Allies Push Back On Trump’s Demand They Send Warships To Strait Of Hormuz (Updated)
Members of the NATO alliance are denying U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand that they send warships to help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after frequent Iranian attacks. As we noted yesterday, the president said that “If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.”
Germany on Monday outright rejected the demand.
“This is not our war; we did not start it,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters in Berlin on Monday. “We want diplomatic solutions and a swift end to the conflict, but sending more warships to the region will likely not help achieve that.”
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul doesn’t see NATO playing a role in dealing with the blockade of the Strait.
“I don’t see that NATO has made any decision in this direction or could assume responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz,” he said Monday ahead of a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels. “If that were the case, then the NATO bodies would address it accordingly.”
Wadephul added that despite the volatile situation in the Middle East, Ukraine remained Europe’s top security priority, the BBC noted. When the prices for oil and gas rise, he explained, it contributes to Russia’s war chest.
Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel offered a blunter response to Trump’s demand.
“Blackmail is not what I wish for,” he stated, adding that NATO is there to react when members are attacked, not for all defensive or military requests, Bloomberg News noted.
“I want to remind that none of us has been directly attacked,” he said. “There are no grounds for now to invoke Article 5,” he added, referencing the alliance’s collective defense clause.
Germany and Luxembourg joined Japan and Australia in rejecting Trump’s call for help in reopening the Strait, at least for now.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said while the Strait must be reopened, it is not up to the alliance to do so.
“Let me be clear, that won’t be, and it’s never envisioned to be, a NATO mission,” he said, adding that Britain will not be “drawn into the wider war.”
Britain “is working with allies on a collective plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore freedom of navigation in the Middle East but it will not be easy, ” Starmer posited, according to Reuters.
“Ultimately, we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the (oil) market. That is not a simple task,” Starmer told reporters.
Some nations are willing to listen to any plan Trump might present to NATO.
“We have to look into it and consider it,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told Bloomberg TV in an interview in Brussels. “I would look for an in-depth debate within NATO.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski concurred.
“If there is a request with NATO to discuss the issue, we will of course consider it out of respect and sympathy for our allies,” he said.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas encouraged member states to consider expanding their Aspides naval mission, originally launched in 2024 while Houthis attacked shipping in the nearby Red Sea.
“If we want to have security in this region, it would be easiest to already use the operation we have in the region and maybe change a bit,” Kallas said.
While the Aspides vessels are currently allowed to navigate in the Strait of Hormuz, its mandate doesn’t allow more than that,” Bloomberg News posited, adding that EU countries would have to unanimously agree to change those directives, which could be difficult.
“There is no change to Aspides mission or posture,” Lt Colonel Socrates Ravanos, an Aspides spokesman, told us on Monday. “EUNAVFOR ASPIDES continues to carry out its mandate, ensuring the protection and security of commercial maritime traffic within its area of operations.”
The operation’s “assets in the area of operation monitor the situation closely and remain vigilant,” he continued. “Maritime security developments in the region are continuously assessed in coordination with partners and relevant maritime authorities.”
Concern over Iranian attacks in the Strait date back many decades. Back in 2012, The Washington Institute estimated that clearing the Strait of Hormuz could require up to 16 Avenger-class (mine counter measure) MCM vessels.
As we previously reported, however, the last four of those decommissioned vessels left Bahrain in January aboard a larger heavy lift vessel.
The Navy has three MCM-equipped Littoral Combat Ships in the region, Hunterbrook noted. As we reported yesterday, two Independence class Littoral Combat Ships configured for mine-sweeping duties that were previously deployed to the Middle East showed up in port in Malaysia. Both the USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara had arrived in Bahrain in the past year or so to take the place of a group of now-decommissioned Avenger class mine hunters. You can read more about that in our story here.
In Washington, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday reiterated that the administration is forming a naval coalition to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The president is speaking with our allies in Europe and also many of our partners in the Gulf and Arab world to encourage them to step up and do more to open the Strait of Hormuz, and our NATO allies especially need to step up,” she told Fox News. “President Trump has been very frank with our friends in NATO for a very long time… now he’s calling on them to do the right thing.”
In his latest update on Epic Fury, CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper on Monday said attacks are “zeroed in on dismantling Iran’s decades old threat to the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, through a combination of air, land and maritime capabilities. We have successfully destroyed over 100 Iranian naval vessels, and we aren’t done.”
Iranian attacks on shipping seem to have tapered off.
Between the start of Epic Fury on Feb. 28 and March 12, The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office received 20 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman. There were 16 attacks on ships, and four reports of suspicious activity. There have been no verified reports of attacks since March 12, according to UKMTO.
Amid the debate on how to protect Strait shipping, the first non-Iranian ship has transited the Strait with its AIS transponder on, according to the MarineTraffic open-source tracking site. Several observers have noted how close to the Iranian shore these ships are traveling. This could be due to Iranian mines, even though Trump on Monday repeated the assertion that Epic Fury attacks have destroyed all Iran’s mine-laying ships. Mines can be laid by small boats and Iran has practices doing exactly this in the past. This could also just be a safe deconfliction corridor Iran is using for safe passage.
The U.S. is “fine” with some Iranian, Indian and Chinese ships getting through the Strait of Hormuz for now, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Monday.
The closure of the Strait has forced several nations to alter their energy policies. Japan started the largest-ever release of oil from its strategic reserves on Monday, according to the Japan Times. The 80 million-barrel effort comes as the Strait of Hormuz stays effectively closed amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and crude oil prices continue to soar.
“The release — 15 days’ worth of domestic demand from mandatory private reserves and one month from national reserves — was the seventh ever conducted in the nation,” the publication noted.
South Korea is also taking action in the wake of the Strait of Hormuz closure. It is lifting a cap on coal-fired power generation (until now set at 80% of capacity) to offset the loss of LNG, explains Bloomberg energies and commodities columnist Javier Blas in a post on X.
Beyond attacking shipping in the Strait, Iran is continuing strikes across the region.
The UAE says it is defending against Iranian missile and drone attacks.
Video emerged from the scene of another Iranian attack on the UAE’s Fujairah Port facility, showing thick plumes wafting into the sky.
An Indian-flagged crude tanker had a close call when the UAE’s Fujairah port came under attack on Saturday while it was loading crude at the oil terminal, according to the Times of India. The vessel sailed out safely the next day with everyone onboard unhurt.
Iran has asked India to release three tankers seized in February as part of talks seeking the safe passage of Indian‑flagged or India‑bound vessels out of the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on X, citing three sources with knowledge of the matter.
In a brief chat with PBS News, Trump repeated his stance, since denied by Tehran, that Iran wants to negotiate.
“We’re doing very well,” he told the outlet, reiterating comments about destroying Iran’s military. He added: “They want to make a deal but they’re not ready to make a deal in my opinion.”
In addition to frequent conversations with Israeli leaders, Trump is also talking regularly to Arab leaders, particularly Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince.
“According to several officials, the advice Mr. Trump is getting from the prince is to keep hitting the Iranians hard — essentially repeating the advice that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who died in 2015, repeatedly gave to Washington: “Cut off the head of the snake, according to The New York Times.
Axios reported that “some key officials around Trump were reluctant or wanted more time” before an attack on Iran.
“He ended up saying, ‘I just want to do it,’” the source told the outlet. “He grossly overestimated his ability to topple the regime short of sending in ground troops.”
The America class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli is continuing to speed toward the Middle East after the Pentagon ordered a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to bolster forces in the region.
The vessel, along with two Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer escorts, was last seen about 420 miles from Manilla, pushing deep into the South China Sea, according to open-source investigator MT Anderson.
“Running an aviation-optimized amphibious assault ship at high speed with a dedicated twin-destroyer escort is a heavily protected, offensive posture,” Anderson assessed. “They are moving with purpose, bringing a major Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) umbrella with them as they sprint toward the theater.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Monday it had begun a “targeted ground operation against key targets” in southern Lebanon, pushing more forces deeper into the area as part of an expanded buffer zone, The Times of Israel reported. The move came after Hezbollah began attacking Israel earlier this month amid the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the operation would continue until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to the residents of northern Israel, and said displaced Lebanese would not return to their homes until then.
