Friday 6 March Independence Day in Ghana
Before the arrival of Europeans, Ghana was the location of the Ashanti, a powerful tribe in the region. The area had an abundance of natural resources, including gold and ivory, which attracted the attention of colonists. While the Portuguese had been the first to establish a settlement in the region, the attractiveness of the local riches led to a struggle for control between many European nations. In 1874, Britain took control over parts of the country, naming them the British Gold Coast.
The currency of Ghana is called the cedi. The word ‘cedi’ comes from a word meaning a cowry shell. Cowry shells were once used as money in Ghana.
Weakened by the efforts of World War II, Britain had begun the process of reducing its colonies around the world, including those Africa.
This desire was matched by a rising call for independence in the Gold Coast. In 1947, the United Gold Coast Convention called for “self-government within the shortest possible time” following the Gold Coast legislative elections. In 1951, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah won a majority in the Gold Coast legislative election and in 1952. Nkrumah was appointed the leader of the Gold Coast government.
The Gold Coast region declared its independence from the United Kingdom on March 6th 1957 and established the nation of Ghana.
Nkrumah went on to become the first Prime Minister of Ghana.
Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence, on March 6th 1957.
L.A. Marathon and the Oscars: What roads will be closed?
Over the next two weekends, Los Angeles will be flooded by long-distance runners and the film industry’s biggest stars — much to the delight of fans and the dismay of drivers trying to make their way through the city.
The L.A. Marathon and half-marathon will take place Sunday, with both courses starting at Dodger Stadium and ending at Avenue of the Stars and Santa Monica Boulevard.
The 98th Academy Awards are the following Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Here’s what road closures to expect and when:
Marathon closures on Sunday
Runners start the 2025 Los Angeles Marathon.
(William Liang / For The Times)
The L.A. Marathon begins at 7 a.m. at Dodger Stadium. The McCourt Foundation, which organizes the race, said road closures will begin along the route as early at 3 a.m. and will reopen on a rolling basis after runners pass. Some stretches are expected to remain closed until around 6 p.m.
Oscars closures beginning March 15
Julianne Hough on the red carpet near the Dolby Theater at the 97th Academy Awards.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
A few blocks around the Dolby Theatre — including on Hollywood Boulevard, Orange Drive and Johnny Grant Way — closed for the Oscars earlier this month. But larger sections of Hollywood will be affected starting early on March 15.
Maps of the closures, according to event organizers, can be viewed here.
These roads and sidewalks will be closed from 12:01 a.m. March 15 through 6 a.m. March 16:
- Hawthorn Alley from Orange Drive to Highland Avenue
- Orange Drive from Hollywood Boulevard to Lanewood Avenue
- North sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to 300 feet east of Highland Avenue (no pedestrian access)
- South sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to 300 feet east of Highland Avenue (8-foot pedestrian access)
- South sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard directly in front of the north-south Hawthorn Alley (no pedestrian access to cross alley)
- East sidewalk and curb lane of Highland Avenue from Yucca Street to Sunset Boulevard (8-foot pedestrian access, 300 feet south of Hollywood Boulevard only)
- West sidewalk of Highland Avenue from Hollywood Boulevard to Sunset Boulevard
- West curb of Highland Avenue from Johnny Grant Way to Hollywood Boulevard
These roads and sidewalks will be closed from 4 a.m. March 15 through 4 a.m. March 16:
- North and south crosswalks on Hollywood Boulevard at the Highland Avenue intersection
- Highland Avenue from Sunset Boulevard to Franklin Avenue
- Hollywood Boulevard from La Brea Avenue to Orange Drive
- Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue to Cahuenga Boulevard
These roads and sidewalks will be limited to local residents, businesses needs and emergency vehicles from 12:01 a.m. March 15 through 6 a.m. March 16:
- Hawthorn Avenue between Orange Drive and La Brea Avenue
- Hawthorn Avenue between Highland Avenue and McCadden Place
- McCadden Place between Yucca Street and Hollywood Boulevard
- Yucca Street between Highland Avenue and Wilcox Avenue
- Wilcox Avenue between Sunset Boulevard and Cahuenga Boulevard
- South sidewalk of Franklin Avenue from Orchid Avenue to Highland Avenue
- Hillcrest Road south of Franklin Avenue to the dead end
Ciena Alipio emerging as key piece in UCLA’s championship push
Coming into her senior year, Ciena Alipio wanted to be as present as humanly possible and learn how to trust herself going into every competition.
She set forth goals for herself and a bigger one for the UCLA gymnastics team. With the first box checked after clinching their second consecutive Big Ten title, the work toward meeting each of her standards is just beginning.
“You’re seeing the result of every hard practice that we’re having,” Alipio said after Friday’s victory over Maryland. “We’re putting in work and we’re doing what we absolutely have to every single day in the gym and I think it’s just putting it all together on the same day.”
After an unbeaten conference season, Alipio has not only transformed herself into a three-event staple in the lineup, she was among the 45 nominees for the 2026 AAI Award along with her teammate Jordan Chiles — an NCAA honor that is given to the most outstanding senior female gymnast of the season.
