DOD agrees to continue supporting Scouting America after ‘key reforms’
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
Tankers Vacate Al Udeid Air Base As U.S. Citizens Are Urged To Leave Israel Immediately (Updated)
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.
U.S. citizens should “consider leaving Israel while commercial flights are available,” the U.S. Department of State said in an advisory message.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Meanwhile, U.S. military assets continue to flow into the wider region.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, together with its carrier strike group, is due to arrive near the coast of Israel in the coming hours. The USS Abraham Lincoln is already sailing in waters south of Iran. The naval force in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean is the largest in the region since five carrier battle groups assembled at the outset of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, according to Washington-based think-tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
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.
Update: 4:41 PM Eastern –
Rubio 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,” he announced on X. “Iran must end this abhorrent practice and immediately free all unjustly detained Americans.”
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.“
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.
Trump insisted that Iran not enrich any uranium.
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.”
More countries cancelled flights to Israel and Iran.
Meanwhile, FCDO is advising against all but essential travel to Israel.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Who is Brit Award-winning musician PinkPantheress?
PINKPANTHERESS has become the first woman and the youngest ever artist to be named the BRIT Awards’ 2026 Producer 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.
Who is PinkPantheress?
PinkPantheress, real name Victoria Beverley Walker, is a British singer-songwriter and record producer.
Known for her unique, instantly recognisable music style that has been dubbed “New Nostalgia”, the artist has picked up multiple awards for her music.
She was named Producer of the Year by Billboard Women in Music in 2024, whilst earning nominations for five Brit Awards and two Grammy 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.
Read More on the Brit Awards
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 the UK Singles Chart, winning her BBC‘s Sound of 2022 poll.
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 the UK Albums Chart.
What did she win a Brit Award for?
Last year, PinkPantheress shared the mixtape Fancy That and 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 through Warner 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.”
Democrats push for war powers vote over U.S. attack on Iran
Democrats are pushing for a vote next week on a resolution to curtail President Trump’s authority to conduct strikes in Iran, a move that would reassert Congress’ role in approving the use of military might.
The effort was already underway to force a vote on a war powers resolution, but it gained fresh momentum as the U.S. and Israel bombed Iran beginning early Saturday, an action that Trump referred to in a video shortly afterward as “war.” House Democratic leaders announced this week — before the strikes — that they would begin procedures to force a floor vote on a resolution for Iran.
The resolution directs Trump to terminate the use of armed forces against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by Congress. Presidents of both parties have skirted around war powers resolutions in the past.
Passage is uncertain in the Republican-controlled House and Senate, with GOP members of both chambers expressing initial support for the bombing of Iran. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) praised the attacks Saturday and said to reporters that the administration “better well make it about getting new leadership and regime change.”
But the effort for a war powers vote has gained the support of at least two House Republicans, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Warren Davidson of Ohio, making it possible for the measure to pass the House if enough Democrats support the measure and enough members show up for the final vote.
On the Senate side, Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky, who voted for an earlier war powers resolution, said he would “oppose another presidential war.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Iran “is a bad actor and must be aggressively confronted for its human rights violations, nuclear ambitions, support of terrorism and the threat it poses” to allies in the region.
“However, absent exigent circumstances, the Trump administration must seek authorization for the preemptive use of military force that constitutes an act of war,” Jeffries’ statement said.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), a California Democrat who is co-sponsoring the resolution with Massie, urged lawmakers to reconvene in Washington on Monday to vote, calling the strikes the launch of “an illegal regime change war in Iran with American lives at risk.”
Massie on social media described the attack as “acts of war unauthorized by Congress.”
The resolution faced initial opposition from staunch pro-Israel House Democrats Jared Moskowitz of Florida and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the Senate should pass the resolution but didn’t outright oppose the strikes. He complained that the administration did not lay out its case to Congress or the public.
Trump would surely veto the resolution if passed, but substantial GOP votes for it could persuade him to limit the attacks on Iran. The Senate passed a procedural vote for a resolution against the strikes in January that culminated in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, after which the White House sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Capitol Hill to testify to members.
The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, but no president since Franklin D. Roosevelt in World War II has used that formal declaration, instead relying on less expansive authorization to deploy military force. Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in 1973 to slow the Vietnam War.
However, most presidents have sought some level of buy-in and approval from Congress, which approves the budget for the Pentagon.
“The Constitution is clear: The decision to take this nation to war rests with Congress, and launching large-scale military operations — particularly in the absence of an imminent threat to the United States — raises serious legal and constitutional concerns,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said in a statement. “Congress must be fully briefed, and the administration must come forward with a clear legal justification.”
Other Senate Democrats, including Tim Kaine of Virginia and Andy Kim of New Jersey, have also urged their chamber to vote on a similar measure to put checks on Trump’s use of military force in Iran.
Rubio notified the so-called Gang of Eight — the top congressional leaders in the House and Senate and on the intelligence committees — of the strikes, the White House said.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, defended the strikes as “pivotal and necessary.”
“The President has stated the operation’s goals clearly: thwart permanently the ayatollahs’ desire to create a nuclear weapon, degrade their ballistic missile force and their production capacity, and destroy their naval and terrorism capabilities,” Wicker said in a statement.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) noted in his statement: “This is not how a democracy goes to war.”
Wasson writes for Bloomberg.