Hezbollah reportedly used its Almas missiles for the first time in this conflict. You can read more about these weapons in our story here.
The IDF also said it attacked an Iranian space-related compound that researcher Fabian Hinz said was used to conduct research on exoatmospheric guidance.
China’s Foreign Ministry is calling for an immediate halt to military operations in the Middle East, warning that further regional escalation could hit the global economy, Al Jazeera reported on X.
Online flight trackers say a Qatari Air Force C-17A strategic military transport plane flew to Rzeszów, Poland, earlier last week, following a similar flight the week before.
The nature of these flights is unclear. However, with Rzeszów serving as the primary hub for military aid being transshipped to Ukraine, it is possible the flights may have been delivering air defense interceptors originally intended for Ukraine or transporting Ukrainian counter drone specialists. We just don’t know.
The flow of videos out of Iran, already greatly reduced because of the regime’s internet blockage, has slowed even further.
“There’s been a notable drop in the number of videos coming out of Iran in the last 24 hours. I’ve now heard from multiple sources inside Iran that the government has further tightened its imposed internet blackout by closing loopholes and targeting those with Starlink access,” BBC journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh noted on X.
Still, some videos are making it out, like this one purporting to show Iranian Basij paramilitary forces hiding in a school.
UPDATES:
We have concluded our rolling coverage for the day.
UPDATE: 5:48 PM EST –
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi pushed back on claims that he has established backchannel communications with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
With speculation rife that is he is badly wounded or perhaps even dead, new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei will reportedly give a television speech in the coming days. Khamenie, who Iranian officials have admitted was wounded in an airstrike, has not been seen in public since.
Speaking to reporters at The White House, Trump extolled the virtues of the B-2A Spirit stealth bomber.
“Let me hug that little sucker,” he said while asking an aide to hand him a model of the aircraft the president keeps in the Oval Office.
UPDATE: 5:24 PM EST –
MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, home of the command running the war in Iran, is reopening its main gate after a bomb scare earlier today, a spokesman for the 6th Air Refueling Wing, the base host unit, confirmed to The War Zone.
“The incident has been terminated and we are ready to open the main gate and visitor center,” the spokesman told us. The base, however, was not on lockdown.
MacDill is home to CENTCOM, U.S. Special Operations Command as well as the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6th ARW) and the 927th Air Refueling Wing and dozens of other mission partners. Last week, three airmen assigned to the 6th ARW were among six killed in a crash of a KC-135 aerial refueling tanker.
Today’s situation unfolded this afternoon when a suspicious package was found at the Visitors Center near the Dale Mabry entrance gate, according to the FBI. The bureau sent its Special Agent Bomb Techs to the scene, who worked it along with Tampa Police, the FBI said in a post on X.
UPDATE: 4:23 PM EST –
Talking to reporters on Monday, Trump seemed surprised that Iran would actually attack its neighbors if it came under fire.
The president was responding to a question about whether he was briefed about possible Iranian strikes on nations like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
A direct communications channel between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been reactivated in recent days, Axios reported, citing a U.S. official and a source with knowledge.
Araghchi lashed out at comments made by U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth that America would show “no quarter” in Epic Fury.
“When the U.S. Secretary of War declares ‘no quarter.’ he doesn’t project strength,” Araghchi stated on X. “He conveys moral bankruptcy and ignorance about law of armed conflict. We advise him to review the Hague Convention and Rome Statute of the ICC, unless he aspires to join Netanyahu as war criminal.”
The IDF Chief of the General Staff approved plans to continue operations in the Northern Command.
“The impact of the strike and the weakening of the radical regime in Iran is also felt in the campaign against Hezbollah,” said Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. “To date, the Northern Command has eliminated more than 400 Hezbollah terrorists.”
UPDATE 3:50 PM EST –
CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed to The War Zone that more than 200 troops have been wounded or injured across seven countries since the start of Epic Fury. The injuries took place in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and more than 180 troops have already returned to duty,” he explained, adding that 10 troops were seriously injured.
In addition to the wounded, seven U.S. troops have been killed in Iranian attacks, the most serious being March 1 when six Army soldiers were killed in an Iranian drone attack on Kuwait. Another six Air Force airmen died when their KC-135 refueling plane crashed in Iraq, reportedly after colliding with another KC-135.
The Washington Post was first to report the latest casualty figures.
CENTCOM released its latest Epic Fury update, saying it struck more than 7,000 targets, flew more than 6,500 combat sorties and damaged or destroyed more than 100 Iranian ships.
Baghdad continues to be hit.
In what looks like a scene from a video game, a counter rocket, artillery, and mortar C-RAM system is seen engaging with a drone over Baghdad.
Footage of a reported coalition interception of an Iranian drone can be seen in the following video.
Not all the interceptions apparently worked. A drone reportedly slammed into the Royal Tulip al-Rasheed hotel in the Iraqi capital.
The Spanish Ministry of Defense confirmed on Sunday that it temporarily transferred its special forces from Iraq due to worsening safety and failure to conduct missions securely.“The Special Operations Task Group was relocated to safe areas because the security situation prevented it from continuing training operations with Iraqi forces,” according to the ministry.
GPS interference in and around the Strait of Hormuz has continued to rise since the crisis began, suggesting a persistent and geographically dispersed campaign of electronic disruption, according to Kpler.
Wild video was posted on X of an Israeli interception of an Iranian ballistic missile. No injuries were reported, according to Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel “Mannie” Fabian.
UPDATE: 2:42 PM EST –
The war with Iran is expected to last at least another month, according to Israel media, citing a senior Israeli official.
“Israel is reportedly preparing for an extended phase of fighting as it seeks to further weaken the Iranian regime and capitalize on what it views as signs of internal instability within the country’s leadership,” The Times of Israel reported. “According to the source, U.S. President Donald Trump supports Israel in continuing the campaign.”
We reached out to the White House for comment.
NATO responded to our query about debate over sending warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
“Allies have already stepped up to provide additional security in the Mediterranean,” a NATO official told us. “We are aware that individual Allies are talking with the US and others on what more they might do, including in the context of security in the Strait of Hormuz.”
In the first 96 hours of Epic Fury, the US-led coalition “expended approximately 5,197 munitions across 35 types,” according to a new report from the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI).
“This carries a munitions-only replacement bill of $10–$16 billion in four days,” FPRI posited. “This represents a significant industrial burden for replacing some munitions that cannot be replenished in 4 days, 4 weeks, or even 4 months. Worse, those estimates do not include combat losses of warfighting assets or damage to bases and the high-end air defense enabling architecture.”
Video has emerged showing intense flames at Dubai International Airport’s fuel storage area after an Iranian attack.
CENTCOM posted additional video of its attacks on Iranian targets.
MT Anderson provided an update on the location of the Tripoli. The ship was spotted on AIS North of the Riau Archipelago, transiting the southern South China Sea at 18 knots.
The Iraqi armed faction Kataib Hezbollah announced the death of its spokesperson, known as Abu Ali al-Askari. He was reportedly killed in a U.S. airstrike after a wave of attacks against U.S. facilities in Iraq.
Six people were injured in a Hezbollah rocket attack in Nahariya, according to medics. The town is located about eight miles south of the Lebanese border.
Turkey’s Foreign Affairs Ministry (MFA) condemned the latest Israeli incursion into Lebanon.
“The Netanyahu government’s collective punishment and genocidal policies in Lebanon will lead to a new humanitarian catastrophe in the region,” the MFA said in a statement on Monday. “We reaffirm our solidarity with Lebanon amid these attacks, which violate its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
UPDATE: 1:50 PM EST –
Speaking at a board meeting of the Trump Kennedy Center, the president claimed he predicted that Iran would attack shipping in the Strait.
The president added that he does not know Iran mined the Strait.
He also said the U.S. has hit 7,000 targets since launching Epic Fury.
France has reportedly boosted its deployment of Rafale fighters to Jordan and UAE to 24, more than double the usual 10, according to French defense observer Tom Antonov. The jets have already intercepted dozens of Iranian drones, he added in a post on X.
The MQ-9 Reaper drones have played a big role in the war, and have been heavily targeted by Iran. To date, the U.S. has lost about a dozen Reapers, including one accidentally shot down by an ally, according to The Wall Street Journal.