“She’s just one of those athletes that’s really willing to do whatever it takes to be at her best for the team, and she’s an incredibly hard worker,” coach Janelle McDonald said. “She puts her heart into everything she does and she really has a growth mentality that she takes into every aspect of her life.”
During the first three years of her college career, Alipio was known as a balance beam expert. That fact hasn’t changed, except now she added success on the uneven bars and the floor exercise.
She’s currently ranked No. 4 in the nation on beam and leads the team with six individual titles in the event. Against Nebraska in January, Alipio led the meet in the floor exercise. On her way to another Big Ten title, she has shown consistency by hitting all 23 of her routines without a fall.
Alipio is averaging a mark above 9.800 on beam, bars and floor exercise. The two-time first-team All-American on beam has been named Big Ten event specialist of the week three times this season for her high performances on multiple apparatuses.
McDonald describes the Big Ten balance beam champion as a steady leader who leads by example, someone who’s willing to put her head down and go through the grind to get better — a valuable asset to any team.
“To see somebody always trying to show up and get better with that growth mindset is so great,” she said. “Ciena really has leveled up in her leadership in that she’s somebody that continually checks in on people.”
When Alipio notices someone needs a little pick-me-up, she’s there to support them, McDonald added.
“She’s also just become a really great messenger of our team culture and just [continues] to build and tighten our culture where it’s needed and to step up in those moments when the team needs a leader.”
UCLA gymnast Ciena Alipio celebrates with teammate Jordan Chiles after completing a balance beam routine.
(Jesus Ramirez / UCLA Athletics)
With two meets left in the regular season — against Stanford on Saturday and Utah on March 14, senior night at Pauley Pavilion — Alipio is just going to have fun competing.
“Coming in as a freshman I was like, ‘Oh, I have so much time,’ and now it has gone by in a blink of an eye,” she said. “… But I’m really, really trying to just stay present for the next few weeks and just enjoy every single moment with this team.”
Rosen update
McDonald and the coaching staff will take a conservative approach to dealing with Katelyn Rosen’s foot injury from Friday’s meet. Resting her and making sure she is 100% to go for the Big Ten championships is the priority. Replacing her at the top of rotations is an ongoing conversation.
“We really look for that lead-off to be very steady,” she said. “Somebody that doesn’t kind of go with the ups and downs of their emotions. They can show up, be really steady, kick off the event really aggressively, confidently and so those things we’re gonna be looking for this weekend [against Stanford].”
Suspected Iranian missile debris ignites fires in central Israel | Conflict
Debris from an intercepted Iranian missile has landed near Petach Tikva in central Israel. Video shows efforts by firefighters to quell the flames.
Published On 5 Mar 2026
The Misconception That Air Supremacy Has Been Achieved Over Iran
There are growing misconceptions that the U.S. and Israel have achieved total control of the airspace in Iran and sanitized the threat of ground-based air defenses to a degree that their forces have relatively free rein — commonly referred to as air supremacy. This is absolutely not true, nor has this been the outright claim of the U.S. military. It also should be of no surprise at this point in the campaign.
A lot of the commentary I try to provide for events like this is on X. It allows me to respond quickly to what is going on, and often that includes trying to swat down false narratives, some of which originate in the social media echo chamber and among general commentators/influencers, but also increasingly among the mainstream media. This is one of those times.
Moving as fast as possible from standoff attacks to stand-in (direct) attacks isn’t just about trying to conserve expensive long-range munitions. In fact, this is far from the primary concern. Doing so is absolutely essential to ramping up the frequency and amplitude of the air campaign. This is something we have been highlighting in our rolling coverage of the conflict for days.
Moving to direct strikes allows for a significant increase in the total volume of targets hit, as well as offering a broader array of effects to be brought to bear on those targets. Very deep-penetrating bunker-buster munitions, for instance, are typically not available in a standoff capability.
This transition to direct attacks has now begun.
Over the past several weeks, CENTCOM “planners identified key centers of gravity that would allow Iran to project power outside of its borders. They thought about how to isolate critical vulnerabilities and determined where, with precision, the greatest strategic effect could be achieved,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine explained at a press briefing yesterday. “As a result of this, CENTCOM is now shifting, in day four already, from large deliberate strike packages using standoff munitions at range, outside an enemy’s ability to shoot at us, now into stand-in precision strikes overhead [sic] Iran.”
“This is a point of munitions transition, from standoff munitions to stand-in munitions, like Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), which are GPS-aided free-fall weapons, and other things like [AGM-114] Hellfires, etc,” Caine continued. “This will allow the joint force to deliver significantly increased precision effects on the target. The throttle is coming up, as the Secretary [Pete Hegseth] said, as opposed to ramping down. This will allow us to maintain consistent pressure on the adversary over the coming days, disrupt their [missile and drone] launch timelines, and impose costs every day around the clock.”
At the same time, moving to a direct attack-focused campaign comes with new risks. This is especially true when it comes to facing road-mobile air defenses and more exotic types that can pop up virtually anywhere and give aircrews very little time to react. These systems can be hidden pretty much anywhere and will be present on the battlefield long after fixed air defenses are completely destroyed. Electo-optical and infrared (EO/IR) surface-to-air missile systems are especially vexing, as U.S. fourth-generation fighter aircraft would have no idea they were being attacked until they are struck, unless they visibly see the missile launch and head their way. These aircraft lack missile approach warning systems. The F-22 and F-35 benefit from different versions of this capability. EO/IR SAM systems are also not affected by radiofrequency jamming, unless they use a radar for initial targeting.
