United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling for “genuine dialogue and negotiations” after the US and Israel launched massive military strikes across Iran, calling the attacks a grave threat to “international peace and security.”
OLIVIA Attwood and pal Pete Wicks reunited for the Brit Awards on Saturday night.
The reality TV icons were seen arriving at their table together, having earlier left a Manchester hotel to head to the venue.
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Olivia Attwood put on a leggy display on the Brit Awards red carpetCredit: GettyShe reunited with Pete Wicks inside the ceremonyCredit: Ellie Henman/The SunPete looked sharp in a white jacket and shirtCredit: PA
Olivia showed off her incredible figure after earlier “paying tax” at the gym with a sweaty workout to get red carpet ready.
She rocked an asymmetrical black dress with a dramatic fan cut out shape across the chest and back.
The stunning gown also had thigh high split and Olivia completed the look with sheer black gloves.
Once inside the venue, Olivia and Pete reunited with Pete’s podcast co-host Sam Thompson, where an onlooker said, “Pete was a gent and poured the drinks for the group before they settled down to their meal.”
While in conversation with TikTok sensation Tinx on the latest episode of her podcast, Olivia’s House, the Love Island icon made reference to her own relationships while discussing dating.
After Tinx said she’s happy in life but would like to meet someone, Olivia responded: “And that’s like the best place you could be in to meeting the right person. There’s not like a void to fill.
“If you’re going into relationships and there’s motivations of, you know, say you have a gap in your life or you need saving, it doesn’t start on a healthy trajectory.”
Olivia previously described Pete as her twin flameCredit: Rex
OpenAI creator Sam Altman testifies before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill on May 8 in Washington, D.C. He announced Friday that his company would provide artificial intelligence models to the Pentagon. File Photo by Anna Rose Layden/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 28 (UPI) — OpenAI announced it secured a deal to provide artificial intelligence services to the Defense Department hours after the Trump administration directed all federal agencies to stop using those provided by Anthropic.
OpenAI is the San Francisco-based tech research company founded by Sam Altman, Elon Musk and others behind applications including ChatGPT and DALL-E.
“Tonight, we reached an agreement with the Department of War to deploy our models in their classified work,” OpenAI CEO Altman said late Friday in a post on X.
The Pentagon had previously used Anthropic’s AI model Claude in much of its classified work, including its operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Contract negotiations between the tech company and the Defense Department soured after the Trump administration demanded it be allowed to use the AI system for “all lawful purposes.” Anthropic, though, wanted certain guardrails in place to prevent the government from using its AI system for surveilling Americans or to create autonomous weapons.
Friday evening, President Donald Trump directed all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic, accusing it of being a “radical left, woke company” attempting “to dictate how our great military fights and wins wars!”
“The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
In his post on X, Altman said OpenAI’s agreement with the Defense Department includes similar protections against domestic surveillance and weapons sought by Anthropic.
“Two of our most important safety principles are prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force, including for autonomous weapon systems,” he said. “The DoW agrees with these principles, reflects them in law and policy, and we put them into our agreement.”
The New York Times reported that unlike Anthropic, OpenAI included in its contract with the Pentagon phrasing that allows the government to use its AI product for all lawful purposes.
Fortune reported that Altman told OpenAI employees that the government is allowing the company to build its own “safety stack” and that if the AI model refuses to allow the government to do a certain task, the government won’t force it to.
There is a school of thought among some fans that a good season is one where your team still has plenty to play for come April.
Liverpool will not be winning back-to-back Premier League titles, but they will head into March still in the FA Cup and the Champions League and now in a strong position to finish in the top five, which would effectively confirm Champions League football next season.
At the end of a week in which the club confirmed record revenues of over £700m for the last accounting year, with a profit after tax of £8m, the importance of that European spot cannot be underestimated.
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, who scored Liverpool’s third goal, told Match of the Day: “The last four or five months is when teams show what they can do.
“That’s what we want. We know how important it is to qualify for the Champions League for the club and us as a team. The goal is there and we are going to do everything to qualify and be closer to the teams on top.”
Team-mate Cody Gakpo took a similar view, telling Sky Sports: “It was a good afternoon. Step by step, we’re getting [to be] a better team.
“We had a difficult moment during the season, but hopefully these last few games are the start of something beautiful.”
With consecutive games against Wolves in the league and FA Cup next week, before a trip to Galatasaray in the Champions League, the next 10 days or so will go a long way to shaping how their season ultimately is remembered.
Get through that unscathed and, whisper it quietly, Liverpool fans may well start to genuinely believe that they can do something beautiful indeed.
As It Was singer and former One Direction star Harry Styles took to the stage to open the Brit Awards 2026 live from Manchester on Saturday, with fans admitting they were ‘shaking’
20:44, 28 Feb 2026Updated 20:45, 28 Feb 2026
As It Was singer and former One Direction star Harry Styles took to the stage to open the Brit Awards 2026(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
It’s safe to say Harry Styles impressed fans with his performance at the Brit Awards.
The As It Was and Sign of the Times singer, and former One Direction star, opened the live ceremony on ITV1 and ITVX on Saturday night. He performed his new track Aperture after recently announcing the release of his fourth album would be very soon.
Marking his return to music, the singer took to the stage to kick things off, the performance no doubt gave fans a peak of what to expect with his upcoming world tour. Amid a backlash from many viewers about the prices of his tour tickets, Harry won over viewers with his vocals and choreography.
In fact, fans claimed they were “shaking” and “going to be sick” after watching it live. Taking to social media, one fan said: “Wish I could be normal but unfortunately I’m literally shaking over Harry Styles performing at the Brits.” Another said: “I AM SHAKING,” as a third added: “I’M GONNA BE SICK.”
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A fourth fan said: “HE IS A PERFORMER,” as a fifth said: “HARRY IS SO BACK THAT WAS INSANE.” A further post read: “Harry sounds GOOD. Aperture live is such a vibe.”
Another fan commented: “OMG DID HE HAVE TEARS IN HIS EYES!?? HARRY STYLES IS SO BACK.” A final tweet read: “Ok Harry actually ate that choreo.”
It was revealed the awards would take place in a new home on Saturday night, at the Co-op Live in Manchester. Artists revealed to be performing included Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice, EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, the singing voices of HUNTR/X (filmed in advance of The BRIT Awards).
Alex Warren, Mark Ronson, ROSALÍA, SOMBR and RAYE were also confirmed. Mark was also revealed to be receiving an award for his outstanding contribution to music, while Noel Gallagher was said to be receiving a songwriting award.
Speaking of honours, it had also been revealed that tributes would be made to some of the lost music acts who have recently passed away. Ozzy Osbourne is set to be honoured with Robbie Williams fronting a super group paying tribute to the star. It comes seven months after the Black Sabbath frontman died aged 76.
The performance will be a special arrangement of ‘No More Tears’ – the title track from Ozzy’s multi-million selling 1991 album of the same name. It was curated by Ozzy’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, and will boast a phenomenal line up of British and international musical talent.
It will feature musicians that played as part of Ozzy’s band over the years, including Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo , Tommy Clufetos and Zakk Wylde. The makeshift group will be fronted by Robbie, who was invited personally by Sharon to be part of this special moment.
BRIT Awards bosses are also set to honour Stone Roses bassist Mani at Saturday night’s show – led by Charlatans legend Tim Burgess. Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield died suddenly aged 63 last November, and close pal Tim will be on hand to deliver an emotional speech.