NATO is considering boosting its ballistic missile defense capacity in Turkey against threats from neighboring Iran, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter
“The military alliance already deployed a battery in eastern Turkey to protect an early-warning radar used to track missiles across the Middle East,” the outlet stated. “It’s now considering sending another Patriot missile-defense system to bolster an airbase where American troops are stationed.”
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Elton John made Brooklyn Beckham VIP guest at his Oscars party in public show of support for his godson amid family feud
BROOKLYN Beckham was offered a public show of support by Sir Elton John — who made him a VIP guest at his Oscars party.
The 27-year-old, locked in a family feud, was seen at the bash alongside wife Nicola Peltz deep in conversation with the singer, 78.
We revealed last year that the I’m Still Standing singer has been acting as a peacemaker between Brooklyn and estranged parents David and Victoria.
And the VIP invitation to Sir Elton’s Academy Awards viewing party in West Hollywood on Sunday night showed his continued love and support for his godson.
A source said: “Elton has seen Brooklyn all adrift without his biological family and he’s stepped up for Brooklyn.
“Inviting him and Nicola to the party was a public show of support for him.
READ MORE ON BROOKLYN BECKHAM
“Elton doesn’t want to get involved in the row — as far as he’s concerned that’s between Brooklyn, David and Victoria.
“But he has been watching everything that has unfolded over the past ten months.
“Brooklyn lives in Los Angeles and when Elton is in town, he’ll often touch base with him.
“Brooklyn knows he has Elton’s ear and support.”
Brooklyn and US actress Nicola, 31, were among a string of celebs at the Elton John Aids Foundation bash, co-hosted by the singer and his husband, David Furnish.
They were photographed with Sharon Osbourne and her I’m a Celebrity star son Jack, while singer Dua Lipa and her actor fiancé Callum Turner were also there.
A source added: “Brooklyn and Nicola had a fantastic time with Elton and David.
“He just wants to move on with his life and is happy to have the support of Elton and David, who have always looked out for him.”
Sir Elton, who has two sons Zachary and Elijah with his hubby, has been very close friends with Posh and Becks for several years.
They asked the singer to be godfather to their first-born son Brooklyn in 1999, and they did the same with Romeo three years later.
Former Spice Girl Victoria was also a guest at Sir Elton’s Oscars party in 2009.
But they have not been pictured together in public since August 2019, when the Beckhams joined Sir Elton and David on a yacht during a holiday in the South of France.
Victoria posted pictures of their trip on Instagram with the caption: “Happy Summer with friends. Kisses @davidfurnish @eltonjohn. We love u both and your boys so much.”
In May 2023, David and Victoria supported Elton on the final night of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour and shared videos and photographs from a box at London’s O2 Arena.
Last summer The Sun revealed that Sir Elton had reached out to Brooklyn and Nicola amid their family feud — and invited them to lunch to talk in the South of France.
A source said at the time: “Elton wants everyone to be happy.
“There is no side-taking as such; he simply adores his godson, and really has a laugh with Nicola who he thinks has a great sense of humour.
“He wants to look after them in his role as ‘spiritual adviser’ as a godfather.
“It’s a role he takes seriously.”
We revealed yesterday that Brooklyn snubbed Victoria on Mother’s Day — while posting a birthday message to “the best mother-in-law”.
He told Nicola’s mum, Claudia, “Love u so much”, as she turned 71.
Who won on Hollywood’s biggest night?
One Battle After Another ran away with the night with six Oscars, while Sinners, which was nominated for a record-breaking 16 awards, came away with four. See the full winners list below:
Best Picture: One Battle After Another
Best Actress: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Supporting Actress: Amy Madigan, Weapons
Supporting Actor: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
Directing: One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson
Adapted Screenplay: One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson
Original Screenplay: Sinners, Ryan Coogler
Documentary Feature: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Documentary Short: All the Empty Rooms
Animated Feature: KPop Demon Hunters
Animated Short: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Cinematography: Sinners, Autumn Durald Arkapaw
Costume Design: Frankenstein, Kate Hawley
Film Editing: One Battle After Another, Andy Jurgensen
International Feature: Sentimental Value – Norway
Life Action Short:
The Singers (TIED)
Two People Exchanging Saliva (TIED)
Makeup and Hairstyling: Frankenstein, Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey
Original Score: Sinners, Ludwig Goransson
Original Song: Golden, KPop Demon Hunters
Production Design: Frankenstein, Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau
Sound: F1, Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo and Juan Peralta
Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett
Casting: One Battle After Another, Cassandra Kulukundis
Trump calls on allies to help guard the Strait of Hormuz. Most have refused
WASHINGTON — President Trump expressed frustration Monday that U.S. allies were not enthusiastic about sending warships to protect merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a sign of Washington’s growing isolation as it tries to stabilize one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes amid its war against Iran.
Trump declined to name the “numerous countries” he said had agreed to help reopen the oil route, which has come under the threat of retaliation from Iran, but was annoyed that most longtime allies were hesitant about joining his international police force. He said they should be “jumping to help us.”
“Some countries that we have helped for many, many years, we’ve protected them from horrible outside sources and they weren’t that enthusiastic — and the level of enthusiasm, it matters to me,” Trump said at the White House.
For Trump, securing allies’ help is as much a domestic economic need as it is international diplomacy. Since the hostilities against Iran began on Feb. 28, Tehran has retaliated by targeting regional oil facilities and at least 20 vessels operating in and around the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
The result has been “the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market,” according to the International Energy Agency, and it has led to international oil prices surging more than 30% to over $100 a barrel as the war entered its third week with no clear end in sight.
The diplomatic friction, meanwhile, reflects the limits of Trump’s influence at a moment when the global economy is absorbing one of the worst oil supply shocks in modern history, a dynamic that has prompted Trump to warn that countries refusing to help may find Washington a far less generous partner in turn.
Despite Trump‘s demands, several key allies have publicly rebuffed his calls for support.
French President Emmanuel Macron formally rejected the request, saying that France would maintain a “defensive and protective” posture focused on stability rather than escalation.
German Foreign Minister Boris Pistorius was blunter, saying, “This is not our war; we didn’t start it.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also declined to commit, saying the U.K. “will not be drawn into the wider war.” Italy, Spain, Australia and Japan similarly declined, while South Korea and China have not publicly stated their intentions.
The rejections seems to have only sharpened Trump’s demands. At one point during an event Monday, the president turned to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and said he would share a list of nations that declined to help, suggesting Congress could have a role in any retaliatory measures against reluctant allies.
“Why are we protecting countries that don’t protect us?” Trump said.
Yet Trump also sent conflicting signals about how much allied help he actually needs. At one point he claimed the United States did not require assistance from other countries.
“We don’t need them, but it’s interesting — I am doing it, in some cases, not because we need them, but because I want to see how they react,” Trump said.
On the threat to merchant ships, Trump projected uncertainty. He said the possibility of mines was “enough to keep people” from transiting the waterway, but said that “we don’t even know” if Iran has placed any mines in the strait.
“They may have no mines,” he said. “We hit every one of their mine ships. Every one of them is gone — but it only takes one.”
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump also sent mixed messages about the threats and the need for help. He said the United States was coordinating with roughly seven countries to deploy naval forces to “police the straits — before adding, in the same remarks, that “maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all.”
He suggested American forces should not be there because other nations depend more heavily on oil shipments through the oil route, an about-face that drew criticism from allies, who said it created confusion about Washington’s strategy in a conflict the United States had itself started.
“To keep the strait open, I have a very hard time believing that China and the other countries the president enlisted are really going to be escorting ships through the strait. That just really doesn’t add up to me,” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in an NBC “Meet the Press” interview Sunday.
“The bottom line is, we really don’t know how long this war is going to be,” he added.
Trump, however, is keeping the pressure on allied countries, making the future of the conflict more open-ended depending on their response.
Trump insisted Monday that “numerous countries have told me they are on their way,” but said he would “rather not say” who they are.
He then said the tepid responses from some U.S. allies had reinforced his skepticism about the value of the NATO alliance, echoing comments he made over the weekend when he warned that a failure to assist would be “very bad for the future of NATO” and that the U.S. would “remember” those who did not step up.