High school baseball and softball: Friday’s scores
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL
Friday’s Results
BASEBALL
CITY SECTION
Bravo 6, Rancho Dominguez 5
Collins Family 19, Reseda 12
Eagle Rock 6, Glendale 0
El Camino Real 8, Sun Valley Poly 5
Garfield 9, LA Marshall 8
Granada Hills 6, Sylmar 1
Hollywood 16, RFK Community 6
LA Wilson 6, Fairfax 2
Port of Los Angeles 12, Westchester 3
Roybal 20, Mendez 1
SOCES 14, Grant 3
South Gate 7, Granada Hills Kennedy 6
Torres 21, Hawkins 2
Washington Prep 32, Alliance Ouchi 15
SOUTHERN SECTION
Alhambra 4, Pasadena 2
Aliso Niguel 6, San Juan Hills 3
Anaheim 8, Garden Grove 5
Anaheim Canyon 4, Woodcrest Christian 2
Apple Valley 15, Desert Hot Springs 1
Aquinas 4, Grand Terrace 0
Beaumont 6, Orange Vista 1
Bishop Amat 19, St. Paul 11
Bolsa Grande 6, Santa Ana 2
Canyon Springs 6, Big Bear 2
Capistrano Valley Christian 4, Santa Fe 3
Chadwick 11, Downey Calvary Chapel 1
Chaffey 8, Jurupa Valley 5
Channel Islands 11, Del Sol 0
Chino 14, Eastside 0
Chino Hills 11, La Palma Kennedy 2
Costa Mesa 7, Orange County Pacifica Christian 4
Crean Lutheran 16, Patriot 4
Dana Hills 5, Corona Del Mar 1
Diamond Bar 4, Baldwin Park 3
Downey 6, Loara 4
El Modena 1, Palm Desert 0
El Toro 9, Katella 7
Fountain Valley 4, Tesoro 1
Gabrielino 13, Workman 6
Gahr 1, El Dorado 0
Golden Valley 11, Vasquez 9
Hart 4, Alemany 2
Heritage Christian 4, Oak Park 1
Hillcrest 7, Tustin 1
Inglewood 16, Animo Leadership 12
Jurupa Hills 6, Shadow Hills 3
La Canada 9, Arcadia 2
La Salle 8, St. Bernard 7
Los Alamitos 8, Yucaipa 1
Los Altos 3, Ontario Christian 2
Lucerne Valley 14, Mojave 2
Mission Viejo 1, Woodbridge 0
Montclair 5, Covina 4
Montebello 4, West Covina 3
Moorpark 7, Rio Mesa 3
Murrieta Mesa 11, Rancho Buena Vista 1
Newbury Park 11, Hueneme 3
Newport Harbor 6, Santa Ana Foothill 1
Northwood 12, Laguna Hills 6
Oaks Christian 10, Calabasas 4
Ontario 10, Nogales 7
Orange 4, Buena Park 2
Orange Lutheran 10, Crespi 0
Palm Springs 7, San Gorgonio 1
Paloma Valley 10, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 4
Placentia Valencia 13 Esperanza 10
Rancho Cucamonga 3, Don Lugo 2
Redondo Union 3, Millikan 0
Rosemead 5, Pioneer 1
Rubidoux 10, Bethel Christian 3
San Clemente 5, La Habra 1
Santa Ana Valley 12, Whitney 5
Santa Barbara 4, Arroyo Grande 2
Santa Margarita 4, Loyola 3
Savanna 14, Magnolia 4
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 2, Servite 0
Sierra Canyon 3, West Ranch 1
Sonora 6, California 3
South Hills 4, Bonita 0
St. Bonaventure 7, Malibu 0
St. John Bosco 8, La Serna 0
Sultana 9, Palmdale 3
Sunny Hills 3, El Rancho 0
Twentynine Palms 23, Cathedral City 4
United Christian Academy 12, Pacific 12
University Prep 8, CIMSA 3
Valley View 10, Tahquitz 9
Villa Park 6, Corona Santiago 5
Western 4, Lynwood 3
Western Christian 12, Serrano 9
Westlake 6, Highland 1
Westminster La Quinta 16, Westminster 0
Whittier 8, Rowland 2
Yorba Linda 16, Lakewood 0
INTERSECTIONAL
Anza Hamilton 13, Bonsall 4
Bell 10, South El Monte 1
Birmingham 4, San Marcos 2
Carson 5, West Torrance 0
Environmental Charter 8, Gardena 8
JSerra 17, Prosper (TX) 9
Legacy 3, Salesian 1
Leuzinger 11, King/Drew 0
Murrieta Valley 7, Wilmington Banning 4
Oakwood 10, North Hollywood 5
Williams Field (AZ) 5, Warren 4
SOFTBALL
CITY SECTION
Maywood Academy 24, Santee 5
Maywood CES 17, Diego Rivera 3
Monroe 21, Grant 18
Narbonne 10, Bell 3
Northridge Academy 8, Cleveland 5
Reseda 16, Bernstein 6
SOCES 20, Hollywood 9
South Gate 14, LA Wilson 13
Torres 22, Hawkins 10
Van Nuys 18, Vaughn 8
SOUTHERN SECTION
AAE 12, Arroyo Valley 9
Antelope Valley 15, Santa Clarita Christian 8
Arroyo Valley 9, Rim of the World 4
Bethel Christian 7, Rubidoux 6
Bishop Montgomery 18, Bellflower 5
Bonita 11, Maui 1
Bolsa Grande 22, Century 8
Calvary Baptist 18, Pomona 7
Citrus Valley 15, Laguna Hills 0
Corona Centennial 13, Dana Hills 1
Costa Mesa 10, Westminster La Quinta 4
Crean Lutheran 18, Artesia 1
Flintridge Sacred Heart 7, San Marino 2
Garey 4, Adelanto 3
Grand Terrace 4, Aquinas 1
Hemet 15, Temecula Valley 5
Heritage 12, Bloomington 6
Hesperia 14, Palm Springs 0
Hesperia Christian 16, Barstow 0
Hesperia Christian 8, Riverside Notre Dame 4
HMSA 18, Compton 6
JSerra 3, El Modena 0
Jurupa Hills 13, Twentynine Palms 2
Jurupa Hills 9, Santa Monica 6
Laguna Hills 10, Palm Springs 5
Lakewood St. Joseph 8, Cerritos 3
La Quinta 14, San Gorgonio 1
Leuzinger 10, Brentwood 0
Los Amigos 22, Estancia 2
Mojave 16, Lucerne Valley 1
Murrieta Mesa 10, Linfield Christian 0
Orange Vista 8, Apple Valley 4
Palm Desert 10, San Bernardino 7
Patriot 17, Ontario 7
Placentia Valencia 16, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 4
Rialto 22, Public Safety Academy 0
Riverside North 14, Yucca Valley 0
Riverside Prep 22, Rim of the World 0
San Jacinto 16, San Gorgonio 0
Santa Ana Valley 2, Orange 1
Santa Monica 11, Eisenhower 2
Santa Paula 8, Castaic 6
Simi Valley 4, Rio Mesa 4
St. Genevieve 14, Faith Baptist 0
Sultana 2, Canyon Springs 1
University Prep 14, Barstow 0
West Covina 15, Arroyo 13
Western Christian 7, San Jacinto 1
Woodcrest Christian 20, Vista del Lago 0
Yucca Valley 8, San Bernardino 5
INTERSECTIONAL
Animo Venice 13, Lennox Academy 2
Bonita 13, Kauai (HI) 0
Modesto 24, Portola 1
North Torrance 7, San Pedro 2
Rancho Dominguez 16, Long Beach Jordan 0
Sierra Canyon 4, Chatsworth 0
Taft 14, Calabasas 3
Trabuco Hills 20, Modesto 1
Wilmington Banning 6, South Torrance 4
Workman 10, Baldwin Park 9
OpenAI hauls in $110B in third round of funding
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
UK planes 'in the sky' in Middle East as part of defensive operation, PM says
Sir Keir Starmer says protections for British bases and personnel have been stepped up to their highest level.