Underestimating Iran’s ability to target and destroy coalition aircraft would be a perilous move. Even the improvised systems cobbled together by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, as well as their hodgepodge of other air defenses, have taken their toll on advanced fighter aircraft operated by Gulf Arab states and challenged even the most advanced fighters in the U.S. inventory. Iran’s capabilities, even in a deeply degraded state, far exceed those of the Houthis.
The risk to aircraft would be especially high in eastern Iran, which has largely been left untouched compared to the western half of the country. As U.S. and Israeli aircraft push east, non-static air defenses will have to be picked at in order for aircraft to operate with a good margin of safety. Even the B-2s went to Fordow with a massive package of stealth fighter escorts and support aircraft for Operation Midnight Hammer, which came after days of Israel pummeling Iran’s air defenses.
The eastern part of Iran is also farther from allied territory, complicating combat search and rescue operations should they be needed to pluck a downed crew.
As we wrote in a detailed feature just days before the conflict began, there are other factors at play, as well:
“The U.S. has the most advanced air combat capabilities on earth, but ‘shit happens,’ especially during war. Even the Houthis nearly downed U.S. fighter aircraft optimized to destroy enemy air defenses. But regardless of defenses and the state of Iran’s air defense overlay, putting Americans over Iran, and repeatedly over days and weeks, is a risk. Aircraft can malfunction and mistakes can be made. When that happens, it will require even more risk to push combat search and rescue assets into the area to try and recover the crew. In other words, regardless of America’s outstanding air warfare capabilities, there is still a real risk involved in any operation over Iran.”
So, while there are areas of localized air superiority over Iran, achieving total air supremacy has not occurred and will not in the immediate future.
As I wrote in my post from yesterday on this topic:
“Declarations of air [supremacy] are relative. Iran has road mobile air defenses that can hide and pop up out of nowhere. They have exotic stuff like loitering SAMs too. Moving fighters in for direct attacks doesn’t mean they can operate freely without threat, especially in some areas. The east is likely still significantly contested airspace. Still you need SEAD and EW support and the risk is higher to 4th gen fighters etc. So no, the airspace isn’t some sanitized zone, especially out east and risks are higher to aircrews now as we move to make deep penetrating direct attacks and up the sorties and numbers of target sets hit.”
Another piece of evidence that supports this reality is that the B-52s that flew missions against Iran have been carrying AGM-158 JASSM stealthy cruise missiles. These would be launched from outside Iranian airspace, likely over Iraq or another friendly Arab country. It was not previously clear if B-52s and B-1s participated in direct strikes or standoff ones. Now we know the latter was the case, as expected. That could change in the future as the western part of Iran becomes more sanitized of counter-air threats, but the east will likely take more time to get sorted out.
With all that being said, there are well-established tactics that help mitigate these threats, including providing mission packages with suppression of enemy air defenses capabilities, usually in the form of F-16CJ/CMs and/or F-35s working in the Wild Weasel role, in addition to electronic warfare support. Still, there are threats that even these aircraft are not as adept at dealing with, such as systems that use passive sensors to search, track, and engage enemy aircraft, as we described earlier in the piece. Even traditional road-mobile SAMs can be in the right spot at the right time to take a successful shot against a stealthy aircraft.
Finally, reconnaissance plays a role here in spotting potential threats on the ground to be destroyed before they can threaten allied aircraft. This capability can come in many flavors and forms, but there are only so many of these resources to go around. Focusing them on critical areas where strikes are currently centered, and corridors that aircraft can come and go from, would be the priority. Once again, the eastern half of the country would need serious attention from these assets in order to assure a higher degree of safety for allied aircraft and potential combat search and rescue operations.
Anecdotal to, but also representative of the discussion above, here are some images released by CENTCOM showing fighters on their missions loaded up.
The F-15E’s loadout directly reflects Caine’s comments. The Strike Eagle is seen carrying four GBU-31/B 2,000-pound-class JDAMs with BLU-109 bunker-buster ‘warheads,’ which are readily identifiable by longer bodies and pointy noses. These are heavy direct attack weapons that can burrow down into underground sites or penetrate hardened structures above ground. Multiple bombs can be dropped onto the same aim point to try to get at deeper targets.
Iran has an extensive array of underground and otherwise hardened facilities that it uses to support missile and drone operations, for command and control, and a host of other purposes, including its nuclear program. U.S. and Israeli aircraft, including American B-2 bombers, have been focused on neutralizing these sites in the course of the current campaign.
Regardless, this image encapsulates the concept of direct attacks, using the fighter’s high payload and range to deliver these very destructive and uniquely capable weapons directly on targets.
The F-16CM seen below supporting Operation Epic Fury carries two AGM-88-series missiles. The AGM-88 is a family of what are known as anti-radiation missiles, designed primarily to home in on ground-based radars during suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD/DEAD) missions. This is exactly the type of aircraft and armament configuration that will escort strike assets into a target area that remains at least semi-contested.