When asked if he was confident Macron will help with the reopening of the strait, Trump told reporters: “Yeah, I mean sure. … I think he’s gonna help. I mean I’ll let you know.”
Europe has nonetheless been drawn deeper into the conflict.
The U.K. initially refused to support U.S. military operations, but softened its position after Trump mocked Starmer as “no Winston Churchill” and called Britain a “once great ally.” France also said last week that it was preparing a separate “purely defensive” naval mission to escort commercial vessels through the strait once it was safe to do so.
Moving forward, it is unclear how the European Union and other nations around the world will respond to Trump’s pressure.
“Nobody wants to go actively in this war. And of course, everybody is concerned what will be the outcome,” Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said Monday after a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels. “This is not Europe’s war, but Europe’s interests are directly at stake.”
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Air traffic snarled due to winter weather, government shutdown
March 16 (UPI) — Even before a round of mid-May blizzards started blanketing an area stretching from South Dakota to northern Michigan on Saturday, a partial government shutdown already was making air travel miserable for Americans.
Extreme winter weather snarled all manner of transportation across the Midwest, while airports in Atlanta, Charlotte and elsewhere on the East Coast were slowed by pounding rain, on top of an increasing number of TSA employees either calling out sick or quitting their jobs because they are not getting paid.
As of early evening on Monday, there were 21,549 total flights delayed in the United States and 5,159 flights that were canceled, Flight Aware reported.
The Department of Homeland Security, which is home to the Transportation Security Administration, has not been funded since Jan. 30 amid a debate in Congress over funding the Department of Homeland Security, of which TSA is a part.
Democrats and Republicans in Congress disagree on adding guardrails for DHS agencies involved with immigration amid a crackdown by the Trump administration, which has left TSA unfunded.
The nation’s air traffic controllers, customs agents and TSA agents missed their first paycheck over the weekend, which has led to hundreds of TSA employees quitting their jobs, the New York Post reported.
The partial shutdown already had affected security and other services at airports, leading to long lines and advice that travellers arrive at the airport even earlier because of how backed up they have been.
On Sunday afternoon, as airports, travellers and millions at home prepared for winter weather to roll through overnight, the trade association Airlines for America, which represents both passenger and cargo airlines, sent an open letter to Congress pleading for them to fund TSA on predictions of what is already happening.
The CEOs, which include the leaders of the biggest U.S. passenger airlines, as well as FedEx and UPS, said that without funding TSA they expect travel issues during spring break, the World Cup and other national travel dates to be as chaotic as they were last year during the longest government shutdown in history.
Making matters worse has been a wide range of extreme weather across the country, from steady showers and a tornado watch shutting down Charlotte Douglas International Airport several times this morning — with the same occurring at major airports in Atlanta, Newark, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis, the Charlotte Observer reported.
The weather is not expected to let up, either, with the National Weather Service predicting that while the Midwest will get a bit of a break, severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and some tornadoes — as of early afternoon more than 34 million people were under tornado watches between Florida and New Jersey — expected later into the evening.
Melody Ashby jumps into a snow pile as her sister and mother look on, Sunday in Wadsworth Ohio. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
Tuesday 17 March Night of Destiny around the world
Laylat Al Qadr, also known as ‘Shab-e-Qadr’, the ‘Night of Destiny’ or the ‘Night of Power’ is observed on the 27th Day of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.
It is considered to be the holiest night of the year for Muslims and marks the night that the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.
The Qur’an does not specify which day of Ramadan, the Night of Destiny took place on, but most Muslims consider it to have happened on an odd-numbered night in the last ten days of Ramadan (21st, 23rd, 25th or 27th). Many Sunni Muslims believe it to be the 27th night, while most Shiite Muslims consider it to have happened on the 23rd.
As a result of this uncertainty, many Muslims will treat each odd-numbered day in the last ten days of Ramadan with increased reverence.
There are also some varying opinions on how much of the Qu’ran was revealed on the Night of Destiny. Some Muslims believe that only a few verses of the Qur’an were first revealed on the night, with the remaining verses revealed over the next 23 years, while some Muslims believe that the whole text was revealed to the angel Gabriel during the night, who then revealed them incrementally to the Prophet Mohammed.
An entire chapter is devoted to the Night of Destiny in the Qur’an, with the night described as being “better than a thousand months” where the angels and the holy spirit Gabriel engulf the Earth, by the permission of Almighty Allah with all decrees.
The Night of Destiny is a highlight of Ramadan. Muslims believe that on this night the blessings and mercy of Allah are abundant and sins are forgiven.
Iran war live: Trump scolds allies for not joining Strait of Hormuz mission | US-Israel war on Iran News
Live updatesLive updates,
‘For 40 years, we’re protecting you’: US President Donald Trump criticises allies’ reluctance to commit forces to open the key waterway for Gulf oil exports.
Published On 17 Mar 2026
Lewis Hamilton publicly fangirls over Kim Kardashian in sultry snaps amid their on-going romance
LEWIS Hamilton proved he’s girlfriend Kim Kardashian’s biggest fan with a very public display of affection for the US star.
Kim, 45, took to Instagram to share a snap of her stunning look from the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty – and Lewis, 41, was quick to share his thoughts.
In the photo, Skims founder Kim showed off her famous curves in a skintight gold dress, captioning the post: “GUCCI GIRL.”
As always her comments were filled with comments from her 353 million followers and a sweet post from Formula 1 driver Lewis.
Keeping it to the point, he simply added a lovestruck emoji but the gesture proves he’s head over heels for Kim.
Kim’s romance with Lewis became public knowledge after The Sun revealed she flew in from Los Angeles on her £100million private jet to spend an evening with him.
On January 31, the couple enjoyed a brief stay at the exclusive Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds, with insiders saying they had the spa to themselves, before enjoying a meal in a private room.
A source told The Sun: “It all appeared to be very romantic. Kim and Lewis made use of all the facilities on offer.
“She had two bodyguards with her and Lewis had a close protection officer but they remained in the background.
“Two of the three stood guard outside the door to their room, so no one could disturb them.”
Lewis was friends with her rapper ex Kanye West.
A source added: “They had a couple’s massage booked in and had full use of the facilities for just the two of them.
“It was all kept very quiet – they clearly wanted to have some time for just the two of them.”
Trump’s mass deportation agenda is at a crossroads with the Homeland Security shake-up
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security will soon be under new management, an opportunity to reset President Trump’s immigration agenda or to double down on his signature campaign promise to conduct the largest deportation operation in American history.
The White House’s political director recently encouraged party lawmakers during a retreat at the Republican president’s golf club in Florida to focus on immigration enforcement against criminals, a pivot from the mass deportation agenda he ran on. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the aggressive operations have created a “hiccup” for the party, which is now embarking on a “course correction.”
Yet all indications are that Trump’s mass deportation operation is not stalling but intensifying, with billions of dollars being spent to hire Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, build warehouse detention sites and meet the administration’s goal of rounding up and removing some 1 million immigrants from the U.S. this year.
“We are at an interesting moment where it has been an inflection point — the public has finally seen what mass detention and mass deportation mean,” said Sarah Mehta, who tracks the issue at the American Civil Liberties Union.
“This is not an agency that’s slowing down,” she said. “They’re really going forward with some of the cruelest policies.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the president’s policies have sent immigrants out of the U.S., either through forced deportations or on their own, and sealed up the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Nobody is changing the administration’s immigration enforcement agenda,” she said.
Senators ready to grill Trump’s DHS nominee over deportations
The questions put Homeland Security at a crossroads. Secretary Kristi Noem is on her way out, and Trump’s nominee to replace her, Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, appears this week for Senate confirmation hearings.
After the intense deportation sweeps in Minneapolis and other cities — and the deaths of at least three U.S. citizens at the hands of officers — Democratic lawmakers are refusing to provide routine funding unless the department changes its policies.
At the same time, those who believe Trump won the White House with his mass deportation agenda are disappointed the administration did not achieve its goals last year and insist he must do better.