A source said: “Tim is set to present the In Memoriam section, but before he does so, he is primed to talk about Mani who was both a dear friend and mentor. The fact that Mani was from Manchester too – and the awards is being held there for the first time – means it will be a really special moment. Mani will then feature heavily in the section, as will other greats we have lost including Ozzy Osbourne.”
Ahead of the ceremony, three acts had received the most nominations. They were Olivia Dean and Lola Young with five nominations apiece, and Sam Fender trailing closely on four nominations following his Mercury Prize success.
1 of 3 | Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., (L) and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., speak to reporters outside the Department of Justice offices in Washington, D.C., on February 9. Together, the two authored a war powers resolution. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 28 (UPI) — While congressional reaction to the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran overnight was largely split along party lines, Democratic and some Republican lawmakers expressed concern that President Donald Trump ordered the strikes without first seeking congressional approval.
Lawmakers — who had already been pushing to limit Trump’s ability to carry out lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean — said they would renew their efforts to pass a war powers resolution.
Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said he was “opposed to this war” in a post on X Saturday morning.
“When Congress reconvenes, I will work with [Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.] to force a congressional vote on war with Iran,” he wrote.
“The Constitution requires a vote, and your representative needs to be on record as opposing or supporting this war.”
NBC News reported that Massie and Khanna together wrote a war powers resolution ahead of the Iran attack. Under Article 1 of the Constitution, Congress, not the executive branch, has the power to declare war on another country.
NPR reported that the White House notified the top eight leaders in Congress — known collectively as the Gang of Eight — shortly before the attack.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson showed his support for Trump’s actions to limit Iran’s nuclear program.
“Today, Iran is facing the severe consequences of its evil actions,” Johnson said in a statement posted on X. “President Trump and the administration have made every effort to pursue peaceful and diplomatic solutions in response to the Iranian regime’s sustained nuclear ambitions and development, terrorism and the murder of Americans — and even their own people.”
Johnson said the Gang of Eight received a briefing earlier in the week about the potential military action.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, meanwhile, called on the Trump administration to brief the Senate on the threat. He said he had asked Secretary of State Mark Rubio to be transparent with Congress and the American people about the objectives of the strikes and the subsequent steps.
“The administration has not provided Congress and the American people with critical details about the scope and immediacy of the treat,” he said on X.
“Confronting Iran’s malign regional activities, nuclear ambitions and harsh oppression of the Iranian people demands American strength, resolve, regional coordination and strategic clarity.
“Unfortunately, President Trump’s fitful cycles of lashing out and risking wider conflict are not a viable strategy.”
Tehran, Iran – Iranians are being directly addressed by leaders inside and outside the country after the United States and Israel launched attacks across Iran, prompting Tehran to respond with a wave of ongoing missile and drone attacks across the region.
“In light of the continued joint operations by the US and the Zionist regime against Tehran and several other major cities, if possible while remaining calm, please travel to other centres and cities where it is feasible for you to do so,” read a text message sent to the 10 million residents of Tehran by the government on Saturday afternoon.
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All outbound roads from the capital were heavily congested with traffic from the morning, shortly after the US and Israel began joint strikes that targeting more than 20 of Iran’s 32 provinces.
Inside Tehran, people also formed long queues in front of petrol stations, even as government authorities emphasised that they remain in control, saying that food and fuel supplies would not be a problem and that contingency plans were in motion.
Authorities also accommodated civilians trying to exit the city, including by setting up roadside refuelling stations. Many families were headed to three provinces to the north near the Caspian Sea, as they did during the 12-day war with Israel.
Last June, during the war, US President Donald Trump issued a direct warning telling all Tehran citizens to immediately evacuate.
But in a video message released shortly after the strikes began on Saturday, he urged the Iranian people to stay in their homes and wait for a suitable time to rise up and overthrow the theocratic establishment governing Iran since a 1979 Islamic revolution. He framed it as “probably your only chance for generations”.
Similar sentiments were echoed in separate video messages released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the US-backed shah who was overthrown by clerics led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during the revolution.
“Be vigilant and prepared so that at an appropriate time, which I will inform you precisely, you return to the streets for the final effort,” Pahlavi said.
This was in reference to nationwide protests that gripped Iran in January, during which thousands of civilians were killed, many on the nights of January 8 and 9.
Cars sit in traffic in Tehran on February 28, 2026 [Majid Saeedi/Getty Images]
Iranian authorities claim that civilians were killed by “terrorists” and “rioters” armed, funded and trained by the US and Israel. But the United Nations and international human rights organisations have blamed state forces for an unprecedented crackdown against peaceful protesters, and say tens of thousands have been incarcerated and some face execution.
Student protests also took place last week in Tehran and major cities, including the holy Shia city of Mashhad to the northeast and Shiraz to the south of Iran. A number of students were suspended, while others were arrested or summoned by intelligence authorities.
Universities and schools were declared closed after the strikes on Saturday until further notice, according to a directive by the Supreme National Security Council. Most had already been moved online until the end of the Iranian calendar year on March 20 in response to the unrest at other universities.
But dozens of people, many of them children, were killed after two schools were hit in southern Iran’s Minab and in Tehran.
State media showed paramilitary Basij members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) patrolling the streets of downtown Tehran on Saturday afternoon on motorcycles and vehicles and waving flags.
A similar gathering was recorded in Palestine Square, where pro-state groups shouted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.
Iranians forced into another internet blackout
The opening salvo in Tehran targeted the Pasteur neighbourhood in the downtown area, where government offices are located.
A satellite image and videos of the area showed that the compound housing the offices of the supreme leader was largely destroyed in the strikes. It was not immediately clear if Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was present at the time of the attack, but the foreign minister later told NBC News that Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were alive “as far as I know”.
Minutes after the start of the war, Iranian authorities began shutting down internet connections and mobile phone connections across multiple areas of Tehran. Some mobile connectivity was restored, but the internet shutdown was expanded across the country, with almost all traffic blocked and leaving only few proxy connections working to access the global internet.
The Islamic Republic had imposed an unprecedented 20-day total internet shutdown in January, and heavy state filtering was in place prior to the shutdown on Saturday.
Iranian authorities urged citizens on Saturday to only follow official state media, to report any suspicious activity, and to refrain from collaborating with “enemies” on pain of heavy punishment.
As daylight waned, Tehran’s streets emptied, but the sounds of explosions continued to ring loud.
What sounded like a very cool L.A. Art Week party ended up getting a bit too rowdy. On Sunday night the Los Angeles Police Department was called to a former 99 Cents Only store on Wilshire Boulevard where an opening night party was underway for a week-long pop-up called “99CENT,” organized by former tagger and blue-chip artist Barry McGee and presented with the Hole gallery.
An LAPD public information officer confirmed that officers responded to a disturbance call at the location, which is just down the street from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Academy Museum, at 10:30 p.m. Sunday. Police arrived to find “a large group of about 20 or 30 people, drinking and playing loud music.” The crowd dispersed on its own after law enforcement arrived.
Neighbor Rebekka Mueller, who lives across the parking lot from the store, said that a concert at the event had attracted hundreds of people, a number of whom took to tagging four or five neighboring businesses, including the now-closed historic Googie-style Johnie’s Coffee Shop.