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The Napa Boys’ review: In-jokes galore for gross-out-comedy connoisseurs
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.
‘The Napa Boys’
Not rated
Running time: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Playing: Opens Friday, Feb. 27 in limited release
Mayor Karen Bass is pulling Nithya Raman from her post at the AQMD.
Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s Noah Goldberg, with an assist from David Zahniser, giving you the latest on city and county government.
When Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman launched her bid for mayor, her decision stunned many of the city’s political players, in large part because she had endorsed Karen Bass’ reelection a few weeks earlier.
Since Raman jumped into the race, those politicos have been searching for clues as to why Raman broke so completely with Bass, going from ally to opponent.
Now, an additional data point has emerged that, at minimum, signals that Bass and Raman were not as simpatico as they seemed.
Last month, Bass quietly took steps to drop Raman from the powerful board that oversees the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Raman had been serving in that role since 2022, when she was appointed by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Bass’ team said they notified Raman’s office on Jan. 16 that the mayor planned to select someone else to represent her on the AQMD’s 13-member board, which works to ensure that more than 17 million people across four counties — Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino — have cleaner air.
Raman’s term expired last month, and Bass has not announced a replacement. Until that happens, Raman will continue to serve in the post.
Bass spokesperson Amanda Crumley did not provide an explanation for Bass’ decision but said it was not prompted by any policy disagreements between the two.
“The Mayor has 60 days to appoint a new council member to the AQMD, and she and her team started conversations with council members weeks ago in planning for the end of the term,” Crumley said. “As has been the plan for weeks, Mayor Bass will be moving forward with an appointment soon.”
Raman, in a statement, said that losing the AQMD seat was not a factor in her decision to run for mayor.
“During my time on the Board, I’ve been able to meaningfully push for cleaner air, stronger accountability for major polluters, and real progress on zero-emission freight and building standards that protect the health of Angelenos,” Raman said.
Raman said she learned she was being “removed” from her post in mid-January. On Jan. 27, Bass announced that Raman had endorsed her bid for a second term. A few days before that, the mayor’s team informed Raman’s office that they would be going public with her endorsement, according to a Bass campaign aide.
Raman launched her own mayoral campaign on Feb. 7, hours before the filing deadline, saying the city “can’t seem to manage the basics.”
Bass and Raman have mostly been in sync over the last three years, frequently appearing together and only occasionally revealing points of contention.
Raman, who lives in Silver Lake, opposed a package of pay increases for police officers, saying it was financially reckless. Bass, who resides in Windsor Square, said the raises and bonuses were needed to boost recruitment at the Los Angeles Police Department, which has lost 1,300 officers since 2020.
Last year, Raman also opposed a $2.6-billion plan to upgrade the Convention Center. She called the project a budget buster, while Bass said it is needed to revitalize downtown and the region’s economy.
The mayor’s move at the AQMD suggests the two may have disagreed in another policy area. But the back story is tough to decode.
One possible clue: the AQMD’s recent approval of a major agreement to bring zero-emissions technology to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The agreement commits the ports to add electric truck chargers, hydrogen fuel pumps and other technology aimed at eliminating diesel pollution.
At one point, Raman pushed for a more aggressive “rulemaking” approach that would give the AQMD enforcement power if the ports failed to meet certain emissions goals, according to a source with knowledge of the process, who asked to remain unnamed.
Bass favored a less regulatory approach — a cooperative agreement between AQMD and the ports, the source said. That strategy was also favored by the shipping industry and organized labor.
In the end, Raman voted in favor of the cooperative agreement, while acknowledging outside criticism of the decision. She said she supported the agreement to keep the AQMD from “continuing a decade of inaction.”
Environmental groups were disappointed. Bill Magavern, policy director for the Coalition for Clean Air, said the AQMD “adopted a weak, unenforceable agreement when what the board had committed to doing for years was an actual enforceable limit on emissions.”
Magavern said he thinks there were times that Raman, as a Bass appointee, “felt compelled to go along with the mayor’s wishes.” At the same time, he expressed some concern about Raman’s departure.
“We are sorry to see her leave the board because we think the AQMD needs to face up to our air pollution challenges,” Magavern said. “We certainly hope that Bass will appoint someone who is willing to stand up for clean air and take on polluting special interests.”
For now, Raman’s name still appears on the AQMD website as a member of the board. Its next meeting is on Friday.