In addition to its passive radar homing capability, the latest operational version of the AGM-88, the E variant, also known as the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), has a GPS-assisted inertial navigation system and an active millimeter-wave radar seeker. With its multi-mode guidance system, AARGM is capable of engaging a variety of other targets on the surface, including vehicles on the move, aircraft sitting on the ground, and ships. This offers valuable flexibility for responding to the same kind of mobile air defense threats that may pop up suddenly, which we have been discussing in this post.
The heavy use of MQ-9 Reaper drones to search for and destroy ground targets and vessels is also telling. These aircraft have been operating inland, at least to a degree, and are far from invulnerable to air defenses, but they are also expendable, not by design, but by the fact that nobody is onboard. This also helps reduce the CSAR demands during the early stages of the conflict.
The MQ-9s appear to have been striking everything from ships to air defenses to fighter aircraft, evidenced by videos provided by CENTCOM and photos showing them overhead in Iran. The MQ-9’s long endurance and mix of deadly punch and capable sensors will prove vital to ‘sanding-down’ what’s left of Iran’s air defenses in the eastern part of the country.
In the coming days, we will see operations continue to shift farther east, and strike packages become more tailored to operating in permissible airspace over certain areas of the country. That being said, we are a ways out from declaring air dominance over Iran.
Contact the author: Tyler@twz.com
Travel influencer NonStop Dan slammed after claiming he’s ‘stranded’ by Iran war
TRAVEL influencer NonStop Dan is being slammed online after claiming he’s unable to get home from Singapore due to the Iran war, when economy seats were still available on flights.
The popular YouTuber boasts over 1million subscribers and is known for frequently flying around the world.
However, the star received no sympathy after his latest video went live as viewers called him out for actually being able to get home if he were willing to book a cheaper flight.
The video begins with Dan saying him and his friend Alex are “stranded in Asia” like millions of other travellers are going to be.
He was en route to Bali from Singapore, but he claimed he was unable to keep travelling or get home due to the war in Iran.
However, towards the end of the video Dan noted how there were still “a few flights left in economy”.
He very clearly said: “There are a few flights left in economy but even those are selling fast.”
Fans took to the video’s comments section to call out the discrepancy, unable to believe he considered himself as stranded just because he wasn’t willing to fly outside of first class.
One viewer said: “Absolutely hilarious that Dan would rather wait two weeks in Singapore without seeing his family rather than dealing with the horror of travelling economy.”
Another said: “You’re saying I would rather stay in a luxury hotel than fly economy.”
A third added: “Swallow your pride and take economy this one time.”
A forth user joked: “My thoughts are with the premium passengers and those in danger of flying economy.”
NonStop Dan, otherwise known as Daniel Goz, first started travelling at the age of 12, and decided to turn his passion for it into a career.
He predominantly reviews different airlines around the world, having flown with over 160 different ones to date.
Though he mostly flies first and business class based on his history of reviews.
Alongside these reviews, Dan provides his fanbase with travel tips as well as tricks on how to make the most out of your points and air miles.
He holds a bachelors degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences combined with General Studies and Humanities from Minerva University.
Minerva is an unconventional place of study which sees its students travel to multiple different countries during their course.
It achieves this through partnering with lots of other institutions worldwide and offering multiple study abroad-style programmes.
Premier League: Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Crystal Palace Igor Tudor post match reaction
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Igor Tudor says he believes the club will be able to avoid relegation from the Premier League, insisting “the moment will pass” after watching his side lose 3-1 at home to Crystal Palace, a result that leaves them one point above the relegation zone.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Crystal Palace
Available to UK users only.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushes increased nutrition education for doctors
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday announced an initiative to increase the number of nutrition-related credit hours that doctors are required to have in medical school, along with 53 schools that have already agreed to participate. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo
March 5 (UPI) — Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Thursday that the department will be pushing for increased nutrition education in medicine.
Kennedy made the announcement after having communicated with dozens of medical schools in the last couple of months to increase what doctors learn about human nutrition.
Fifty-three medical schools have agreed to start requiring that every medical student complete 40 hours of comprehensive nutrition education or an equivalent this fall, the HHS chief said at a presentation of the initiative.
The push for increased nutrition education follows Kennedy’s announcement in January of new dietary guidelines and a new food pyramid aimed improving Americans’ diets.
Kennedy called the initiative a “transformative program that will reshape the way that we train doctors in this country.”
“Chronic disease is bankrupting our health system and poor nutrition sits at the center of that crisis,” Kennedy said in a news release.
Surveys have found that medical students receive as little as 1.2 hours of formal nutrition education per year, three-fourths of U.S. medical schools do not require education courses and about 14% of residency programs require nutrition courses, according to HHS.
The 53 medicals, across 31 states, that have made agreements with the Trump administration will also be eligible for federal funding to
The administration also will now require U.S. Public Health Service officers to take a minimum number of continuing nutrition education hours as part of their overall continuing education requirements, HHS said.
Since the late 1960s, doctors and health experts have noted that nutrition education does not rank high enough in medical education, NBC News reported.
Among the topics that Kennedy and HHS have suggested be considered for school curricula — a list of 71 has been circulated as the department works with medical schools to join the initiative — include nutrient deficiencies, food allergies, dietary supplements, wearable devices, composting and food safety, The New York Times reported.