The event drew plenty of respectful art fans, Mueller said, “but attracted lots of other people, and they started tagging the whole building — but not in an art way. And then it spilled over to the businesses nearby, to an insurance company, and then two apartment buildings were completely tagged … and they had no security on site when this happened. So this was very alarming for the neighborhood.”
Cole Schiffer, whose family owns the 99 Cents building, said he was sorry that neighbors’ structures were tagged and that he has been working all week to paint over the tagging.
“We didn’t know that this would happen. I was pretty naive about the graphic art world,” he said. “We’re business owners, we spend a lot of time removing graffiti. My mom grew up in this neighborhood. My grandparents lived and died here, so honestly, it’s a little sad and crazy to see this graffiti all over the neighborhood.”
Schiffer said things had calmed down after Sunday night and that the Hole gallery was working to avoid problems for the rest of the week’s festivities.
In a brief story about the event, Times freelancer Mariella Rudi noted that the 99 Cents store had been transformed into, “a dense, joyous artist flea market” featuring, “more than 200 contributors and well over 4,000 works.” When Rudi was there on Sunday night she said she didn’t see any destructive behavior.
“Paintings are stacked against old shelving. Shopping carts hang from the ceiling. You can even check out your purchases at the register, complete with a sticker and a receipt,” Rudi wrote, adding, “Graffiti-heavy aisles will thrill fans of Beyond the Streets, but a handwritten sign near the entrance offers a final note: ‘Please, no tagging inside. Owners are cool.’ ”
The pop-up will feature puppets from Bob Baker Marionette Theatre this Sunday, as well as an Anti-Fascist Zine Fair. This whole scene is right up my alley, and I say, “Yes, please,” to more edgy arts programming featuring outsider artists and youthful rebellion.
But it seems a minority of guests decided to dishonor the spirit of the event by disrespecting the boundaries put into place by organizers.
Even neighbors who complained, like Mueller, said they were big supporters of the arts and that a lot of great art was on display inside the store — they wished the situation had played out differently, and they hope Sunday night’s grand finale proves more in control.
Mueller said that although organizers had painted over many of the tags, the situation at Johnie’s had not yet been remedied.
I’m Times Arts editor Jessica Gelt, and I’m here for all the colorful underground fun — and the angry dissent that often comes with it — but none of the destruction of property.
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The week ahead: A curated calendar
FRIDAY All My Sons Oánh Nguyễn directs Antaeus Theatre Company’s production of Arthur Miller’s 1946 Tony-winning play about a Midwestern family facing a moral reckoning after World War II. Through March 30. Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 E. Broadway, Glendale. antaeus.org
Detail of a photo by Lou Bopp, seen in the documentary “All the Empty Rooms.”
(Netflix)
All the Empty Rooms Photos memorializing the bedrooms of children lost to school shootings captured by photographer Lou Bopp and reporter Steve Hartman and featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary short film directed by Joshua Seftel, are on display at an outdoor installation. Through Monday, Sunset Triangle Plaza, 3700 Sunset Blvd.
And What of the Children? Writer-director Ryan Lisman’s play blends drama, dark comedy and horror in a psychological thriller about a trio of siblings in the Witness Protection Program. Through March 15. The Broadwater Black Box, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. events.humanitix.com
Front and Center: Emerging Artists with the Colburn Orchestra Salonen Fellows Mert Yalniz and Aleksandra Melaniuk will lead a varied program of concerto works spotlighting up-and-coming soloists. The performance will be live streamed. 7 p.m. Friday. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand. Ave., downtown L.A. colburnschool.edu
John Giorno in Andy Warhol’s “Sleep.”
(Andy Warhol/John Giorno Collection, John Giorno Archives. Studio Rondinone, New York, NY.)
Sleep John Giorno, the subject of the exhibition “John Giorno: No Nostalgia,” stars in Andy Warhol’s 1964 five hours and 21-minute silent film. Free with a reservation. 5-10:30 p.m. Friday. Marciano Art Foundation, 4357 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. marcianoartfoundation.org
SATURDAY
John Holiday in the title role of LA Opera’s 2026 production of “Akhnaten.”
(Cory Weaver)
Akhnatan John Holiday stars in L.A. Opera’s production of Philip Glass’ portrait of the Egyptian pharaoh, sung in in English, Ancient Egyptian, Biblical Hebrew and Akkadian. Directed by Phelim McDermott and conducted by Dalia Stasevska making her company debut. Through March 21, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laopera.org
Attacca Quartet and Theo Bleckmann The versatile Grammy-winning ensemble teams with vocalist Bleckmann on David Lang’s “note to a friend,” a chamber opera based on three reimagined texts by Japanese writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa. 8 p.m. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu
From Strand to Sculpture A self-guided tour of the Japanese bamboo basketry exhibition will be followed by a lecture from bamboo art expert Robert Coffland, founder of TAI Gallery (now TAI Modern) in Santa Fe, N.M., and now president of the Santa Fe gallery Textile Arts Inc. The lecture is also available via Zoom. 4-7 p.m. Saturday. The Gamble House is located at 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena. gamblehouse.org
The Price Richard Fancy, Dana Dewes, Jason Huber and Scott G. Jackson star in Arthur Miller’s late-period drama about two brother’s cleaning out their late father’s New York brownstone. Through April 5. Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd. pacificresidenttheatre.org
Pepe Romero Returns The classical guitarist joins the Long Beach Symphony for a concert featuring ”Concierto de Aranjuez” by Joaquín Rodrigo, Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Elegia Andina” and movements from Handel’s “Water Music Suites.” 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Long Beach Terrace Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd. longbeachsymphony.org
Bud Cort in the 1971 movie “Harold and Maude,” screening March 15 at the Aero.
(CBS via Getty Images)
Starring Bud Cort The American Cinematheque salutes the singular character actor, who recently died at 77, with screenings of Robert Altman’s “Brewster McCloud” (1970), Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou” (2004) and Hal Ashby’s“Harold and Maude” (1971). “Brewster McCloud”, 2 p.m. Saturday in 35mm. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.; “The Life Aquatic”, 3 p.m. March 14; “Harold and Maude,” 1 p.m. March 15 in 35 mm. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. americancinematheque.com
SUNDAY Unassisted Residency Every edition of erstwhile weatherman Fritz Coleman’s monthly comedy show features a special guest. 3 p.m. Sunday. El Portal Theatre, Monroe Forum, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. elportaltheatre.com
TUESDAY Camerata Pacifica The ensemble performs a program that includes Madeleine Dring’s “Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano,” the world premiere of David Brice’s “Natural Light,” Cécile Chaminade’s “Thème varié for Piano, Op. 89” and Antonín Dvořák’s “Quintet in A major for Piano and Strings, Op. 81,” arranged by David Jolley. 3 p.m. Sunday. Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino; 8 p.m., Thursday. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.; 7 p.m. Friday. Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara. cameratapacifica.org
WEDNESDAY
Sara Porkalob, playwright and performer of “Dragon Mama.”
