sighting platform. 

—–

Lakewood Township Police 9:41 PM

Officer E. Micallef

On Thursday, 12/12/2024, at [9:41 PM] I was traveling North on Airport Rd approaching Oak St when I observed a large drone flying lower than any other drone I have seen to-date. NOTE: there have been drone sightings across NJ and the Federal Government provided statements to the public that they are not aware of who is operating the drones, but they do not believe they are dangerous to the public.

I followed the drone as long as I could but it was traveling at a high rate of speed. It was very large, dark colored metal framing, and very long beams from the center area that extended to four or more propellers. This drone was the at the lowest altitude of all the drones observed today (a total of approximately 10 from my assigned zone). It also appeared to be similar or exactly the same as the other drones that were in the area.

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Galloway Township Police 9:44 PM

Officer Stephen Vernon

On Thursday, December 12, at approximately [9:44 PM], dispatched advised me that the air traffic control tower at the Atlantic City Airport called advising of a drone in the area of the airport. 

They advised that it was above 5500 feet and falling rapidly. They also reported a blue laser near the airport shinning down from up high. The tower requested we check the area. 

I responded to the area of the White Horse Pike and Pomona Rd and began scanning the sky. I immediately observed a very slow-moving flying object heading northeast towards my location. It had a red and green flashing lights and appeared to be around 1000 feet off the ground. It continued towards my location and passed directly over me. As it did, I observed that it was a very large drone comparable to the size of a small car. It continued traveling northeast very slowly. It should be noted that it did not emit sound like an airplane or helicopter. 

Prior to clearing the area, I observed two more drones east of my location also moving northeast. A fourth drone was observed stationary hovering over the airport. 

I responded to the station after clearing the area and contacted the air traffic control tower. I spoke to FAA employee, Mike…I advised him of what I observed, and he advised me that he was reporting it to the DEN. Mike said the DEN was similar to the ROIC but on a federal level. I advised Mike I would report the incident to the ROIC via a SARS notification along with my report. 

The Atlantic County Prosecutors Office, Homeland Security, personal where also notified. 

Dec. 13, 2024

Plainview Township Police 8:08 PM

Cpl. Daniel Kanaley

On the above date and time, dispatch received a phone call from staff at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab [PPPL] regarding possible drone sightings over their restricted area. I spoke with Lt. Chris Pietsch (Site Protection Division) who reported that at approximately[8:02 PM] they observed approximately 11 drones flying in the area of the PPPL property for approximately 20-25 minutes. Specifically, 5 of the drones flew through their federal restricted air space and came as close as 100-200 hundred yards from them. They were described as fixed wing drones with one red, one green and one white light on each drone (all flashing). Lt. Pietsch provided cell phone video of one of the drones from a distance, which was attached to this case. 

Contact was later made with Sgt. Winters of the MCPO CTC via telephone and this report was later emailed to him with the video. 

Dec. 14, 2024

Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office

Sergeant Andrew J. Winter

Counterterrorism Coordinator

Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office

Intelligence, Counterterrorism, & Bias Unit

Hi All,

Please accept this as an update to the ongoing drones –

I thought the recent patterns over the past two nights were interesting to share with all of you. We had many drone sightings over Middlesex County, NJ in recent days. It appears that those sightings were focused on areas above or around our medical centers. This includes Princeton Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson, and JFK Medical Center – in terms of a pattern. In addition, there were drones sighted over Princeton Plasma Lab in Plainsboro, NJ which is federally restricted airspace. Lastly, through multiple counties to include Middlesex there were several laser (green color) interactions with pilots flying both commercial and cargo flights over New Jersey. These interactions appeared, based on reports, to be higher in elevation, but the green laser is consistent with the green colored light reported on the UAS drones. It is not confirmed if those interactions were in fact drones or independent laser to aircraft interactions.

I just wanted to send out this short update. The reporting has highlighted patterns of activity throughout the county.

Updates will be provided as pertinent and available. Have a great weekend!

Respectfully,

Andrew

By this point, Congressman Tom Kean weighed in. His office sent an email to local officials letting them know he was calling on then-President Joe Biden and other federal and state officials to provide answers about the unidentified lights in the sky.

In closing: there have been no arrests made in the Jersey drone investigation and no drones recovered that we know of. The vast majority of these incidents, as we noted earlier in this story, were misidentifications. However, these first-hand reports from law enforcement officers and government officials are interesting credible witness datapoints and underscore just how little we still know about what actually happened, or didn’t happen, over New Jersey during the Winter of 2024.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

A Strictly pro who joined the show in 2022 has shared two words that sum up their thoughts on former host Claudia Winkleman, who announced her departure last year

A professional dancer from Strictly Come Dancing has shared two words that sum up their thoughts on former host Claudia Winkleman. A Chinese Strictly pro who joined the show in 2022 and lifted the Glitterball trophy with former Lioness Karen Carney last year, Carlos Gu was recently quizzed about whether he’d like to step into Claudia and Tess Daly’s shoes.

In October last year, the duo shocked fans by announcing they would be stepping away from their joint presenting duties on the BBC programme, sparking widespread speculation about their replacements.

Carlos doesn’t seem eager to throw his hat into the ring, though, noting that he doesn’t believe he could “ever be a presenter,” but he did have some kind things to say about the former hosts.

In a recent interview, Carlos was asked if he would like to take over from Claudia and Tess, to which he replied that he “didn’t see this coming” and that he loves them both.

He told Best Magazine’s Suddenly Single podcast: “I love Claudia and Tess. I love both of them. They are just iconic and obsessed about Claudia, too, personally. I love her.”

It was then suggested that Claudia was “kooky,” to which Carlos responded: “Very witty, very cool.” And, when it was claimed that the Traitors star “doesn’t like looking in the mirror,” he added that she knows her “value.”

Carlos continued: “No, it’s just, oh, she’s a woman who knows her value, and she knows everything about herself, and she’s so confident with it, which is so powerful. Like, Tess is, too, you know.”

In response to the original question, the dancer explained that he was a “born performer” and would “die on stage,” but doesn’t think he could “ever be a presenter.”

At the time of their announcement, Claudia and Tess shared a message on Instagram that reflected on their time on the show, noting that they “loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream.”

It represents the end of a remarkable 21-year journey for Tess, who, in addition to Claudia, also revealed that they were “always going to leave together” and that they felt it was the “right time.”

Speaking on Instagram, Tess shared: “After 21 unforgettable years, the time has come to say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing. It’s hard to put into words what this show has meant to me, so here goes…

“Strictly has been more than just a television programme. It’s felt like having a third child, a second family, and a huge part of my life since that very first show back in 2004. I knew then it was something special, but I could never have imagined the magic it would bring.

“Strictly has always been about joy, celebration, and bringing people together – and I’m so proud to have played a small part in something that continues to mean so much to so many.”

Iranian state TV video shows the Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i speaking to a reporter when a blast, described by officials as an Israeli strike, hit near the al-Quds Day rally in Tehran. Despite the explosion, he continued marching with crowds taking part in the annual pro-Palestinian demonstration.