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on the Ratepayer Protection Pledge inside the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House on Wednesday. Technology firms that sign the pledge will commit to ensuring artificial intelligence infrastructure does not raise utility bills for households and small businesses. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
U.S. Denies F-15E Strike Eagle Went Down In Iran
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has denied claims circulating online of the loss of another F-15E Strike Eagle, this time over enemy territory, as part of ongoing operations against Iran. Earlier this week, three Strike Eagles were downed in an apparent friendly fire incident, reportedly by a Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet. All of this comes as the U.S.-Israeli air campaign continued to expand, and as the overall conflict has otherwise spilled further through the region.
You can catch up with our latest coverage of ongoing operations against Iran here.
“Rumors circulating on social media of a U.S. F-15E crash in Iran early Wednesday are baseless and NOT TRUE,” CENTCOM stated on X Thursday morning.
A CENTCOM spokesperson also told TWZ directly that there have been no aircraft downed other than those in Kuwait.
The denial came after a now-deleted post from the popular @sentdefender account on X claiming a F-15E had gone down went viral, with at least nearly 800,000 views. The post said the aircraft had gone down during a strike mission over southwestern Iran, but said the proximate cause was unknown. The Strike Eagles were said to have been able to eject safely and were then recovered in a joint U.S.-Israeli combat search and rescue mission. Claims about the loss had already been swirling amongst the open-source community.
“We have made the decision to delete reports made last night regarding the crash of a USAF F-15E Strike Eagle in Iran and the successful evacuation of the crewmembers by U.S. and Israeli Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR),” the account wrote in a new post today. “Defender Media maintains confidence in its sources, however, the story is as of now being officially and publicly denied by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).”
TWZ has reached out to @sentdefender for further comment.
This is not the first time CENTCOM has taken part in the online information war that has become standard for conflicts in the social media era. Yesterday, the command took to X to refute several claims made by Iran about killing 100 Marines, sinking a destroyer, taking down other aircraft, and forcing U.S. troops to withdraw from the conflict.
“ALL LIES,” CENTCOM stated in its post.
What is true is that the U.S.-Israeli air war over Iran is expanding and includes an increasing number of aircraft employing stand-in munitions closer to their targets. Potential risks can only be magnified, at least to a degree, as operations push deeper into Iran. There is always the potential for aircraft to go down for reasons other than enemy fire, as well.
The rest of our ongoing rolling coverage of the conflict continues below, with the latest updates at the top.
UPDATE: 4:57 PM EST –
U.S. Central Command edited a post on X that originally said “Rumors are circulating on social media of a U.S. fighter jet crash over Basra. These are baseless and NOT TRUE.” to read instead that “Rumors are circulating on social media of a U.S. fighter jet shot down over Basra. These are baseless and NOT TRUE.”
In speaking directly to TWZ, U.S. Central Command had also denied claims that a U.S. military aircraft had been shot down over Iraq, and said the change in the X post’s language was simply a matter of semantics.
Al Jazeera and Rudaw had earlier reported that a search was underway for a U.S. pilot after their plane went down in Iraq’s Basra region, citing local police officials, but did not give a reason for why the aircraft had come down.
Regardless, TWZ continues to highlight the potential risks associated with the expanding U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran. This all comes amid widespread misconceptions about the degree to which air superiority, let alone air supremacy, has been achieved, as you can read more about in our new piece here.
UPDATE: 3:45 PM EST –
“We are now moving to the next phase of the campaign, in which we will increase the damage to the foundations of the regime and its military capabilities,” IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has said in a statement. “We have additional surprising moves, which I do not intend to reveal. We will pursue our enemies, all of them, and we will find them.”
“The Israeli Air Force has carried out 2,500 strikes and dropped over 6,000 munitions,” Zamir also said. “We have neutralized and destroyed more than 60 percent of the ballistic missile launchers” and 80 percent of Iran’s air defense systems.
The IDF continues to release footage from strikes in Iran and Lebanon.
The IDF says its aircraft collectively flew more than 7,000 flight hours and struck more than 750 targets in the first 100 hours of Operation Roaring Lion.
The videos below are said to show a major strike in Iran’s Bushehr region earlier in the week. There are reports that Bushehr Air Base was the target.
The Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has released a new tally of interceptions of Iranian missiles and drones in the course of the conflict so far. The country’s forces have downed 196 ballistic missiles, eight cruise missiles, and 1,072 drones, per the latest data.
There are reports of a drone attack in Iraq’s Duhok province near an oilfield operated by U.S. firm HKN Energy.
The U.S. State Department has suspended operations at the American Embassy in Kuwait City, Kuwait, indefinitely. “While there have been no reported injuries to U.S. personnel, the safety of Americans abroad remains the highest priority of the U.S. Department of State,” the Embassy said in a press release.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that his government made the decision to kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ayollah Ali Khamenei back in November and planned to do so within a six-month timeframe, according to Reuters.
The picture below is said to show Iranian sailors from the IRIS Bushehr being brought ashore in Sri Lanka.
UPDATE: 2:23 PM EST –
The IDF says it has now conducted 12 waves of strikes on Tehran. Israeli forces also continue to hit targets elsewhere in Iran.