(Corey Olsen)
Dragon Mama Writer-performer Sara Porkalob returns in Part II of her Filipina American “gangster” family’s intergenerational saga, “The Dragon Cycle,” this time centering her mother’s journey. Directed by Andrew Russell Through April 12. Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Westwood. geffenplayhouse.org
THURSDAY The Adding Machine The Actors’ Gang performs Elmer Rice’s 1923 satire that provides a prophetic warning from the past for our present. Through April 18. The Actors; Gang, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City. theactorsgang.com
Dante and Beethoven’s Sixth Gustavo Dudamel conducts the L.A. Phil in Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 – Pastoral” and Thomas Adès’ “Inferno – Part 1.” 8 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. Friday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company A remounting of the historic dance theater work “Still/Here,” created by Jones 30 years in the midst of the AIDS epidemic from interviews with terminally patients which he called “survival workshops.” 8 p.m. UCLA Royce Hall, 340 Royce Drive, Westwood. cap.ucla.edu
Arts anywhere
New releases of arts-related media.
Clockwise from top left, artists Candice Lin, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Tomás Saraceno and Ragnar Kjartansson from “Art in the Twenty-First Century.”
(Art21, Inc.)
Art in the Twenty-First Century Museums are fantastic, but do you ever want to know what’s going on right now in the art world? Since it debuted in 2001, this video series has focused on contemporary art and artists and has been a mainstay of public broadcasting. The second episode of the 12th season (they’re released biannually) debuted Feb. 11 and profiles four international artists, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Ragnar Kjartansson, Candice Lin and Tomás Saraceno, who use ordinary materials to make extraordinary art. Of local note, Crosby and Lin both live and work in L.A., and the Huntington in San Marino makes an appearance as well. Watch at art21.org, YouTube and pbs.org.
(Princeton University Press)
Michelangelo & Titian It may not have been a heated rivalry, but author William E. Wallace makes the case that the two great Renaissance artists drove each other to excel in a new dual biography subtitled “A Tale of Rivalry and Genius.” Princeton University Press: 248 pp., $35. press.princeton.edu
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama competes in the figure skating men’s singles free skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics on February 13 in Milan, Italy.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Turandot: Christopher Tin Finale The two-time Grammy-winning composer completed Giacomo Puccini’s famously unfinished final opera for this EP recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios with an all-star cast. You may even have heard it during Japanese figure skater Yuma Kagiyama’s free skate program at the recent Winter Olympic Games in Milan (Kagiyama won silver for the second time). Not only was Milan Puccini’s hometown, but the Games coincided with the 100th-anniversary of the premiere of the opera at Teatro La Scala. Tin Works: $12-30. Available on vinyl, CD, digital download and streaming platforms.christophertin.com
— Kevin Crust
Culture news and the SoCal scene
Frieze Los Angeles returned to the Santa Monica Airport on Feb. 26.
(Casey Kelbaugh / Courtesy of Frieze and CKA)
Art Week is here, and L.A. is overflowing with guests, artists and dealers from around the world as the city stages a wide variety of fairs, exhibitions, dinners and other arts events. The Times put together a handy guide to all the fairs you need to see, including Frieze, Butter LA and the Other Art Fair.
Freelancer Jane Horowitz wrote an in-depth piece about Frieze’s “Body & Soul,” a public art program of eight installations designed to reach beyond traditional art fair audiences. The story gives information about site-specific installations and the artists behind them, including Patrick Martinez. Amanda Ross Ho and Kelly Wall.
Kara Walker, “Unmanned Drone,” 2024, bronze
(Ruben Diaz)
Earlier this week, MOCA announced it had acquired 158 works by 106 artists in 2025 and that it had acquired the centerpiece of its current blockbuster “Monuments” exhibit: “Unmanned Drone,” by artist Kara Walker. “Walker created the 13-foot-tall bronze sculpture out of a statue of the prominent Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson that was originally in Charlottesville, Va. The statue had been removed after serving as a significant gathering place for the infamous 2017 Unite the Right rally of white supremacists,” I wrote in a story about the acquisition.
Our major investigation into L.A. arts icon Judy Baca also published this week, featuring allegations by 10 former employees, including two managers, that Baca used her nonprofit arts center, SPARC, to benefit her private, for-profit art practice, Judy Baca Inc. They also alleged Baca personally benefited from a $5-million Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to expand her most famous work, a community-driven effort known as “The Great Wall of Los Angeles.”
Alexander Hurt, left, Katie Holmes and Charlie Barnett in “Hedda Gabler.”
(Rich Soublet II)
Times theater critic Charles McNulty headed to San Diego’s Old Globe to catch Katie Holmes in a new take on Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” written by Erin Cressida Wilson “that compresses the action and sharpens the language to a razor’s edge.”
“Beethoven’s ‘Missa Solemnis’ is a grand mass for large orchestra, chorus and four vocal soloists that lasts around 80 minutes,” writes Times classical music critic Mark Swed in his review of Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Phil’s performance of the challenging piece. “It was written near the end of Beethoven’s life and is his most ambitious work musically and spiritually.” The concert at Disney Hall was part of Dudamel’s “month-long L.A. Phil focus on Beethoven.”
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The Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced that its partnership with Hyundai Motor Co. will continue until 2037. The union was first cemented in 2015, and the museum said in a news release that it “represents the largest programmatic commitment from a corporate partner in LACMA’s history.” The announcement included two initiatives “that will define the next chapter” of collaboration. “The first initiative is a new exhibition series under the title ‘Hyundai Project.’ Beginning in 2028, the museum will present a biennial survey of an artist with significant ties to Los Angeles and the Pan Pacific region. The featured artist will also develop a large-scale banner for the exhibition that will be installed on the exterior of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM). Secondly, with Hyundai Motor’s renewed support, LACMA will expand the scope, visibility, and impact of the Art + Technology Lab,” the release noted.
Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, hitting targets across the country. Iran urged its citizens to remain calm as it vowed a “crushing” response. Al Jazeera’s Ruby Zaman on what we know so far.
Across advanced and emerging economies, central bankers are confronting an increasingly assertive political class. Populist leaders and fiscally strained governments are pressing for lower interest rates, easier financing and, in some cases, greater influence over monetary authorities themselves.
The response from central banks has been firm but not without risk. In defending their independence, they risk appearing political, blurring the very boundary they are trying to protect.
The U.S.: Digging In at the Federal Reserve
In the United States, the confrontation has been direct. Jerome Powell has faced repeated criticism from President Donald Trump over interest rates, with Trump arguing that tighter policy undermines economic growth.
Rather than soften its stance, the Federal Reserve has emphasized its legal independence and data-driven approach. Powell has repeatedly stressed that decisions will be based on inflation and employment data, not political preference.
The stakes are high. With U.S. federal debt at $36 trillion and large refinancing needs ahead, pressure to keep borrowing costs low is intensifying. Any perception that the Fed is yielding to political demands could unsettle bond markets and erode confidence in its anti-inflation mandate.
Europe: Pre-Emptive Exits and Institutional Defense
In Europe, resistance has taken a subtler form. François Villeroy de Galhau is stepping down from the Bank of France months before elections that polls suggest could benefit the far right. Though officially described as a personal decision, the move is widely seen as an attempt to preserve institutional continuity before a potential political shift.
Similarly, Christine Lagarde has not ruled out the possibility of leaving the European Central Bank before completing her term, even while stating her baseline intention is to stay.
Such pre-emptive departures highlight a paradox: central banks are trying to shield themselves from politicization, yet early resignations can themselves be interpreted as political maneuvers. Critics argue this risks undermining the perception of neutrality.
European institutions are legally insulated by treaties, but they are not immune to democratic pressures particularly as high debt levels in countries such as France and Italy fuel debates over whether central banks should help finance public spending.