“There has been a lot of talk in Congress and now in the White House about kind of backing away from President Trump’s, candidate Trump’s, mass deportation promise,” said Rosemary Jenks, co-founder of the Immigration Accountability Project, which argues for deportations.
“We believe that now is an opportunity,” she said. “We’ve got to get the deportation numbers up.”
A nation of immigrants no longer?
The debate is playing out as the United States, celebrating its 250th year, squares its founding as a nation of immigrants with images of masked federal agents breaking car windows and detaining people suspected of being in the U.S. without proper legal standing.
The Congress, controlled by Republicans, provided some $170 billion in last year’s tax cuts bill to fuel the effort, more than tripling the budget of ICE.
GOP Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, in a fiery speech, fought back against the Democrats’ proposed restraints. “This question about deporting illegal immigrants was on the ballot. President Trump was not bashful,” he said. “And the American people supported the idea that we are going to deport people.”
Yet there are signs of cracks in the Trump coalition. Some Republicans prefer what one called a more humane approach and are sharing their views with Mullin.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), considered a stalwart against illegal immigration, said in his state it’s immigrants who milk most of the dairy cows, and he’s heard from restaurant groups that rely on immigrants to fill jobs.
“Can we just turn back the clock and have … all these people who came in here illegally, just be back home?” he asked.
“In terms of actually implementing that, it’s a lot tougher — particularly, in fact, when you realize a lot of these people, most of them, came here to seek opportunity, wanting freedom,” he said. “They’re working, supporting their family, contributing to organizations and community.”
Mass deportation group wants more
The Mass Deportation Coalition, a group of conservative organizations including the Heritage Foundation and Erik Prince, founder of the security firm Blackwater, was formed recently to keep the administration on track.
It calls last year’s focus on removing violent criminal immigrants “phase one” and says “phase two” should focus this year on deporting immigrants beyond those with violent criminal histories.
Mark Morgan, who served as acting head of ICE and Customs and Border Protection during Trump’s first term and is part of the coalition, said that doesn’t mean roving patrols through Home Depot parking lots. It’s about strategic enforcement focused on immigrants at worksites and those who have overstayed visas and whom a judge has already ordered removed, he said.
But they’re facing opposition from within the Republican Party, Morgan said, particularly from those who want to narrow deportation to mainly criminals and from business groups that want to ease up on worksite enforcement.
“The Republicans that are saying that their definition of targeted enforcement is only criminal, they’re wrong. They’re on the wrong side of this,” he said.
“That’s why you see some of the base that’s really becoming apoplectic because they’re like, ‘Wait a minute. You’re talking about only removing criminals now? That’s not what you promised,’” Morgan said.
What’s coming next
The deportation advocates as well as those working to protect the rights of immigrants see that the Trump administration’s best chance at reaching its goals is creating an environment so unwelcoming for immigrants that they just leave — what’s often called self-deportation.
Mehta, at the ACLU, expects the administration will step up efforts to end temporary permissions that allow immigrants to remain in the U.S. — particularly refugees and asylum seekers — while their cases are making their way through the system. She called it a “deliberate attempt to make people undocumented — to take away lawful status — and then to be able to enforce against them.”
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) said he fears that more nonviolent immigrants will be rounded up to fill the new warehouses being equipped as the Trump administration tries to reach its deportation goals.
That’s unacceptable, he said, and among “the key questions that Senator Mullin will have to answer at his confirmation hearing.”
Mascaro, Santana and Cappelletti write for the Associated Press.
Dodgers reportedly agree to deal with Uniqlo for field naming rights
The Dodgers agreed to a deal granting Uniqlo naming rights to the field at Dodger Stadium, according to the Athletic — marking the first time in the 64-year history of the stadium that a corporate sponsorship has been attached to it.
Dodger Stadium’s name remains unchanged. The organization made it a priority to keep the name of the ballpark, which has been in place since its opening in 1962.
“[The stadium’s name] will never be for sale,” Dodgers president Stan Kasten told The Times in 2017.
Though not officially announced by the Dodgers, the name likely will be Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.
With more than 1,000 stores worldwide, the Japanese-based clothing brand will hold exclusive marketing and promotional opportunities as the Dodgers’ main sponsor. The new deal will also include a new sign in center field.
Since signing Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani, the team has partnered with several different Japanese companies, earning $70 million in sponsorship revenue in 2024 alone, according to Forbes.
Bob Lynch, chief executive of research firm SponsorUnited, estimated that teams hosting the Dodgers generated roughly $15 million in cumulative revenue from the brands that have attached themselves to the team.
“ … A slew of brands essentially following him around across the country that are paying dollars either directly to the team or to Van Wagner, who’s selling the backstop signage,” Lynch told Forbes in 2025.
In 2022, the Dodgers partnered with global sports marketing agency Sportfive to secure premier sponsorships. Two years later, the organization announced a self-sponsorship with its ownership group, Guggenheim Baseball Management, which placed a patch on the team’s jerseys.
Pro-Palestine protester Leqaa Kordia freed from US immigration detention | Donald Trump News
The 33-year-old Columbia University protester had been held in immigration detention centre for a year.
Published On 16 Mar 2026
Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian woman detained in the United States after taking part in pro-Palestine demonstrations in 2024, has been released after a year in custody.
The 33-year-old, who grew up in the occupied West Bank before moving to the US in 2016, was held at a detention facility in the state of Texas since March last year.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m free! I’m free! Finally, after one year,” a smiling Kordia told reporters after leaving the detention centre on Monday.
An immigration judge had ruled Kordia was eligible to be released on bond three times. Immigration officials appealed the first two rulings but Kordia was freed on $100,000 bond after government lawyers did not challenge the third.
After her release, Kordia said she was looking forward to going home and hugging her mother “so hard.” But she also said she would keep fighting on behalf of people still being held at the detention centre
“There is a lot of injustice in this place,” she said. “There is a lot of people that shouldn’t be here the first place.”
Kordia, who lost nearly 200 members of his family during Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, was among several protesters targeted by immigration officials for taking part in pro-Palestine demonstrations at Columbia University in 2024.
Until Monday, she was the only person targeted in connection with the demonstration who was still in immigration detention after the release of others, including Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi.
Kordia, who was held at Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, was recently hospitalised for three days following a seizure after fainting and hitting her head at the privately run detention facility.
At a hearing on Friday, Kordia’s lawyers said she had a neurological condition that had worsened while in custody, putting her at an elevated risk of seizure. They reiterated that she could stay with US citizen family members and did not pose a flight risk.
The immigration judge, Tara Naslow, agreed.
“I’ve heard testimony. I’ve seen thousands of pages of evidence presented by the respondent, and very little evidence presented by the government in any of this,” Naslow said.
Hotel in Iraqi capital Baghdad struck as attacks on US embassy intercepted | Conflict News
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which took place amid the escalating Israel-US war on Iran.
Published On 16 Mar 2026
A prominent hotel in central Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone was struck by a drone, amid reports that Iraqi air defences intercepted an attack over the United States Embassy.
The strike on Monday evening hit the top floor of Al-Rasheed Hotel, causing damage but no casualties, according to two Iraqi security officials cited by The Associated Press (AP) news agency.
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No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Security sources told the Reuters news agency that two Katyusha rockets had been intercepted that evening near the US Embassy in the Green Zone, which houses diplomatic missions as well as international institutions and government offices.
Earlier Monday, the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah announced that Abu Ali Al-Askari, a prominent security official with the paramilitary group, had been killed, without giving details on the circumstances.
Kataib Hezbollah is one of the largest groups in the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) operating in Iran, which was founded in 2014 to stop lightning advances by ISIL (ISIS).
On the same day, AP reported that six PMF fighters were killed in a strike on a checkpoint in western Iraq’s Anbar province, and two others were killed in a separate strike on the headquarters of a PMF brigade in the same area.
Two Iraqi security officials told AP that the Majnoon oilfield in Iraq’s southern Basra province was targeted by two drones. No casualties were reported, and it was not immediately clear if there was damage to the facilities.
Iraq’s oil industry has been severely impacted by the US and Israel’s war on Iran and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil trading corridor.
Iraqi Minister of Oil Hayan Abdul-Ghani said in a video statement on Monday that a pipeline from the northern city of Kirkuk to Turkiye would be operational within a week, allowing the country to resume its oil exports, which have been interrupted by the ongoing war.