Iranian authorities say the total death toll from U.S.-Israeli strikes is now 1,230, but again with no breakdown between civilians and members of the country’s military and security forces.
Israeli operations in Lebanon also continue to expand. Alerts were issued earlier in the day advising residents in broad swaths of the Beqaa Valley and the capital Beirut to evacuate ahead of air strikes. Lebanese authorities say that 102 people have died and 638 more have been wounded in Israeli strikes so far.
The video and pictures below are said to show a fire at the Bahrain Petroleum Company’s (BAPCO) oil refinery in the Ma’ameer following an Iranian attack.
The earlier Iranian attack on Azerbaijan has caused that country to close a portion of its airspace over the southern end of the country. This adds to already significant airspace closures across the broader region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told NBC News that his country is prepared for a ground invasion in a new interview. He also said that Iran is still refusing to engage with the United States and has not asked for a ceasefire.
UPDATE: 1:57 PM EST –
The IDF says it has now conducted 12 waves of strikes on Tehran. Israeli forces also continue to hit targets elsewhere in Iran.
Iranian authorities say the total death toll from U.S.-Israeli strikes is now 1,230, but again with no breakdown between civilians and members of the country’s military and security forces.
Israeli operations in Lebanon also continue to expand. Alerts were issued earlier in the day advising residents in broad swaths of the Beqaa Valley and the capital Beirut to evacuate ahead of air strikes. Lebanese authorities say that 102 people have died and 638 more have been wounded in Israeli strikes so far.
The video below is said to show strikes on an Iranian missile base in the country’s mountainous Damavand region.
U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that the U.S. government will have a role in choosing Iran’s future leadership, per Reuters. Trump said today that he would be personally involved in such a selection, according to Axios.
UPDATE: 1:20 PM EST –
U.S. Central Command has released a new video showing B-52 bombers flying in support of Operation Epic Fury. Closer inspection of the footage shows the aircraft carrying loads of AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) air-launched cruise missiles.
“This came up in one of my threads yesterday as to B-52s and B-1s likely executing standoff strikes using cruise missiles fired from outside Iran, not direct attacks,” our own Tyler Rogoway has written on X. “This video confirms it, AGM-158 JASSMs on the wings. They were not ready to push anything but B-2s over Iran.”
The Washington Post has reported on the U.S. military’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) driven tools to help with developing target packages and other tasks in support of Operation Epic Fury. U.S. Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, very briefly mentioned the contributions of AI at a press conference at the Pentagon yesterday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has visited Ovda Air Base, which is currently hosting U.S. combat jets. Pictures show U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors, which were reported to have arrived last week, as well as at least one F/A-18F Super Hornet. The presence of Super Hornets at Ovda does not look to have been previously disclosed.
IDF Logistics Command says it has already provided “hundreds of millions of liters of fuel” to support ongoing operations, according to The Jerusalem Post. Israel’s small fleet of KC-707 tankers has conducted 550 individual aerial refuelings, according to the Israeli Air Force. Before the conflict erupted, TWZ highlighted the immense value that U.S. tanker support would bring to any future operations against Iran.
The Institute for the Study of War has published additional satellite imagery analysis of damage to Ali al Salem Airbase in Kuwait from Iranian attacks.
Iranian authorities claim to be engaged in “preemptive” operations targeting Iraqi-based “separatist groups.” This follows still conflicting reports that began emerging yesterday regarding the possibility of a ground incursion by armed Iranian Kurdish groups.
Iranian state media has also carried threats, attributed to unnamed officials, of attacks targeting the Israeli nuclear site at Dimona in the event of any concerted effort to unseat the current regime in Tehran.
Italian authorities say they are joining the multinational effort to bolster the defense of Cyprus in the face of Iranian attacks.
In a new interview with Bloomberg, Antony Blinken, who was U.S. Secretary of State under President Joe Biden, has suggested the Trump administration could seek to declare victory based on achievements so far as a possible off-ramp to the current conflict. Blinken also highlighted concerns about the impacts on U.S. munitions stocks and global energy markets if the fighting drags on.
There are reports that 1,000 commercial vessels, roughly half of which are oil and natural gas tankers, are currently anchored in and around the Persian Gulf as operators weigh the risks of attempting to sail in and out of the region, citing data from Lloyd’s Market Association. As already noted, ships are being attacked while sailing and at anchor in the Persian Gulf, as well as the Gulf of Oman.
UPDATE: 12:36 PM EST –
As the joint U.S.-Israeli Operation Epic Fury attack on Iran continues into a sixth day, the war is spreading beyond the Middle East. On Thursday, Azerbaijani officials said Iranian drones struck territory and vowed to retaliate. The country shares a border with northwestern Iran.
“At around midday on 5 March, drone attacks were carried out against the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of Azerbaijan from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “One drone struck the terminal building of the airport in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, while another drone fell near a school building in the village of Shakarabad. We strongly condemn these drone attacks launched from the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which resulted in damage to the airport building and injuries of two civilians.”
Four people were injured in the attack, according to Azerbaijani officials, and Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev told a meeting of his Security Council that his country would respond militarily.