Japan: Market Discipline as a Shield
At the Bank of Japan, the dynamic is slightly different. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appointed dovish economists to the board, a move seen by some as an effort to temper rate hikes.
Yet the BOJ has maintained its commitment to policy normalization. In Japan’s case, currency markets have provided reinforcement. A weakening yen during earlier periods of ultra-loose policy heightened political sensitivity to inflation risks. Market volatility effectively strengthened the central bank’s hand, illustrating how investor reactions can discipline governments as well as monetary authorities.
Why Independence Matters
The battle is about more than institutional pride. Central bank independence emerged in the late 20th century as a response to the inflationary spirals of the 1970s. Countries that subordinated monetary policy to political cycles often experienced runaway prices and capital flight.
More recent examples underscore the danger. In countries such as Turkey and Argentina, political interference in rate-setting has coincided with surging inflation and currency instability.
For advanced economies now grappling with record sovereign debt and rising defense spending, the temptation to lean on central banks is clear. Lower rates ease fiscal pressure. But if investors believe policy is being distorted for political convenience, borrowing costs may ultimately rise rather than fall.
The Blurred Line Between Mandate and Mission Creep
The past decade has complicated the picture. Massive bond-buying programs during the global financial crisis and the pandemic pulled central banks deeper into fiscal territory. In Europe and Britain, limited climate-related initiatives sparked accusations of overreach.
Critics argue that such expansions of mandate have made central banks more politically visible and therefore more vulnerable.
This creates a delicate trade-off. Remaining silent in the face of political pressure may preserve appearances but risk policy distortion. Publicly resisting may safeguard inflation credibility but invite accusations of entering the political arena.
Markets as Final Arbiter
Ultimately, financial markets may determine how much room politicians have to maneuver. Governments can pressure central banks, but they cannot easily compel investors to finance deficits at artificially low rates.
If markets sense that independence is eroding, they may demand higher yields, weaken currencies or pull capital outcomes that raise inflation and undermine growth. In that sense, investor discipline can reinforce central bank autonomy more effectively than legal protections alone.
A Costly Defense
Central bankers today face a more hostile and fragmented political landscape than their predecessors. The old assumption that technocrats could quietly manage inflation while politicians handled everything else no longer holds.
By fighting back, they defend hard-won credibility. But in doing so, they risk appearing as participants in political struggles rather than neutral arbiters of economic stability.
The challenge is no longer simply setting interest rates. It is preserving trust in institutions designed to stand above politics at a time when politics increasingly refuses to stand aside.
What happens in Bridgerton Season 4’s post-credits scene? – The Mirror
Need to know
Some Netflix fans have been left scratching their heads after realising they missed one of Bridgerton’s biggest Season 4 plot points
The post-credits scene offers an update on Benedict’s unfinished Lady in Silver portrait(Image: Netflix)
Everything to know about Bridgerton Season 4’s post-credits scene including wedding
Bridgerton fans have been left utterly baffled after discovering they missed a crucial wedding scene hidden in the Season 4 finale. Some viewers believed the story ended with Benedict and Sophie dancing after their engagement at the same spot they first kissed during the masquerade ball, while others who stuck around until after the credits saw the duo getting married.
So what exactly happens during the scene? The post-credits scene shows Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek actually tying the knot, with many viewers completely unaware it existed.
It features Benedict waiting at the altar alongside his brother Lord Anthony, who tells him: “Never listen to me again,” as he references his previous advice to end things with Sophie. The wedding is attended by guests from all walks of life – not just high society – who are smiling as they watch Sophie walk down the aisle.
As the ceremony unfolds, the camera pans away from the action to reveal Benedict’s completed portrait of the Lady in Silver hung up on the wall. This time, the painting has Sophie’s face finally added.
Confused fans took to social media after seeing clips circulating online. One penned: “Wait what I never saw the wedding??? I’m so confused??” Another viewer admitted: “I had to go back and search for it today because I kept seeing screenshots from it.”
Feb. 27 (UPI) — The Department of Defense reached an agreement with Scouting America to continue to support the organization after it committed to end its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said he had been considering an end to supporting the organization because of “significant cultural changes” it made in the early 2010s.
The 116-year-old organization changed its name from Boy Scouts of America to Scouting America, allowing girls to join and introducing programs that included various DEI themes.
“The Boy Scouts lost their way, and a once-great organization became gravely wounded,” Hegseth said in a statement.
“[DEI] crept in, the name was changed to ‘Scouting America,’ girls were accepted [and] the focus of God as the ruler of the universe was watered down to include openness to humanism and Earth-centered pagan religions,” he said in the statement.
Hegseth tied the move to an executive order President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office seeking to end “illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity,” including with the end of DEI programs among government agencies.
Scouting America said in a statement that it is making changes to align with DOD policies and goals as it has engaged in negotiations with the department for several months about its support for the organization.
The group said in a statement that it plans to waive registration fees for military families, launch a new merit badge focused on military service and veterans and reinforce its commitment to “scouting’s foundational ideas: leadership, character, duty to God, duty to country and service.”
As it has engaged the DOD about potential changes to its program, Scouting America said in the statement that it has “preserved our service to the more than 200,000 girls who participate in our programs.”
Noting that girls have participated in scouting since the 1960s, Scouting America said that its commitment to girls being part of the organization is “unwavering.”
Since 1910, more than 130 million people have participated in scouting programs and it is a well-known pipeline to the U.S. military based on its history showing that “scouts are significantly more likely to serve in uniform than the general population.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during a press conference after the weekly Republican Senate caucus luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Amid the apparent movement of U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft from an airbase in Qatar, the United States has urged its citizens to leave Israel immediately as the threat of a strike on Iran looms ever larger. U.S. President Donald Trump has assembled two carrier strike groups in the region as part of a significant military build-up and has continued to express doubt that Iran is serious about ending its nuclear program.
You can get a good sense of the state of play and the possible questions surrounding possible military action in our previous story here.
Available satellite imagery from yesterday indicates that the aerial refueling aircraft formerly present at Al Udeid, the major U.S. Air Force hub in Qatar, have been moved. In previous days, imagery had revealed between seven and 15 KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft at the base. However, C-17A Globemaster III transports can still be seen at the base, which would be consistent with supplies flowing in ahead of a contingency. C-130 Hercules-series transports also seen on the tarmac are likely part of the special operations presence at the airbase. Moving assets out of Al Udeid, which would be among the highest-priority targets for Iran if hostilities break out, would be expected ahead of a major U.S. operation against Tehran, as was the case last year.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) declined to provide TWZ with any more information on movements at Al Udeid.
Meanwhile, dozens of KC-46 Pegasus and KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft are now stationed across Europe and the Middle East, including at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel.
At least nine American refueling tankers arrived at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport overnight as part of the United States’s massive buildup of military forces in the Middle East.
U.S. citizens should “consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available,” the U.S. Department of State said in an advisory message.
On February 27, 2026, the Department of State authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel from Mission Israel due to safety risks.
Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, sent a message to non-essential embassy staff in the country, saying that those who wanted to leave should “do so TODAY.”
Huckabee sent the email to embassy staff at 12:04 a.m. local time, urging them to book flights for themselves and their families anywhere they could.