State of play
— BIGGER IS BETTER: The city’s Charter Reform Commission recommended this week that the City Council grow to 25 members, up from 15. The citizens panel also called for the city to switch to ranked-choice voting, with voters choosing their candidates in order of preference. Both proposals could wind up on the city’s ballot in November, depending on the wishes of the council.
— FEDS SWOOP IN: The FBI raided the home and office of L.A. Unified schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho this week, in what appears to be a probe involving a company that developed an AI chatbot for the nation’s second-largest school system. Two days later, the school board placed Carvalho on paid leave.
— HEADING TO COURT: Former Fire Chief Kristin Crowley sued the city of Los Angeles this week, saying the mayor retaliated against her in an attempt to shift blame over the city’s handling of the Palisades fire. A Bass aide said the lawsuit has no merit. The council decided to pay Crowley’s successor, Fire Chief Jaime Moore, nearly $474,000 per year.
— ‘RED HOT COALS’: Meanwhile, a Los Angeles firefighter said in sworn testimony that he sounded the alarm about the inadequate mop-up of the Lachman fire — and was blown off by a captain — days before the embers reignited into the deadly Palisades fire.
— SIGNATURE SEARCH: Wednesday’s deadline for candidates to turn in their petitions for the June 2 primary election is fast approaching. So far, six mayoral candidates have qualified for the ballot — Bass, Raman and four others: housing advocate Rae Huang, engineering manager Asaad Alnajjar, political scientist Juanita Lopez and technical architect Andrej Selivra.
— WHO ELSE IS IN? All of the incumbents have qualified: City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto, City Controller Kenneth Mejia and Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez, Katy Yaroslavsky, Monica Rodriguez, Traci Park, Hugo Soto-Martínez and Tim McOsker.
According to the City Clerk’s latest update, the challengers so far are Deputy Atty. Gen. Marissa Roy, running for city attorney; real estate executive Zach Sokoloff, running for city controller; and council candidates Maria Lou Calanche, Nelson Grande, Jose Ugarte and Faizah Malik.
— GIVING BACK GRANTS: About $100 million in state funding for transportation projects in Boyle Heights, Wilmington and Skid Row is now in jeopardy because the city doesn’t have the staff to complete the projects. The issue is part of the fallout from last year’s $1-billion budget shortfall, when city leaders cut hundreds of vacant positions.
— RIDING THE RAILS: The long-awaited extension of the Metro D Line subway, once known as the Purple Line, will finally make its debut on May 8. The extension will take subway riders west from Koreatown to La Cienega Boulevard, with brand-new stations at La Brea and Fairfax avenues.
— ANIMAL ATTACK: A jury has awarded $5.4 million to a woman who was mauled by a dog at an L.A. animal shelter, the latest in a string of such cases. The woman said neither the shelter nor the rescue group she worked for told her about the dog’s bite history.
— BAR FIGHT: Downtown LA Law Group, the firm at the center of the scandal over Los Angeles County’s $4-billion sex abuse settlement, is fighting to keep thousands of documents out of the hands of state bar investigators. The bar launched its probe after The Times reported that nine DTLA clients said they had been paid to sue the county over alleged sex abuse.
— DON’T JUMP: An LAPD officer who went on disability and then was caught skydiving now faces criminal charges. Christopher Brandon Carnahan, 43, committed insurance fraud by exaggerating the extent of an on-duty work injury, according to the D.A.’s office.
— SIDELINED SUPERVISORS: L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger recently sounded off on the governance overhaul coming to the county. Appearing at the Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum, Barger said the powerful new position of elected countywide CEO would relegate the supervisors to the realm of ribbon-cutting and little else.
“You’ll see a CEO that has autonomy to do what he or she wants with no term limits, veto power,” Barger said. “Quite frankly, I think the supervisors are going to be in name only.”
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Netball Super League: Nottingham Forest beat Mavericks 60-59 in thriller
London Mavericks head coach Tamsin Greenway sent out her players in a range of kits, with shorts, skirts, skorts, leggings and vests all being options this season for the capital side.
They are the only NSL team going all-out to provide their players with such an outfit choice in a sport where dresses have long been the norm.
Greenway says the traditions of women’s sportswear come from “the olden days”, which is why she welcomed news of the change.
Former England player Greenway told BBC Sport: “When it was presented to me, I hadn’t even thought about it because netball is played in dresses, right? I know the dress is iconic for many people.
“But as a 12-year-old kid I wouldn’t have wanted to play [in a dress] – I was a proper tomboy, I wore shorts and T-shirts and loved my football team who wore that, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed [wearing a dress].
“You’re out there putting out your best, so you want to look your best, feel your best, so why should there not be options for that, as long as it all looks like a uniform, which it does.
“Most of these teams won’t train in dresses – in what other sport do you wear a completely different outfit to what you actually perform in?”
U.S. reaffirms openness to talks with North Korea, Seoul says
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.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260227010008277
I visited world famous space attraction where you train to be an astronaut
IT is ten past midnight as I watch a rocket blasting off and lighting up the sky for miles as it begins its mind-boggling journey to space.
For residents in Florida it is just another day, and many only find the rumble of the sonic boom a minor inconvenience.
But for Brits like me, even watching it from afar is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Florida is the centre of the world when it comes to space travel. In April, the Artemis II Space Launch System rocket will aim to send astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972. Right now, it is sat at the famous Launch Complex 39B.
And nowhere can you delve deeper into the history of space travel than at the neighbouring Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
A 45-minute drive from Orlando, the centre opened in 1967 and has expanded so much that I couldn’t fit everything into my two-day visit.
But top of my list was the Spaceport KSC attraction, where you head to a futuristic boarding gate and go on one of four motion theatre rides, taking you on a virtual journey to Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.
It’s a perfect example of what the Kennedy Space Center does well — combining a thirst for knowledge with the demand from thrillseekers.
There’s a virtual reality game called Hyperdeck and the Atlantis Shuttle Launch Experience, where you feel what a space launch is like.