Also on Monday, air defences intercepted and shot down a drone near Erbil airport in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, according to security sources.
Why the FCC is unlikely to pull TV licenses over Iran news coverage
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr is using his bully pulpit to push back against coverage of the U.S. military action in Iran that his boss President Trump doesn’t like, marking an extraordinary escalation in his clashes with the media.
On Saturday, Carr posted a message on X suggesting TV stations could lose their government licenses to use the public airwaves if they “don’t operate in the public interest.”
Underneath his statement, Carr shared a social media post from Trump, who complained about the New York Times and Wall Street Journal stories on the five refueling tankers were hit during an Iranian missile strike on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Carr seized on Trump’s missive to issue a warning to TV outlets, which are frequently threatened by the president when he is angry at their coverage.
It’s the latest attempt by the FCC chair to apply pressure on media companies that irritate Trump with critical coverage of his administration.
Since becoming FCC chairman last year, Carr has repeatedly threatened to use the levers of power he has to punish TV and radio stations when they get in Trump’s crosshairs. His behavior has alarmed free speech advocates.
“Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions — also known as the fake news — have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,” Carr wrote, without providing evidence to back up his claims. “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.”
Carr’s threats are based on his assertions that said he wants to enforce the FCC’s public interest obligation for broadcasters that use the airwaves. He made similar remarks in the fall, which prompted two major TV station groups to keep ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air for a week due to remarks the host made regarding slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly attacked news organizations for any reporting that doesn’t say the war in Iran is anything but a rousing success.
On Friday, Hegseth said took aim at CNN and said “the sooner David Ellison takes over that network the better.”
Ellison, the chief executive of Paramount who, along with his father, has forged strong ties to the White House, will have control over CNN in addition to CBS if the company’s deal to acquire the news outlet’s parent Warner Bros. Discovery is completed.
Carr made the appointment of an ombudsman for CBS News a condition to approve Ellison’s Skydance Partners deal to acquire Paramount last year. Paramount also drew scrutiny over its controversial decision to pay $16 million to settle Trump’s legal salvo against “60 Minutes” over the editing of an interview with his 2024 opponent, then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Most legal analysts viewed the case as frivolous.
The FCC has no jurisdiction over CNN, which is why most of Carr’s barbs are aimed at ABC, CBS and NBC, which air on local TV stations. He once wrote on X, “More Americans trust gas station sushi than the legacy national media.”
Trump said in a social media post Sunday that he was “thrilled” with Carr’s remarks and would support his efforts to go after what he called “Highly Unpatriotic ‘News’ Organizations.”
“They get Billions of Dollars of FREE American Airwaves, and use it to perpetuate LIES, both in News and almost all of their Shows, including the Late Night Morons, who get gigantic Salaries for horrible ratings,” Trump wrote.
Andrew Jay Schwartzman, a Washington-based public interest communications attorney, believes Carr’s conduct and threats violate the 1st Amendment, adding that any serious attempt to revoke licenses would be tied up in legal challenges.
“Even if he started to try to deny a license renewal as quickly as he could, Brendan Carr would be long gone before that case would be over,” Schwartzman said. “The law intentionally sets out a very steep burden for the FCC to deny a license renewal; the process takes many years, during which time the licensee continues to operate normally under ‘continuing operating authority.’”
Carr’s remarks Saturday drew immediate blowback from Democrats and 1st Amendment advocates, noting the FCC’s role does not include policing the free press.
“Once again, this FCC pretends it has the power to control news coverage,” FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez said Monday in a statement. “In reality, the FCC has vanishingly little power over national news networks. It licenses local broadcast stations, not networks, and no licenses are up for renewal until 2028.”
Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom weighed in as well, posting, “If Trump doesn’t like your coverage of the war, his FCC will pull your broadcast license. That is flagrantly unconstitutional.”
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), usually a reliable voice of support for the Trump administration, expressed his concerns over Carr’s remarks.
“I’m a big supporter of the 1st Amendment,” Johnson told Fox News on Sunday. “I do not like the heavy hand of government no matter who’s wielding it. I’d rather the federal government stay out of the private sector as much as possible.”
Gomez added that while attempts to pull licenses border on folly, Carr’s threats and attacks on the media can create a chilling effect and erode the public’s confidence in the press.
“Over the past year, this FCC has attacked the media as part of a years-long campaign by this Administration and its allies to discredit factual, independent coverage while blaming the press for growing public distrust,” Gomez said. “Meanwhile, it is the FCC’s own credibility and public trust that are rapidly eroding.”
Trump is not the first president to target TV station licenses in response to negative news coverage. At the height of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, Richard Nixon’s allies attempted to challenge the TV licenses for three stations owned at the time by the Washington Post.
The effort didn’t get far.
The last Los Angeles outlet to lose its broadcast license was KHJ in 1987, when the station was part of RKO General, a media company owned by the General Tire and Rubber Co. The case was related to corporate malfeasance and not broadcast content on the stations.
The process to revoke the RKO licenses took seven years from the moment the FCC voted in favor of the move.
“Since then, only small mom-and-pop radio stations have been litigated,” Schwartzman said. “The cases nearly always involve lying to the government, felony convictions or failure to pay regulatory fees. In one recent case, a small owner convicted of tax evasion still kept his license.”
There would be other logistical hurdles to the FCC making good on Carr’s threats.
As Gomez noted, Carr’s FCC only has regulatory control over the TV stations that carry the network signals. If stations were drop network programming for any reason, they could violate their affiliation contracts and lose the right to carry NFL football and other content that delivers big ratings and revenue.
Sinclair Broadcast Group wanted Kimmel to apologize to Kirk‘s family and contribute to his organization Turning Point USA before putting the host’s late night show on the air.
That did not happen and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” returned to Sinclair’s stations anyway.
Urgent warning as Brit holiday hotspot Malta faces ‘major ecological disaster’
The 900ft Arctic Metagaz, a charred Russian ghost tanker, has drifted dangerously close to Malta, an archipelago in the central Mediterranean known for its history and culture
The carrier is adrift between Malta and Lampedusa(Image: Newsbook Malta/AFP via Getty Ima)
Malta — a popular holiday hotspot — is said to be under threat of a “major ecological disaster”.
A charred Russian ghost tanker is believed to be around 50 nautical miles southwest of the island, and is drifting crewless towards the archipelago. The vessel was blitzed two weeks ago by Ukranian drones and has since, the hole-ridden 900ft Arctic Metagaz has moved towards Malta.
And now multiple European countries have warned an ecological threat is imminent. In a letter to the European Commission, seven nations said the “precarious condition of the vessel, combined with the nature of its specialised cargo” posed a “serious risk”. These countries have described the situation as a “dual challenge” – upholding maritime safety and preventing an ecological disaster against the background of EU sanctions imposed on.
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Russia claimed that Ukraine used “uncrewed sea drones” to target the Metagaz in the Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Malta. The Security Service of Ukraine has not responded to the accusation.
According to Russia, the attack took place on March 4 and was launched from the Libyan coast. The vessel had previously been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union for being part of Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
Composed largely of ageing tankers, the fleet moves Russian oil and gas worldwide while bypassing Western restrictions. Authorities in Malta and Italy have been closely monitoring the wreck amid concerns about potential pollution. Rome said the vessel was carrying “significant quantities of gas, heavy oil, and diesel fuel.”
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WWF Italy warned in a statement: “A potential spill could cause fires, cryogenic clouds lethal to marine life, and widespread and long-lasting pollution of water and the atmosphere.”
It added: “The affected area is of exceptional ecological value, with fragile deep-sea ecosystems and some of the highest biodiversity in the Mediterranean basin.”
Salvage experts are already in Malta in preparation for the ship’s arrival in Maltese waters, while a specialist vessel is on its way, a maritime source told AFP on Sunday.
Initial reports indicated that the ship sank after explosions sparked a fire on board. Libyan authorities said the tanker went down about 130 nautical miles north of the port of Sirte. Around 30 Russians were on board the Arctic Metagaz, according to Russia’s transport ministry. They were all found “safe and sound in a lifeboat” by Malta’s armed forces, Maltese Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said.