“We will not tolerate this unprovoked act of terror and aggression against Azerbaijan,” he proclaimed, according to Reuters. “Our Armed Forces have been instructed to prepare and implement appropriate retaliatory measures. We are ready to demonstrate our strength against any hostile force – and they should not forget this in Iran.”
Aliyev did not offer specifics about what kind of retaliation.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi denied Tehran had targeted Nakhchivan, saying, “We do not attack our neighboring countries.”
Video seen below is said to show the aftermath of these attacks.
Meanwhile, several nations continue to send more military assets to Cyprus. Sky News reported on X that the U.K., Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands are all deploying warships to help bolster the island nation’s defenses. Notably, French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to head to the eastern Mediterranean. In addition, Greece has already deployed four F-16s to the island.
This comes as RAF Akrotiri, a British air base on Cyprus, continues to come under attack. On Thursday, an image emerged showing what appears to be a hole punctured in a hangar regularly used by U.S. Air Force U-2 Dragon Lady spy planes operating from the base. A one-way attack drone hit the RAF Akrotiri base late on Sunday, March 1. It is unclear if any aircraft were there at the time.
The U.K. Defense Ministry told us that there were no casualties and that damage to the base was “minimal.” There was “no damage to equipment inside the hangar,” the official added.
We’ve reached out to the U.S. Air Force and U.S. European Command for comment and will update this story with any pertinent details provided.
Iran claims it has now begun employing Khorramshahr-4 medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBM) in strikes on Israel, but firm corroborating evidence has yet to emerge. The IRGC said it fired a volley of these missiles at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport earlier today.
The Khorramshahr-4 is said to carry a 3,300-pound warhead, the heaviest payload of any of Iran’s ballistic missiles, which would allow for a broader swath of targets to be threatened with greater damage from any successful impacts. Khorramshahr-4s could also be fired from areas further in the eastern interior of the country, reducing vulnerability to U.S. and Israeli strikes that have already significantly degraded Iran’s ability to launch missiles and drones. You can read more about what is known about this missile, which is derived from a North Korean design, here.
So far, Israel has not reported any casualties or major damage resulting from Iranian volleys today, and authorities in the country have highlighted a notable drop in overall attacks.
The IDF has now released a video of yesterday’s shootdown of one of Iran’s Russian-made Yak-130 light jets by an F-35I Adir fighter, which appears to be a view from the latter’s targeting system. You can read more about this engagement, which is the first known instance of an F-35 of any kind destroying a crewed aircraft, here.
The Pentagon and at least one Gulf Arab nation have reportedly reached out to Ukraine for cheap interceptors to help fend off waves of low-cost Iranian drones that have killed American troops and caused widespread damage across the Middle East. The talks, reported by the Financial Times, come amid continuing questions about the sufficiency of stocks of anti-air interceptors as Iran’s retaliatory attacks continue. As we have frequently noted, Ukraine has made significant investments in the development of new, lower-cost interceptors in response to years now of Russian drone attacks.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also acknowledged the interest in his country’s counter-drone systems.
“We received signals from partners in the Middle East,” he explained on X. “There have been strikes by Iranian ‘Shaheds’ on civilians in those countries. They are seeking our expertise. We are open. If their representatives come, we will provide the expertise. Especially since there is also a request from Europeans and from the United States. Requests have come to us to share our experience with partners in the Middle East.”
However, Zelensky also stated his oft-repeated concern about his own country’s stock of interceptors and suggested a swap of those for Patriot missiles.
“Regarding weapons: we ourselves are at war. And I said, completely frankly, that we have a shortage of what they have,” the Ukrainian leader noted. “They have missiles for the Patriots, but hundreds or thousands of ‘Shaheds’ cannot be intercepted with Patriot missiles – it is too costly. Nothing is too much for the people, of course, but they simply do not have that many missiles. That is why they need interceptor drones, which we have. Meanwhile, we have a shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. So, when it comes to technology or weapons exchange, I believe our country will be open to it.”
While the Pentagon eyes Ukrainian interceptors, U.S. Central Command is reportedly seeking additional personnel to help handle the flow of intelligence pouring in from the Middle East. CENTCOM “is asking the Pentagon to send more military intelligence officers to its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to support operations against Iran for at least 100 days but likely through September,” Politico reported, citing a notification it obtained.
“It’s the first known call for additional intelligence personnel for the Iran war by the administration, and a sign the Pentagon is already allocating funding for operations that may stretch long beyond President Donald Trump’s initial four-week timeline for the conflict,” the outlet posited. “The rush to add people and resources to support efforts that are often organized well in advance of U.S. military action highlights how the Trump team had not fully anticipated the wide fallout of the war it launched alongside Israel on Saturday.”
It has been pointed out that the “through September” timeline for these temporary deployments may simply be dictated by standard personnel management procedures.
CENTCOM has released a new video showing attacks on Iranian hardened shelters and aircraft out in the open.
CENTCOM has also highlighted new attacks on Iranian mobile missile launchers. As we noted yesterday, these strikes have been a big focus of Epic Fury and have helped drastically reduce the number of missiles Iran has launched.