The complex is a visual spectacle from the beginning, with the Rocket Garden, featuring towering spacecraft of the past, a must-do.
I joined one of the regular 15-minute tours, and my guide Richard gave an overview of the space race with the Soviet Union and the significance of each of the rockets.
From there, there are exhibits on everything you could want to know about Nasa, SpaceX, Blue Origin and what’s next.
The Heroes & Legends building tells the story of Nasa’s early programmes and the astronauts who paved the way, while Race To The Moon explores everything that led to the 1969 Apollo 11 space landing — and features one of the 111-metre Saturn V rockets, which was used for missions to the lunar surface.
That building is accessed via the bus tour of the area, included in the ticket price, where you can pass the monumental VAB building, where rockets are still built to this day.
It was where the Apollo 11 rocket was built and features the largest doors in the world. It is so vast, you could fit the Empire State Building in it three and a half times.
Back on the main lot, one of the most interesting exhibits is Nasa Now + Next.
It’s one of the newest attractions and gives information about what is next in our exploration of the solar system — and the very real likelihood of mainstream space tourism.
You’ll also have the chance to hear directly from those who have made it into space. Bill McArthur, an astronaut who went on three space shuttle missions, did a live Q&A during my visit.
For me, it was well worth the additional $50 price tag, which came with refreshments and a signed photo.
We talked to him about everything from how you go to the toilet in zero gravity — the logistics are fairly complex — to how he thinks we will be sending people up in rockets for years to come.
There’s so much to see and do, with live science shows, two different IMAX shows and an Astronaut Training Experience.
And for the youngsters, there is Planet Play — a three-storey interactive soft play centre, where parents can relax at the bar while the kids let off some steam.
The space centre has an app to plan your day, with an event calendar and show notifications as well as alerts about forthcoming launches, so it’s well worth downloading.
It is located on Merritt Island, a wildlife refuge area of 140,000 acres, which is popular with raccoons, bobcats, tortoises and yes, alligators, which I saw plenty of on the short drive from my hotel.
The Courtyard by Marriott Titusville has spacious rooms and views over the Indian River, as well as a pool, gym and plenty of space goodies to keep the theme going.
You can rent telescopes and binoculars and each room features solar system projectors to bring the night’s sky inside.
But the real star is the Space Bar, complete with space-themed cocktails. It is the perfect location to watch launches from.
As well as being about as close as you can get to the action, the hotel live-streams the launches so you can hear exactly what is going on at the launch pad in the lead-up.
That’s an out-of-this-world experience I won’t forget.
GO: KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
GETTING THERE: Aer Lingus has fares from Heathrow to Orlando via Dublin from £289 each way. See aerlingus.com.
STAYING THERE: Rooms at Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Center from £122 per night, room-only. See marriott.co.uk.
OUT & ABOUT: Kennedy Space Center single-day tickets from £77 for adults and £50 for children. Two-day tickets from £68 and £60. See kennedyspacecenter.com.
Scenes of destruction in Iran after US-Israeli strikes | Israel-Iran conflict
Footage from Tehran shows burned vehicles, wrecked buildings, towering plumes of smoke, and a massive crater after US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Published On 28 Feb 2026
Amanda Holden says ‘the old Simon Cowell is back’ as BGT head judge ditches ‘Mr Soft act’
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.
READ MORE:
READ MORE: Britain’s Got Talent viewers say ‘this is sick’ as royal tribute ‘not good timing’
READ MORE:
READ MORE: Britain’s Got Talent’s Simon Cowell hits golden buzzer after very dramatic audition
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!”
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Growing soccer forfeits could lead to change in CIF Bylaw 600
Forfeits by high school boys’ soccer teams in the City Section and Southern Section playoffs continued Friday as both sections try to deal with violations of CIF Bylaw 600, which prohibits players from participating in outside leagues during their sports season.
Calabasas pulled out of the Southern Section Division 3 championship because of an ineligible player. Chavez became the sixth City Section school eliminated from the playoffs for using an ineligible player and was replaced by Chatsworth for the City Division I final.
There’s also an allegation about another Southern Section team that could result in another forfeit in the final.
Some high schools thought they had found a solution by not allowing players to play until after their club seasons ended in early December. Cathedral had several players miss its first three games because of several big club tournaments in November and early December.
“You communicate to students and parents,” Cathedral coach Arturo Lopez said. “Unfortunately, there’s more and more academies now.”
Ron Nocetti, the executive director of the CIF, said, “I think we have to have conversations with our sections.”
CIF membership repeatedly has rejected the proposal of getting rid of Bylaw 600. Schools don’t want to have their coaches battling it out weekly with club coaches, which also would place additional pressure on athletes dealing with school work and then having to do double workouts.
The balancing act for students already is tough enough, with the amount of club teams growing in a lot of sports because it’s a lucrative business. The CIF briefly suspended the rule during the pandemic in 2020 but quickly reinstated it.
The problem is club soccer programs are holding competitions in the middle of the high school season, and players, knowing the rule that you can’t play high school and club at the same time, apparently have decided to try to do both with the hope of not getting caught.
This year, they are getting caught. Emails alleging violations started arriving to City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos before the semifinals. If a player is found to have played club, the high school team has to forfeit, and if it happens during the playoffs, the team is eliminated.
Usually the pressure is on schools to make sure rules are not violated, but for Bylaw 600, schools can do everything right and still be punished for a player violating the rule on their own.
Several leagues are expected to present proposals to get rid of Bylaw 600. Nocetti said membership might be open to adopting changes.
“Maybe this is a tipping point for schools saying maybe it’s time to make a big change with the rule,” he said.
Over 50 killed in strike on girls’ elementary school in Iran | Israel-Iran conflict
Footage from Minab, Iran, shows the aftermath of an Israeli-US strike on a girls’ elementary school that reportedly killed more than 50 people.