This “will likely result in high demand for airline seats today,” Huckabee wrote. “Focus on getting a seat to any place from which you can then continue travel to DC, but the first priority will be getting expeditiously out of the country.” It is also worth noting that a similar evacuation was ordered eight days before Operation Midnight Hammer, the U.S. strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran on June 22, 2025.
Other countries have also issued similar warnings to their officials in the region, including the withdrawal of staff from the U.K. Embassy in Iran.
The official warnings came after the end of discussions between the United States and Iran over the future of Tehran’s nuclear program. These took place in Geneva yesterday but proved inconclusive. The key U.S. negotiators, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and advisor Jared Kushner, did not issue a statement after the talks.
There is now a possibility that further discussions could be held next week.
Speaking today, Trump said that, while he doesn’t want to use force, such measures are sometimes necessary. He added that he was yet to make a decision on the Iran issue, but said he wasn’t happy with their negotiating.
He adds that he doesn’t want to use force, but sometimes you have to.
In the meantime, the foreign minister of Oman, Badr Albusaidi, who has been the main mediator in the U.S.-Iran talks, has flown to Washington. This appears to be a last-ditch attempt to persuade the Trump administration to hold back from military action against Iran.
The speed with which Albusaidi departed Geneva for Washington would also seem to indicate just how close a potential U.S. military operation might be.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi who mediated US-Iran talks in Geneva yesterday, is now en route to Washington to meet Vice President JD Vance.
Albusaidi was expected to brief U.S. Vice-President JD Vance on the progress that has been made in the talks so far. Vance has apparently been identified as the most senior member of the U.S. administration to harbor significant doubts about launching a military campaign against Iran. Speaking to The Washington Post, Vance said: “The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight — there is no chance that will happen.”
Oman’s Foreign Minister is meeting today with Vice President JD Vance after saying that “significant progress” was made during nuclear talks on Thursday.
While diplomatic efforts unfold, additional U.S. military assets are deploying to the Middle East, and the State Department… pic.twitter.com/nt4QMBfm7L
A key sticking point between the two sides in the talks has been Iran’s refusal to yield to specific U.S. demands.
Iran has refused to hand over its highly enriched uranium stockpile and has said it’s unwilling to completely terminate its right to enrich uranium domestically. Last year, Tehran said it would no longer cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and that inspectors would only be allowed to return to the country if its “right to enrich” was recognized.
Also under discussion is the fate of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, amounting to around 900 pounds. One option would be to ‘downblend’ it so that it’s no longer suitable for weapons production. Reports indicate that the Iranian nuclear program has made little progress since the U.S. airstrikes on its key nuclear facilities last year.
Despite White House warnings that Iran could produce weapons-grade nuclear material within days, nuclear experts and UN officials say Iran’s nuclear program has largely stalled since U.S. and Israeli strikes on key facilities last June.
In terms of U.S. Air Force fighters, F-35A stealth jets and F-15E Strike Eagles arrived at RAF Lakenheath in England yesterday, after making transatlantic flights. From here, the fighters are well positioned to stage forward to the Middle East. The arrival at Lakenheath of 12 F-35s from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, was confirmed by open-source flight tracking data and aircraft spotters. They were joined there by 12 F-15Es from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.
If these assets move to the Middle East, they would follow the 11 F-22A Raptor jets that are now at the Israeli Air Force base of Ovda, in the south of that country, according to satellite imagery. At least six more F-22s also arrived at Lakenheath earlier this week, while one of the jets from the first package was forced to turn back from its trip to Israel, apparently due to a maintenance issue. The Raptors have been deployed from Joint Base Langley Eustis, Virginia.
Also already in the Middle East are approximately 30 F-35As from Lakenheath’s 48th Fighter Wing and the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing, deployed to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Other Air Force assets in the region include two more squadrons of F-15Es, as well as F-16 fighters and A-10 attack jets. Additional aircraft are deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, in the Indian Ocean, multiple F-16s are currently deployed to Diego Garcia, satellite images show. These would be key assets in defending the island from a possible Iranian attack. As we reported last week, the United Kingdom has apparently said it would not allow the use of the island for strikes on Iran, although this position may well change. There is also significant transport activity on the island, which could indicate a larger deployment, likely of bombers, is imminent.
In the past days, U.S. military forces in the region have grown to the highest levels seen since the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, but it remains the case that there are not enough assets in place for an extended, multi-week air campaign. The full inclusion of the Israeli Air Force could and likely would change this calculus. Nevertheless, with Ford now in the Eastern Mediterranean and additional assets trickling into the region, the window for a major air operation is now cracked open.
“For decades the Iranian regime has cruelly detained innocent Americans and citizens of other nations to use as political leverage,” he announced on X. “Iran must end this abhorrent practice and immediately free all unjustly detained Americans.”
Today I designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. For decades the Iranian regime has cruelly detained innocent Americans and citizens of other nations to use as political leverage. Iran must end this abhorrent practice and immediately free all unjustly detained…
Negotiators from the U.S. and Iran have made “substantial progress” toward a deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi told CBS News on Friday.
“Albusaidi — who has mediated several rounds of U.S.-Iran talks over the last month — told Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan that a ‘peace deal is within our reach.‘
He said Iran has agreed that it will ‘never, ever have … nuclear material that will create a bomb,’ which he called a ‘big achievement.’ The country’s existing stockpiles of enriched uranium would be ‘blended to the lowest level possible’ and ‘converted into fuel, and that fuel will be irreversible,’ according to Albusaidi.
And Iran is willing to grant inspectors from the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency ‘full access’ to its nuclear sites in order to verify the terms of the deal, said Albusaidi.
‘There would be zero accumulation, zero stockpiling, and full verification,’ he said. Albusaidi said that if there is a fair and endurable deal in place, he is ‘quite confident’ that even American inspectors will have access at some point in the process.
Asked if he believes enough progress has been made to avert U.S. strikes on Iran, Albusaidi responded: ‘I hope so.’ But he said ‘we need a little bit more time’ to iron out some details. Technical talks are scheduled for Monday in Vienna, and Albusaidi said he hopes that he can meet with Witkoff and Kushner a few days afterward.“
WATCH: After meeting with Vice President JD Vance, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi – a key mediator in the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks – tells @margbrennan “the peace deal is within our reach.” He also said, “I don’t think any alternative to diplomacy is going to solve this… pic.twitter.com/zOuSPxLy5j
Speaking to reporters, Trump expressed displeasure with Iran.
“They don’t want to say the key words, ‘We’re not going to have a nuclear weapon,’ and they just can’t get there… So I’m not happy with the negotiation,” Trump proclaimed.
“They don’t want to say the key words, ‘We’re not going to have a nuclear weapon,’ and they just can’t get there… So I’m not happy with the negotiation,” says @POTUS on Iran. pic.twitter.com/XN0S4ObS2x
Asked if there is a risk that an attack on Iran could turn into a long conflict in the Middle East, the president said “When there’s war, there is a risk in anything, both good and bad. “I’ve had tremendous luck myself.”
Doocy: Is there a risk that a strike could turn into a long, drawn out conflict in the Middle East?
Trump: When there’s war, there is a risk in anything, both good and bad. I’ve had tremendous luck myself. pic.twitter.com/XGBNvG55D1
More countries cancelled flights to Israel and Iran.