However, Malta’s transport authority said last week that the wreck was still afloat. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation acknowledged that the vessel was drifting in the Mediterranean and said Russia’s further involvement in resolving the situation would depend on “concrete circumstances”. It added that efforts to address the situation — including surveillance, monitoring and other technical support — could risk “undermining the integrity, effectiveness and the deterrent value of the EU sanctions regime”.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the ship had no crew and was carrying 700 metric tons of various types of fuel along with “a substantial amount of natural gas”.
“The international legal norms applicable to the current situation imply the responsibility of coastal countries … for resolving the situation with the drifting vessel and preventing an environmental disaster,” Zakharova wrote.
“Further involvement by the shipowner and Russia as the flag state will depend on the specific circumstances.”
Supreme Court will rule on Trump’s plan to end temporary protection for Haitians, Syrians
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to rule on whether the Trump administration may end the temporary protection that had been extended in the past to migrants who live and work in the United States.
At issue are legal protections for about 6,000 Syrians and up to 350,000 Haitians.
The court’s announcement signals the justices want to resolve this issue in a written opinion rather through emergency appeals.
Twice last year, the court’s conservatives set aside decisions from judges in San Francisco who said President Trump’s Homeland Security secretary had overstepped her authority.
Those cases involved the temporary protection status extended to about 600,000 Venezuelans.
But those decisions did not set clear precedents, and in recent weeks, judges in New York and Washington, D.C., blocked the administration’s plan to end the special protections for Haitians and Syrians.
Frustrated by what he labeled “indefensible” decisions, Trump’s Solicitor Gen. D. John Sauer advised the court to hear arguments and issue a written ruling on the issue.
The justices on Monday agreed to just that. Arguments will be heard in April, and a decision will be handed down by July.
Immigrant-rights advocates argued the repeal of the special protection would be cruel and unjust to migrants who have established lives and careers in this country.
In 1990, Congress authorized giving temporary shelter to non-citizens from countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disaster or “extraordinary and temporary conditions” that prevent them from returning there.
In 2012, the Homeland Security secretary extended this protection to Syrians in response to a “brutal crackdown” engineered by its then-President Bashar al-Assad.
Last year, citing Assad’s fall from power, Trump’s Secretary Kristi Noem proposed to cancel the temporary protection for Syrians. Lawyers for the Syrians questioned how this could be seen as an emergency requiring an immediate ruling.
They said about 6,100 Syrians who have lived here lawfully for years.
They are “highly sought-after doctors and medical professionals, reporters, students, teachers, business owners, caretakers, and others who have been repeatedly vetted and by definition have virtually no criminal history. The government apparently needs urgent authority to send them to a country in the middle of an active war,” the lawyers said.
In 2010, the Obama administration extended the protection to Haiti after an earthquake caused death and damage in Port-au-Prince, the capital.
Judges in New York and Washington blocked those repeals and said the high court had given “no explanation” for its decision upholding the repeal for Venezuelans.
Those judges said the Supreme Court’s earlier orders orders “involved a TPS designation of a different country, with different factual circumstances, and different grounds for resolution by the district court.”
Sauer pointed to a provision in the 1990 law that says judges have no authority to second-guess the government’s decision to end it.
“There is no judicial review of any determination of the [Secretary] with respect to the designation, or termination or extension of a designation, of a foreign state under this subsection,” the law says.
In the three weeks since Trump’s attorney filed his emergency appeal, there have been two significant changes since then.
Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. And his war launched against Iran threatens countries throughout the Mideast, including Syria.
In agreeing to hear the pair of cases, the justices did not disturb the lower court rulings that blocked the repeals for now.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani apologizes for Japan’s early WBC exit
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani expressed regret Monday for his “shortcomings” following Japan’s early exit from the World Baseball Classic.
It is unclear what those shortcomings might have been. Over four games during this year’s tournament, Ohtani led Japan with a .462 batting average, three home runs and seven RBI in 13 at-bats.
Those stats are even better than the ones he posted as the MVP of the last WBC. Over seven games in 2023, Ohtani hit .435 with one home run and eight home runs in 23 at-bats to lead Japan to its third WBC championship.
Overall, however, Japan finished with a .284 batting average, down from a .299 average three years ago. Ohtani did account for his team’s final out of the 2026 tournament — an infield popup to seal an 8-5 quarterfinal loss to Venezuela on Saturday — and took to Instagram two days later.
“Thank you to all the fans for your support. Your cheers pushed us forward every day,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese. “We didn’t achieve the results we hoped for, and I deeply regret my own shortcomings.”
The two-way superstar did not pitch in this year’s WBC, after famously striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout of the United States for the final out of the 2023 championship game and going 2-0 with one save and a 1.86 ERA in that tournament.
Ohtani had his second Tommy John surgery in September 2023 and did not pitch again until last June with the Dodgers. Manager Dave Roberts revealed in January that Ohtani had decided not to pitch in the WBC.
Trump claims strikes on Iran prevented nuclear war | Donald Trump
Offering another rationale for the US-Israeli war on Iran, Donald Trump claimed he ordered strikes to prevent a nuclear conflict that would have turned into World War III. He also said not even the “greatest experts” thought Iran would retaliate with attacks on Gulf states.
Published On 16 Mar 2026
Ten ICU patients killed in hospital fire in eastern India | News
Emergency responders carried patients out of a government hospital in Odisha, India, after a fire killed at least 10 ICU patients, according to officials.
Published On 16 Mar 2026
Masked Singer’s Joel Dommett suffered ‘most frightening moment of my life’ on new ITV series
It’s been described as Game for a Laugh meets Saturday Night Takeaway – but Joel claims he was terrified during one particular challenge
Joel dressed as a chair and was praying no one sat down on him(Image: ITV)
Joel Dommett said he experienced “one of the most frightening moments of my life” after being disguised as a set of dog toys while trying to get a collar off a Great Dane in new show Celebrity Sabotage.
The Masked Singer star is joined by fellow disruptors GK Barry, Judi Love and Sam Thompson for the new Saturday night series which has been dubbed Saturday Night Takeaway meets Game for a Laugh. And at one point he was tasked with trying to grab the collar while GK tried to distract the owner from realising what was going on.
“I think it’s genuinely one of the most frightening moments of my life because we had this lady who had a Great Dane and so she was there with the dog. And so GK was there trying to distract the owner whilst I was dressed as dog toys, trying not to get caught by the owner, but trying to get the collar off the dog without being noticed.”
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The dog, at the time, was wearing a wig. “It turns out, not that safe,” he laughed. “Obviously the dog just wanted to eat me. Face to face with a dog, I can’t remember if I fell. You would bloody panic if you were on the floor. It’s called a Great Dane for a reason.”
GK admitted she was worried for him, telling him at the time. “Honestly, it’s not that deep, but I’d love you to still have a face after this episode. And he was like, ‘I’m going to go again’.”
Another time comedian Joel was made to hide inside a chair. “I dressed as that chair and I was just hidden in a room and we were all there. The entire time I was just thinking, ‘Please, nobody sit on me.’ That was all I was thinking.”
For the series, producers took over a manor house where they staged six fake reality shows, each with its own celebrity host, who were all in on the joke. Once the unsuspecting contestants arrived to take part, the four saboteurs set about carrying out missions being set for them by producers, with each set of players genuinely believing they were taking part in a brand new show for ITV. They were – but not the one they thought.
The good news for all of them, however, is that every time the saboteurs were successful, they were winning money for the unwitting contestants worth up to £30,000. Joel, 40, said that when they finally worked out what was going on, it made for great TV. “The reveal at the end when they realise that they’re winning money. It’s just like so heartwarming.” And he added “We just cause absolute chaos, carnage. I don’t know about you guys, but it’s the most fun I’ve had working on a show in a really long time.”
One of the challenges sees the team tasked with ruining the face masks being applied to people who were in on the joke in a fake spa – by lacing it with green dye, which stained their faces and left them filled with fake fury.
Judi said that one of the saboteurs spent a lot of time using one particular disguise. “We dress up as mad stuff. Basically every single episode GK is dressed as a bush,” she laughed. For herself, she said: “I think the skill I learned is that I can roll quite well. I’ll just leave it at that.”