Published On 28 Feb 2026
Inside Israel’s ‘normal’: Triumphalism and calm mix after attack on Iran | Israel-Iran conflict News
Commentators within Israel have described a sense of business as usual in the wake of the country’s joint attack with the United States against Iran.
“It’s Saturday, so the streets are naturally quiet,” political analyst Ori Goldberg said from outside Tel Aviv, as he returned from his shelter for the second time.
“I think, politically, there’s a sense of triumphalism, of having attacked an enemy regime. Not really because we’re greatly invested in the future of the Iranian people, but because, through the genocide on Gaza, we’ve devalued human life,” he said, referring to the Israeli attacks on the besieged territory since October 2023.
Returning to shelters around the country is now the stuff of everyday life for most Israelis, he said.
Israel has been on high alert since it launched a wave of attacks on Iran, the country that its leaders have consistently portrayed as its nemesis for decades.
Announcing the attack through a video post on X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the attack in characteristically apocalyptic terms, saying Israel and the US had launched attacks to “remove the existential threat posed [to Israel] by the terror regime in Iran”, and going on to call upon the Iranian people to rise against their own leaders in response to the US and Israeli unprovoked strikes upon their cities.
Iran has retaliated with its own waves of missiles and drones against Israel and US assets in the region. At least one person was reported wounded in northern Israel.
But the latest strikes against Iran were met warmly by Israel’s political elite.
“I want to remind us all: The people of Israel are strong. The IDF [Israeli army] and the Air Force are strong. The strongest power in the world stands with us,” opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote on social media, referring to the US.
“In moments like these we stand together – and we win together. There is no coalition and no opposition, only one people and one IDF, with all of us behind them.”
In a subsequent post written in Farsi, he echoed the prime minister’s calls for Iran to enact regime change from within, a longstanding Israeli policy.
‘It’s crazy’
Accounts of the relative calm in Israel stand in sharp contrast to previous escalations, when sources described panic and bulk buying before an anticipated Iranian response to the wave of strikes Israel launched against targets in Iran.
“People here are well trained,” Aida Touma-Suleiman, a Palestinian member of the Israeli parliament representing the left-wing Hadash-Ta’al faction, which is almost alone in opposing the strikes, said from her apartment near Haifa, where she had just returned from her shelter.
“This is what they’re saying all the time in the media: How well-trained and ready we are. It’s crazy. I don’t think any country in the world has experienced more war than we have, so this is what they mean by ‘trained’,” she said, referencing the wars on Iran, Lebanon, Yemen and Gaza that Israel has waged since the Hamas-led attack of October 2023.
As Touma-Suleiman spoke, she was interrupted by an alarm on her phone. “That’s not the alert. That’s a warning on my phone telling me there’s going to be an alert and then I’ll have to return to the shelter,” she explained, laughing drily. “You see what I mean about being well trained?”
Texting from Israel, Ahron Bregman, a senior teaching fellow at the Department for War Studies at King’s College London, described the relative calm and almost relief felt by many within the country that the uncertainty over war with Iran was at an end.
“Both Israel and the US are after the Iranian leadership. They hope to weaken it substantially, though I doubt they could topple it from the air,” he said, raising the possibility of a prolonged conflict.
However, how ready Israel might be for a lengthy war, and to what degree that might be Israel’s choice, was far from certain, Touma-Suleiman said.
“It will be the United States that determines how long the war will be. They’ll continue until they’ve achieved whatever it is they want,” she said.
“I don’t think Israel is ready for that. People are exhausted. The army is exhausted. I don’t know if they even have the reserves to manage a long war, and this is what Netanyahu is willing to gamble with, just so he can say to the public before elections: ‘Here is at least one victory.’”
Lottie Moss reveals she’s been rushed to hospital for second time this week as she shares snap from A&E
LOTTIE Moss has revealed she’s in hospital for the second time this week, leaving fans worried.
The model, 28, who is the half-sister to Kate Moss, first revealed earlier this week that she was in hospital and shared a picture of her food in a medical boot.
However, she didn’t reveal what had happened to it.
Now, Lottie has taken to her Instagram Stories to reveal she’s back in A&E just days later.
Recording herself in the waiting area with boyfriend Themy Kalaitzis, Lottie had her hair bundled into a messy ponytail and a grey jumper on.
“Saturday dates,” art advisor Themy said to the camera, as Lottie laughed.
She captioned the post: “Guess who’s back in A&E second time in 1 week”.
Lottie again didn’t divulge what is wrong or the reason behind her hospital visit.
However, she did seem to have a dishcloth wrapped around her hand, with Themy holding it securely on.
Just four days prior, Lottie snapped a picture of her foot in a medical boot and wrote “FML”.
The star revealed her new romance with Themy last month, with the pair posting loved-up Instagram Stories and TikTok videos since.
She was previously in a relationship with musician Evan Campbell, but they split in June 2024.
Lottie has followed in her half-sister’s footsteps with a modelling career, and was also a star of adult-only subscription site OnlyFans.
But in 2024, the star revealed she had quit the adult content website after falling out with her family over it.
She said: “I lost a lot of friends from the modelling industry.
“My mum didn’t speak to me for weeks and my family was a little bit in turmoil over it.”
Jordan Chiles powers UCLA gymnastics to second straight Big Ten title
Led by another standout performance from Jordan Chiles, the No. 5 UCLA women’s gymnastics team clinched the Big Ten regular-season championship for the second consecutive year Friday night by winning its Big Four meet at Pauley Pavilion.
Chiles, who had the top all-around score of 39.625, helped UCLA defeat No. 18 Iowa, No. 19 Ohio State and No. 25 Maryland with an overall score of 196.950. Her 9.950 on the vault in the final rotation sealed the win.
“The thing I’m taking away from today is that they really are fighters,” UCLA coach Janelle McDonald said. “They really didn’t give up [at] any moment, and they really were just resilient through it all.”
Ciena Alipio opened with a 9.850 on the uneven bars. Tiana Sumanasekera followed it with a 9.750 before Nola Matthews, Sydney Barros and Chiles each scored a 9.900.