Air India will cancel all flights to Israel starting on Sunday, according to N12 News. The flights will be cancelled for 1 week before reassessing the situation
PINKPANTHERESS has become the first woman and the youngest ever artist to be named the BRIT Awards’ 2026Producer of the Year.
The 24-year-old is also nominated for two further awards; Artist of the Year and Dance Act, which will be revealed tomorrow.
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PinkPantheress was recently named the BRIT Awards’ 2026 Producer of the YearCredit: GettyShe has become the first woman and the youngest ever artist to win the awardCredit: GettyThe 24-year-old has also been nominated for Artist of the Year and Dance ActCredit: AP
Who is PinkPantheress?
PinkPantheress, real name Victoria Beverley Walker, is a British singer-songwriter and record producer.
Known for herunique, instantly recognisable music style that has been dubbed “New Nostalgia”, the artist has picked up multiple awards for her music.
She was namedProducer of the YearbyBillboardWomen in Musicin 2024, whilst earning nominations for fiveBrit Awards and twoGrammy Awards.
Her BRITs Producer of the Year nomination turned win marked her as just the second solo female musician to ever even be nominated for the award.
With the previous nominee being Kate Bush in 1990.
PinkPantheress burst onto the scene in late 2021 with the release of her first mixtape ‘To Hell with It’.
The mixtape contained singles “Just for Me” and “Pain“, which both peaked in the top 40 of theUK Singles Chart, winning her BBC‘sSound of 2022poll.
One year later she released her hit single “Boy’s a Liar” which reached number two in the UK.
Her TikTok viral tune “Illegal” was released in 2025 as part of her second mixtape,Fancy That, which earned two Grammy nominations and reached number three on theUK Albums Chart.
Pink is known for her unique, instantly recognisable music styleCredit: AFP
What did she win a Brit Award for?
Last year,PinkPantheressshared the mixtapeFancy Thatand its companion remix project,Fancy Some More?
Featuring songs like “Stateside” and “Illegal”, Fancy That consists of nine songs with a duration of 20 minutes.
Described by PinkPantheress herself as the “most tied together project” of her career, the mixtape quickly reached number three in the UK after its release.
Featuring artists like Zara Larsson, Anitta and Ravyn Lanae, remix album Fancy Some More? was released on October 10, 2025 throughWarner Records, consisting of 31 songs.
Stacey Tang, 2026 BRIT Awards Committee chair and co-president of RCA Records UK, said: “PinkPantheress is both an inventive and instinctive voice in British pop right now.
“As a producer, she’s precise and playful, building bold, boundary expanding sounds that travel beyond the UK.
“She’s quietly reshaping what modern pop can be, and in doing so, opening the door for a new wave of female producers to step forward. Celebrating her at the BRITs is both timely and significant.”
Open AI CEO Sam Altman, pictured at the White House in January, said on Friday that new deals with Amazon, Nvidia and Softbank will allow it to continue to grow with enough computing power to develop its products and applications. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo
Feb. 27 (UPI) —Amazon, Nvidia and Softbank collectively invested $100 billion dollars in OpenAI, which is double the amount of money the company raised in a 2025 funding round and pushes it to a $730 billion pre-money valuation.
The funding round is one of the largest private funding rounds in history — $50 billion from Amazon, $30 billion from Nvidia and $30 billion from Softbank — and OpenAI said the fundraising round has not closed, with more investors expected, CNBC and TechCrunch reported.
The new investment from Amazon builds on the existing $38 billion multi-year agreement the two companies already have, which OpenAI said in a press release is planned to expand by $100 billion over the next 8 years.
“We’re super excited about this deal,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in an interview with CNBC. “AI is going to happen everywhere. It’s transforming the whole economy, and the world needs a lot of collective computing power to meet the demand.”
At the core of the broadening collaboration between Amazon and OpenAI is the development of a Stateful Runtime Environment that runs on Amazon Web Services.
AWS also will be the exclusive third-party vendor for OpenAI Frontier, an enterprise platform for AI agent deployment.
The power required to run AI systems continues to grow exponentially, and the Amazon deal also will allow OpenAI to start building custom AI applications — most notably, one for Amazon’s customer-facing applications.
In a joint statement with Microsoft, which OpenAI has been working with since 2019, the two companies said that the new investment deals will not affect their relationship and that the partnership “remains strong and central.”
Microsoft Azure remains the exclusive cloud provider of stateless OpenAI APIs and OpenAI Frontier will continue to be hosted on Azure, the companies said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during a press conference after the weekly Republican Senate caucus luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
That the “The Napa Boys” won’t be everyone’s cup of tea — or in this case, goblet of wine — almost feels like this meta comedy’s raison d’être. And to say its fusillade of jokes is hit-and-miss would also be a charitable take. They’re mostly miss, even if that, too, can seem like kind of the point.
Co-writers and co-stars Nick Corirossi and Armen Weitzman (Corirossi also directed) have assembled a series of scenes in search of a story, sending up pivotal moments from a hodgepodge of movies, some real (“Sideways,” “American Pie,” “The Lord of the Rings”), some invented. I’ll admit, it took a minute to understand what the filmmakers were doing (their grandiose statement in the movie’s press kit is purposely unenlightening) and, thus, for this grab bag of nonsense to sink in.
Still, once you realize what the heck it is you’re watching, you might just settle in for a more diverting — or less terrible — time than first expected. But the lower your entertainment bar, the better.
The barely-there plot finds a group of pals and wine aficionados, a.k.a. the Napa Boys, gathering in the California valley (Malibu subbed) for a screwball adventure that, among much else, will involve a coveted wine competition at something called the Great Grape Festival.
The hapless group includes its leader, the crassly horny Jack Jr. (Corirossi), sad-sack widower Miles Jr. (Weitzman), conflicted family man Kevin (Nelson Franklin), underdog vintner Mitch (Mike Mitchell) and a kinder, newer member known only — in an all-caps nod to “American Pie” — as Stifler’s Brother (Jamar Neighbors). Meanwhile, a devotee and “investigative podcaster,” Puck (Sarah Ramos), also joins the guys on their wayward journey.
The film’s goofy conceit is that this is the fourth installment of a Napa Boys movie series (based on nonexistent graphic novels), with the official on-screen title of “The Napa Boys 4: The Sommelier’s Amulet” (Dig that “Indiana Jones”-style font.) As a result, it unfolds as if the viewer is already intimate with a franchise’s culture and lore, dropping us smack into the thick of things with little, if any, context. Confused yet?
This ploy hands Corirossi (a former head creative at Funny or Die) and Weitzman a license to be as slapdash and surface as possible, which, it would seem, is also part of the picture’s wobbly in-joke. Because this alt comedy makes no bones about its characters or situations being even remotely logical or realistic, anything goes — and does. You sometimes wish it didn’t.
Case in point: After a meds mix-up, unruly Jack Jr. (he and Miles Jr. are always addressed with the suffix) unleashes his explosive diarrhea into a barrel of contest-qualifying wine, after which he “spontaneously” ejaculates into it. And then, natch, the judges must sample the concoction. It’s an awful, protracted sequence that begs the question, satire or not, is this truly the funniest bit they could hatch? (To be fair, it’s likely some viewers will, uh, eat it up.)
That aside, the film’s barrage of scenes, sketches, shout-outs and absurdist scenarios leading up to the climactic wine-making championship are largely harmless flights of farce. These involve sex, love, death, near-death, maybe incest, lots of wine tasting (why is the vino here iced-tea brown?) and a moose on the loose.