Over the weeks the team are joined by guest saboteurs, one of whom was Jo Brand. ‘She was so funny. She just did not care about what we were saying,” they laughed. “There was one bit we were like, ‘Don’t get caught.’ She was just wandering around the corridors.
-Celebrity Sabotage starts on Saturday March 21 at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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Judge blocks U.S. government from slimming down vaccine recommendations
A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked federal health officials from cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every child, and said U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely violated federal procedures in revamping a key vaccine advisory committee.
The decision halts an order by Kennedy — announced in January — to end broad recommendations for all children to be vaccinated against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV.
A number of leading medical groups raised alarms that the vaccine recommendation changes made under Kennedy would undermine protections against a half-dozen diseases. And the American Academy of Pediatrics and some other groups amended a lawsuit they had filed in July, asking the judge to stop the scaling back of the nation’s childhood vaccination schedule.
The original lawsuit, in federal court in Boston, focused on Kennedy’s decision to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccinations for most children and pregnant women.
The suit was updated as Kennedy took more steps that alarmed medical societies, causing the plaintiffs to ask Judge Brian E. Murphy to take steps to address those policy changes too. For example, the amended complaint asked the court to look at Kennedy’s actions concerning the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises public health officials on what vaccines to recommend to doctors and patients.
Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official, fired the entire 17-member panel last year and replaced it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices.
Murphy, who was nominated to the bench by President Biden, said Kennedy’s reconstitution of ACIP likely violated federal law. He ordered the appointments — and all decisions made by the reformed committee — put on hold.
Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon said: “HHS looks forward to this judge’s decision being overturned just like his other attempts to keep the Trump administration from governing.”
ACIP was scheduled to meet this week to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, among other issues, but that gathering was being postponed.
“ACIP as currently constituted cannot meet,” said Richard Hughes IV, an attorney representing the AAP. “How can a committee meet without nearly the entirety of its membership?”
Stobbe writes for the Associated Press.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto named Dodgers’ opening-day starter once again
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PHOENIX — It’s only fitting that the pitcher who recorded the Dodgers’ final eight outs of the World Series will take the mound on opening day, as the club tries to pick up where it left off in 2025 and chase a third straight championship in 2026.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will toe the rubber for the March 26 opener at Dodger Stadium against the Arizona Diamondbacks — the second straight year he’s had the honor and the first time at home, after pitching last season’s opener in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs.
Roberts added Yamamoto is expected to return to Camelback Ranch soon, after participating in the World Baseball Classic with Team Japan. The Samurai Warriors, seeking a second straight WBC title, were eliminated by Team Venezuela Saturday night in the quarterfinals.
Yamamoto is expected to make one more start in the Cactus League before opening day, although the date has yet to be scheduled, according to Roberts.
Shohei Ohtani returned to Dodgers camp Monday morning, and Roberts plans to have a conversation with him soon about configuring his throwing plan leading up to regular season play. Per Roberts, Ohtani threw four innings in a simulated game while with Team Japan last Thursday.
“He’s going to get here and throw a bullpen,” Roberts said, adding: “I’m trying to figure out when we can get him into a game, but it should be here in the next day or two, to take some at bats. But as far as his progression, there’s going to be a bullpen soon, and [we’re] trying to figure out what day he’s going to pitch this week. It should be this week, but I’m not sure which day yet.”
Ohtani has not pitched in a Cactus League game and did not pitch in the WBC. Roberts does not expect the four-time MVP to be fully stretched out by the start of the regular season. Still, as Roberts notes, he’s further along than he was at this time a year ago, when he was working his way back from Tommy John surgery.
“I think this year we’re certainly north of that, I don’t see how we won’t be able to get to three or four innings in a major league game, so that’s certainly a better jumping-off point than last year, so we’ll see how it goes,” Roberts said.
Beyond Yamamoto, Ohtani and trusty veteran Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers’ back end of the rotation is still taking shape. Though Roberts had considered a six-man rotation to begin regular season play, he indicated Monday that he expects the club to use a five-man rotation, noting that things are still “fluid.”
Last week, Roberts said he “didn’t see a world in which Roki Sasaki doesn’t break [camp] as a starter.” That would leave one rotation spot up for the taking, with 25-year-old Justin Wrobleski, 26-year-old Emmet Sheehan and 27-year-old River Ryan among those in the running.
Six of the best places for a pint of Guinness this St Patrick’s Day
IF there’s ever a time to sink a pint of Guinness, it’s got to be today, which is St Patrick’s Day.
You’ll likely find the best pour in its birthplace of Ireland, but there are plenty of bars all over the world pulling stouts for punters.
Sophie Swietochowski shares her pick of unlikely destinations to pick up a Guinness, along with some holiday deals for those who are tempted.
NEPAL
THE aptly named Irish Pub is not only in one of the most off-grid locations in this list — being in the small town of Namche Bazaar — it’s also one of the highest boozers in the world.
Many claim it’s the most difficult pub to reach because of its position in the gateway to Mount Everest.
OK, it may be a two-day hike to get there but it’s well worth it for the views — and at least you can reward yourself with a well-deserved pint at the end.
GO: NEPAL
Return flight from Heathrow to Kathmandu via Doha start at £880.
See qatarairways. com.
Rooms at Hotel Khangri cost from £41 per night.
See expedia.co.uk.
NORWAY
ON Paddy’s Day, punters sink Guinness like its medicine, so what could be a more fitting setting than a 19th-century pharmacy?
Svanen, in the Norwegian capital Oslo, ranks 32 in the 50 Best Bars in the world list, with its traditional glass medicine cabinets, marble columns and black and white tiled floors still intact.
You’d be hard pushed to find a quirkier joint for sipping the dark stuff.
GO: NORWAY
Seven nights’ B&B at the 3H Scandic Fornebu is from £409pp including flights from Stansted on April 8.
Luggage and transfers not included (loveholidays.com).
JAMAICA
RICK’S Cafe has to be one of the most spectacular spots to enjoy a pint, with sweeping views of the Caribbean Sea that are best enjoyed at sunset.
The bar-cum-restaurant in the town of Negril has become a popular spot for cliff jumpers thanks to its hilltop perch, 35ft above a clear and perfectly blue ocean.
A pint of Guinness will set you back a fiver.
GO: JAMAICA
Seven nights’ all-inclusive at the 5H Riu Negril is from £1,264pp including flights from London Gatwick on May 4 with 23kg hold luggage and transfers.
See tui.co.uk.
THE FAROE ISLANDS
THIS collection of volcanic islands, floating in the sea between the UK, Norway and Iceland, are so unspoilt that it’s hard to picture a bar here being anything more than a few tables and a weathered gent serving only the local poison.
But the Irish Pub (again) is a little more than that.
Located in the capital Torshavn, this charming spot offers lovely views of the harbour.
You may even spot seals, whales and dolphins, too.
GO: THE FAROE ISLANDS
Seven nights’ room-only at the 4H Hotel Foroyar is from £902pp including flights from Heathrow on May 4.
See expedia.co.uk.
ICELAND
IT may be better known for attracting geography enthusiasts than stout-loving stags, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t places serving the black stuff in the Land of Fire and Ice.
Den Danske Kro is a lively spot in capital Reykjavik with Danish-style furnishings and a wide selection of beers on tap — including the Irish favourite for £9.
GO: ICELAND
Seven nights’ B&B at the 4H Reykjavik Lights Hotel is from £705pp including flights from Manchester on April 22 with 23kg hold luggage and transfers.
Price also includes two excursions: Hunt For The Northern Lights and Golden Circle tour. See tui.co.uk.
CZECH REPUBLIC
IN capital Prague, pints are poured with a side serving of history.
Its Old Town dates back more than 1,000 years and is dominated by the Baroque Church of St Nicholas and the dramatic Kinsky Palace.
And just off the square you’ll find Waxy Malone’s.
A pour of Guinness here will set you back around a fiver.
GO: CZECH REPUBLIC
Three nights’ B&B at 4H Plaza Prague Hotel starts at £200pp including flights from Gatwick on May 31 with hand luggage only.
See tui.co.uk.