Alipio was impressed by how well Matthews performed on short notice.
“She is one to always kind of just put her head down and work, and I’m really proud of her to see her step up today,” Alipio said.
On the balance beam, Katelyn Rosen started with a 9.750 and Barros posted a 9.850. Flexing UCLA’s depth, Mika Webster-Longin received a 9.825 in her top routine. Chiles had a 9.825. In an almost-perfect routine, Alipio posted a 9.950. The mark helped UCLA extend its lead.
It wasn’t all good news for the Bruins on the first rotation — Rosen sustained a foot injury and was held out for the remainder of the meet.
“I’m hoping it’s not no big deal, but we’ll get her checked out and just want to take the precaution and pull her out of those lineups,” McDonald said.
UCLA’s Jordan Chiles competes on the balance beam Friday during a Big Ten quad meet at Pauley Pavilion.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
Matthews started the floor exercise in Rosen’s place, opening with a 9.675. Alipio followed with a 9.825, and Sumanasekera and Ashlee Sullivan posted scores of 9.875 and 9.900, respectively. Needing a big performance to keep their lead, Chiles did not disappoint, scoring a 9.950.
Matthews demonstrated the level of depth UCLA has leaned on throughout the season.
“I definitely can say that is a huge leadership role as a freshman,” Chiles said. “Being able to step in at a time like that … we trusted the fact that she was gonna go out there and do her job.”
UCLA’s Katelyn Rosen competes on balance beam during the Bruins’ quad meet win at Pauley Pavilion on Friday.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
Going into the last rotation, UCLA led Ohio State by just .150. The Bruins needed a strong performance on vault to claim the conference title.
Sumanasekera set the tone with a 9.850. Madisyn Anyimi followed with a 9.775. After replacing Rosen, Webster-Longin earned a 9.800 in her season debut on vault, and Sullivan posted a 9.850 before Chiles clinched the win.
But the Bruins want more.
“This is a regular season, we still have Big Ten championship, we have regionals and we have NCAA,” Chiles said.
The quad-meet experience was a learning curve, Alipio said. UCLA had to perform at a high level through the final routine to secure victory.
UCLA gymnast Ashlee Sullivan performs her floor routine during the Bruins’ quad meet win Friday at Pauley Pavilion.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
McDonald said adjusting to tough competition levels up UCLA. The Bruins hope the experience will pay dividends for the young team in the postseason.
“We just kept reminding them to just take a breath, stay present and just really trust their training and their preparation that they’ve had leading into today,” McDonald said.
After donning hats and shirts that commemorated their championship, the Bruins celebrated on the floor with cheers and pictures. But come next week, the work begins again.
“We fought, for sure, until the end,” Alipio said. “But we also know we’re going into the gym on Monday, and we’re putting our heads down and working because this wasn’t our best, but we have more to show everybody.”
Mizuho to cut 5,000 clerical jobs as AI rollout expands
A pedestrian walks past the corporate logo of Mizuho Financial Group Inc. displayed outside the headquarters of Mizuho Bank Ltd., its banking unit, in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by KIYOSHI OTA / EPA
Feb. 27 (Asia Today) — Mizuho Financial Group said it will reduce up to 5,000 clerical positions over the next decade as it accelerates the adoption of artificial intelligence across its operations, in a bid to improve profitability.
The Japanese megabank plans to shrink its nationwide administrative workforce of about 15,000 by as much as one-third through automation, organizational streamlining and natural attrition.
Under the plan, its core unit Mizuho Bank will deploy AI systems to handle document verification for account openings and fund transfers, as well as customer data registration. The bank aims to sharply reduce manual tasks such as document review and data entry.
An executive at the group said AI use could render “most clerical work unnecessary,” as automated systems take over scanning, analyzing and validating customer applications.
The AI platform will be designed to review document accuracy, ensure consistency in customer information and check compliance with regulations and internal rules – processes that previously required multiple staff members.
The bank said it will avoid direct layoffs and instead reassign affected employees to revenue-generating areas such as branch sales, corporate client analysis and operational support. The group will also expand reskilling programs to help workers transition into new roles. Staff reductions will rely on hiring freezes, retirements and voluntary departures.
Mizuho has already cut about 10,000 clerical jobs over the past decade through digitalization and expansion of online services. The latest plan signals a further shift away from back-office-heavy operations toward a leaner, AI-driven structure.
As part of an organizational overhaul set for April, the group will rename its “Administrative Group” to “Process Design Group,” reflecting a stronger emphasis on efficiency and digital process management.
The bank plans to invest up to 100 billion yen ($670 million) over three years from 2026 through 2028 to develop and implement AI systems. In addition to back-office automation, the investment will support the development of AI assistants for asset management. The tools are expected to analyze customers’ assets, risk profiles and cash flows to generate personalized investment and cash management proposals for retail and corporate clients.
Among Japan’s major megabanks, Mizuho is seen as the most aggressive in restructuring its clerical workforce around AI. Industry observers say the move could accelerate similar changes across the country’s financial sector.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260227010008338
The major airline that has the world’s biggest and best economy seats
FLYING in economy usually makes you think of leg pain thanks to limited space.
But one airline’s economy seats are known for having the opposite.
Japan Airlines is often considered as having one of the best and most spacious economy seats in the world, having won the Skytrax award for ‘Best Economy Class Airline Seat’ for six consecutive years.
For example, Japan Airlines has a seat pitch – that’s the distance between seats – of up to 86cm.
Other airlines usually have up to a maximum of 81cm.
The seats are also wider on a Japan Airlines flight, with the Boeing 787 Dreamliners using a 2-4-2 configuration, rather than 3-3-3.
Read more on travel inspo
This allows each seat to have an extra 5cm of room, reaching up to 48cm in total width.
There’s more room between armrests as well, ranging from 45cm to 48cm.