There are also rides in Jack Jr.’s showy “Wine Wagon” SUV (license plate: IH8MERLOT), beatific montages backed by swelling strings celebrating the “joys” of Napa Boys life (“To be a Napa Boy is to be free!”) and a surprise — and rather pointless — cameo by those other movie “brainiacs,” Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith). There’s also an anxious visit to Jack Jr.’s onetime hookup, the now-elderly sexpert called the Milfonator (Eve Sigall). Oh, and is that really iconic filmmaker and vintner Francis Ford Coppola as the wine competition’s “super-secret celebrity guest judge”? (Two guesses.)
All this inanity takes place over the course of a handful of days, during which no one ever seems to change clothes. Couldn’t Jack Jr. have packed at least two Hawaiian shirts?
And what of the title’s elusive sommelier (DJ Qualls of “Road Trip” fame) and his mystical green amulet? He makes an almost tacked-on, Yoda-like appearance, but it’s too little, too late.
The game if uneven cast includes Paul Rust (channeling Paul Reubens, with whom he co-wrote 2016’s “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday”) as Squirm, Mitch’s insufferably cruel wine-making rival; David Wain (who directed and co-wrote “Wet Hot American Summer,” another spoofy touchstone here) as the wine contest’s even-handed host; and playing the guys’ various love interests: Chloe Cherry, Vanessa Chester, Riki Lindhome and Beth Dover.
Reportedly shot in under 10 days, the film features such fun needle drops as the Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love,” Gerry Rafferty’s “Family Tree” and, of all things to accompany a seduction scene, “The Girls of Rock ‘n’ Roll” sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Chipettes. How this proudly low-budget effort managed to license those tunes is as curious as so much else in this ragtag oddity.
Jeong Yeon-du, South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy, speaks during a briefing with reporters at the South Korean Embassy in Washington on Wednesday. Photo by Asia Today
Feb. 27 (Asia Today) — The United States has reaffirmed that it remains open to dialogue with North Korea without preconditions, South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy said Thursday, as Washington also reiterated its longstanding policy stance.
Jeong Yeon-du, director-general for strategy and intelligence at the Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Washington that he confirmed during meetings with senior U.S. officials that “the U.S. position of being open to dialogue with North Korea without preconditions remains unchanged.”
Jeong said he met with senior State Department officials, including Allison Hooker, Thomas DiNanno and Michael DeSombre, as well as congressional figures and Korea experts at major think tanks during his visit, which began Monday.
He said the two sides exchanged views on recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, including the outcome of North Korea’s ninth Workers’ Party Congress, and discussed pending issues based on the joint explanation released after the summit between President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump last October in Gyeongju.
Jeong said Seoul explained its plan to continue supporting early resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue and to pursue long-term efforts to ease inter-Korean tensions and build trust, while adhering to the principle of denuclearization.
A White House official delivered a similar message this week in response to remarks by Kim Jong Un suggesting conditional willingness to improve ties with Washington.
“U.S. policy toward North Korea remains unchanged, and President Trump remains open to dialogue with Kim Jong Un without any preconditions,” the official said, recalling that Trump held three summits with the North Korean leader during his first term.
The statement was interpreted as reaffirming Washington’s twin positions: openness to talks without preconditions and continued pursuit of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Kim recently said Pyongyang would maintain a “strongest stance” toward the United States but added that if Washington respects North Korea’s “current status” and withdraws what it calls a hostile policy, there would be no reason the two sides could not get along. His remarks were widely seen as a demand for recognition of North Korea as a nuclear state.
Despite the stated openness to dialogue, a senior South Korean government official said there are no new developments such as working-level contacts between Washington and Pyongyang. The official added that while the United States continues to signal it is open to talks, it does not appear to have moved to concrete preparatory steps.
Jeong said Seoul and Washington agreed to maintain close coordination through frequent communication at various levels. He also said he explained South Korea’s phased denuclearization proposal and listened to views in U.S. policy circles regarding North Korea.
Trump met Kim in Singapore in June 2018, in Hanoi in February 2019 and at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019. While the first summit produced a joint statement on new bilateral relations and denuclearization, subsequent talks failed to yield an implementation agreement, and substantive negotiations have remained stalled.
Simon Cowell, who was known for his brutal takedowns of fame-hungry hopefuls, is ‘back’ according to Britain’s Got Talent co-star Amanda Holden, who says his toned-down persona is gone
Amanda Holden says ‘the old Simon Cowell is back’ as BGT judge ditches ‘Mr Soft act’(Image: Netflix)
Amanda Holden believes her Britain’s Got Talent co-star Simon Cowell is back to his former, more straight-talking self, having ditched his “Mr Soft” act. As the ITV talent hunt gets underway, Amanda is glad to see the return of Simon’s infamous “one liners”, on the “chaotic” new series.
The new series, which began on 21st February, has already frustrated viewers at home. During the first episode fans were getting worked up over the ‘overuse’ of the infamous golden buzzer. As Ant and Dec reminded viewers at the start of the show, the golden buzzer is used when one of the judges deemed a contestant good enough to bypass the rest of the auditions and go straight through to the semi-final.
But while fans were already complaining, Amanda Holden has promised this series will be full of drama. As reported by the Mail, she explained: “Simon is back. He’s been Mr Soft in recent years, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that KSI is so honest on the other end of the panel.”
Explaining he is done with ‘sugar coating’ his comments, she added: “I’m glad to see that Simon is no longer being soft serve ice-cream, although it was nice for a year or so!”
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Amanda says the new series “feels very loose and very chaotic”, with KSI helping the show thanks to his “succint” answers. Meanwhile “the old Simon” is back, with the Heart Radio host saying she is “loving” that Simon’s “one liners are better than ever”.
Simon has assured fans there will be “lots of surprises”, with more behind-the-scenes filming, letting the audience at home “behind the Wizard of Oz’s curtain”. But Amanda has recently admitted he “hated” one aspect of filming the new series.
The star was forced to step into head judge Simon’s role, after he had to miss filming after falling down some steps and hitting his head. The brief shake up saw Amanda thrust into head judge duties, with X Factor runner up Stacey Solomon joining the panel as a guest.
As reported by the Daily Star, Amanda explained: “I must admit I hated sitting in that seat! I’ve been on the show the longest, so I understand why I probably need to sit in that seat, but when I was there, I felt very outcast on the end.
“It’s okay if your team are sat to the left of you, Simon’s got dozens of staff and family watching from the side and communicating with him. Mine all decided to eat my snacks and sit in the dressing room paying no attention to the show or me whatsoever!
“Simon said to me, ‘You must have loved it. Did you feel powerful?’ I said I hated it because I had to keep leaning in to be part of the conversation. I never want to sit in that seat again! I’m juicy in the middle, it’s such a good spot.”
Elsewhere, talking about Stacey joining the judging panel, Amanda said: “She’s so lovely and I think we’ve got quite a similar style of judging.
“She’s warm, she’s super funny, she has a great understanding of what it’s like to be on the other side, because she obviously auditioned for The X Factor all those years ago.
“Even though she’s smashing it in the real world now, she’s very down to earth and doesn’t have an ego, so I think that worked really nicely for the day that she was pulled in. We’re all fans of her and her crafting is through the roof. If only I could be that type of mother!”