Seats also have 13-inch 4K entertainment screens, adjustable headrests, power outlets and built-in cup holders.
The food on board is next level too, as Japan Airlines collaborates with leading Japanese restaurants to create their in-flight meals.
And Brits can experience this as well…
Japan Airlines runs long-haul flights from London Heathrow to a number of destinations including Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Nagoya and Okinawa.
Japan Airlines flights from the UK usually start from around £700 return.
Last year, travel writer Jacob Lewis tried out the first cabin seats with built-in speakers, which were on Japan Airlines aircraft.
He said: “Settling into my private business class suite, I felt nervous as I queued up The Super Mario Bros Movie on my massive 24-inch 4K monitor.
“But it turns out my fears of disturbing my neighbours‘ peace were unfounded.
“Even with explosions raging at full volume through the headrest speakers, you couldn’t hear a peep from the aisle.
“I thoroughly tested this theory by enthusiastically blasting some aggressively peppy J-pop, but again, the audio seemed to be tuned perfectly to keep it confined to my seat.
“The speakers will truly come into their own if you’re the kind who likes to fall asleep to music or a movie.”
He also added that the rest of the cabin felt futuristic.
He said: “Each seat now comes with fully closing doors featuring translucent panels that feel private without being claustrophobic.
“There’s wireless charging built right into the console (no more wrestling with cables mid-flight) and a handy wardrobe space to store your shoes before you step inside, Japanese style, along with your jacket.
“The seat itself features pressure-dispersing cushions that make you forget you’re in an airplane seat at all, and the cabin crew will fetch a nice squishy memory foam-style mattress when it’s time to sleep.”
Skytrax’s best economy class airline seats 2025
- Japan Airlines
- Cathay Pacific Airways
- Korean Air
- Singapore Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- ANA All Nippon Airways
- Emirates
- STARLUX Airlines
- China Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
In other airline news, British Airways launches £2 flights to two European destinations – with a catch.
Plus, British Airways launches European holiday sale with 25% off flights and £200 off breaks – here are the best deals.
I’ve found best time to visit Disneyland Paris for cheaper hotels and much shorter queues
WE were all set for a summer beach holiday until a massive passport mishap saw my poor son turned away at the airport check-in desk.
So to make it up to him, I took him to Disneyland Paris — but in the depths of winter, would it be a hit?
As the mercury plunged across Europe, Rufus and I set out to enjoy a “tropical” break at Europe’s most famous theme park.
Tropical? Well, Disneyland Paris has 300,000 plants which create microclimates and as we wander in, the Arctic chill noticeably lessens. It is actually HOTTER in Disney than outside.
But how do the prices compare to sand, sea and sunshine?
January, February and March are certainly the best time to go for value.
In March this year, stays in a Disney hotel cost from £132pp per night including park tickets, which is a darn sight cheaper than the Christmas and summer peak times.
And the post-Christmas drop in park attendance also means shorter queues — great when you’re with youngsters.
The tropical holiday style of much of Adventureland extends beyond the themed music and decor.
Home to the Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Peril roller coaster, it is a medley of the Africa of The Lion King, the Caribbean of Pirates Of The Caribbean and the Agrabah of Aladdin. All are brought to life with tropical bamboo, ferns and palm trees.
Not that I’ve got much time to appreciate the foliage, as Rufus drags me from one big ticket roller coaster to the next.
After tackling the multiple loop-the-loops of Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain and Avengers-themed Flight Force plus the pitch-black twists and turns of Crush’s Coaster, I decide we need a break. Despite Rufus’s insistence that the Mickey the Magician show is going to “babyish”, he loves it.
The 20-minute song medley is like a mini West End show, bringing the classic film hits to life, with can-can girls in gold frilly knickers playing the tableware in Beauty And The Beast and dancers weaving through the crowds operating giant puppets of giraffes, zebras and tropical birds to the Lion King soundtrack.
Thoroughly thawed out, we tackle the Tower Of Terror — even scarier in the fading light.
As we rattle around on my favourite ride, Thunder Mountain’s runaway mine train, we soak up great views of faux-gothic Phantom Manor and the beautifully lit steamer which pootles up and down the lake.
We scoff chocolate churros while watching the early evening Disney parade.
By the time it hits 6pm it’s time for a stiff drink — not to mention a sit down which doesn’t involve over-the-shoulder straps.
So we head to the Pirates Of The Caribbean restaurant, whose pina colada cocktails, humid air and splashes of the river ride moving past us add to the holiday vibes.
After this brief pit stop, we then make the most of the shorter evening queues, racing around everything from Spider-Man Web Adventure to the gentle joys of Peter Pan’s Flight over a minature London.
By 8pm we’ve done 22,000 steps and it starts to rain, but we dodge it by navigating the Victorian-style gas-lit arcades which connect different areas on Main Street USA.
Mercifully when it gets to 10pm, the rides shut. Sixteen roller coasters down, and I’m barely standing.
I’m not a big fireworks fan — too many years of my dad coming close to danger in the back garden — but the Disney display is incredible.
The clever drones and laser projections diminishing the firework fear factor.
When the show comes to a close, I’m glad we only have to stagger ten minutes back to our hotel in the park, the superhero-themed Hotel New York, The Art Of Marvel.
Not that Rufus’ energy or enthusiasm are at all dampened by either the weather or the marathon we’ve walked. As we fall into our beds, he’s already begging me to bring him back next year.
The summer’s passport disaster is a distant memory. Turns out we didn’t need a beach for a fab holiday.
Winter at Disney is the hottest ticket in town.
GO: Disneyland
GETTING THERE: easyJet flies from Manchester, London, Newcastle and other UK airports to Paris from £25.99 each way. See easyjet.com.
STAYING/PLAYING THERE: A two-night/three-day stay at Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne is from £262.92pp based on two adults and two kids sharing, for arrival between March 22 and 26 this year.
The price includes a ticket package for unlimited access to Disneyland Park & Walt Disney Studios Parks.
See disneylandparis.com.