A new uncrewed surface vessel attack on a commercial ship has been reported. The Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker Sonangol Namibe, which was anchored in Iraqi waters, is said to have been struck. As we previously reported, the first Iranian kamikaze boat attack during Epic Fury took place on March 2 on a ship in the Gulf of Oman.
A video emerged on social media purporting to show the moment that USV hit the Sonangol Namibe.
In the wake of the sinking of an Iranian frigate by a U.S. Navy fast attack submarine, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi called the incident an “atrocity” and vowed revenge. The unnamed American submarine sank the Moudge class frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near the island of Sri Lanka. Our sister site Task & Purpose has reported that a Los Angeles class submarine was responsible. Regardless, it is was the first sinking by a U.S. Navy submarine since World War II.
“Mark my words,” he stated on X. “The U.S. will come to bitterly regret [the] precedent it has set.”
The Indian government has also now released a statement with details about the rescue effort after the IRIS Dena was torpedoed.
Satellite imagery collected today shows what appears to be oil on the surface of the water near Galle, Sri Lanka, which could be tied to the sinking of the IRIS Dena.
Meanwhile, another Iranian ship is seeking shelter in Sri Lanka.
“The Sri Lankan minister Nalinda Jayatissa told parliament that another Iranian vessel was sailing close to Sri Lanka’s territorial waters on Thursday morning,” The Guardian reported. “We are making necessary interventions to resolve this issue, restrict the threat to lives and to ensure regional security.”
Unnamed sources told The Guardian that “the ship was a logistical pipe-laying vessel, which is not categorised as a warship. It may be as close as 10 nautical miles from the western coast of Sri Lanka, putting it within the country’s sovereign waters.”
The sources told the news outlet that the ship, which is reported to have a crew of more than 100 onboard, “had made an urgent request to dock at Colombo port for engine repairs.”
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
The Apprentice’s Lord Sugar delivers major twist as three sent packing from show
Lord Alan Sugar’s candidates on The Apprentice had a nasty surprise in the latest episode of the BBC programme as three hopefuls were eliminated from the competition
Lord Sugar fired three candidates(Image: BBC)
The Apprentice candidates had a huge shock as Lord Sugar sent three of them packing after a tense boardroom.
The latest episode of the hit series, which aired on Thursday (March 5), saw Megan Ruiter, Carrington Saunders and Andrea Cooper all shown the door in a surprise triple firing.
Megan admitted she was “absolutely devastated” about getting the boot from the BBC show, but Carrington said: “I can say it didn’t hurt as much because it wasn’t just me getting fired. So, it was more of a ‘wow’ moment opposed to something that was entirely sad. It wasn’t until a few days later in when the sadness kicked in.”
Andrea confessed that it was “a terrible task” for her but added: “I’m not saying I was surprised because by my calculations, it could have possibly been a triple firing that week. But if there were only going to be one or two fired, I didn’t think that it should have been me.”
The episode saw the candidates head to Egypt to put on corporate away days for paying clients.
One team headed off into the desert for a dune adventure and ended up with a bumpy ride, whilst the other set off on a lagoon tour, which was anything but smooth sailing.
Megan was the project manager in charge of organising the lagoon tour, having said she’d held 25 corporate events in the past.
But she found herself in the firing line after leading her team to a loss of $290 due to the clients asking for a 50% refund for their raw and cold food and their kayaking activity, which left them eating dinner in wet clothes.
Lord Sugar branded it as one of the worst performances in corporate hospitality, later posting on X (formerly Twitter): “I’ve seen some kitchen disasters in my time on The Apprentice, but this one takes some beating. ‘Unbelievable’ is the word.”
The businessman took Megan back into the boardroom for her performance as project manager, with Carrington alongside her after she served up the raw potato wedges. Andrea ended up joining them after she clashed with Kieran McCartney during a successful negotiation.
The trio all fought for their place in the competition but Lord Sugar was unimpressed, declaring there would be a rare triple firing as he showed all three of them the door.
“This is a b***** disaster,” he said. “An absolute disaster. One of the worst performances in corporate hospitality. So you can put that in your CV next.”
The Apprentice airs on BBC One
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
Football gossip: Anderson, Amissah, Salah, Fernandes, Odegaard, Pochettino, Alonso
Manchester City are closing in on a deal for Elliot Anderson, several Premier League clubs are interested in Fulham‘s Samuel Amissah, and Liverpool have identified Yan Diomande as a replacement for Mohamed Salah.
Manchester City are close to completing a deal to sign England midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. (Teamtalk), external
Anderson favours a move to City over neighbours Manchester United, but Nottingham Forest value the 23-year-old at more than £70m. (Talksport), external
Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are set to battle to sign England Under-19 centre-back Samuel Amissah, 18, from Fulham. (Telegraph – subscription required), external
Liverpool want 19-year-old Yan Diomande to replace Mohamed Salah on the right wing and the RB Leipzig winger could cost them £87m. (Teamtalk), external
Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto de Zerbi are Tottenham‘s top managerial targets this summer – however former player Robbie Keane, now in charge of Ferencvaros, could be considered if they are relegated to the Championship. (GiveMeSport), external
Arne Slot’s position as Liverpool boss is set to come under significant scrutiny at the end of the season, with former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso the only manager the club’s owners want to succeed the Dutchman. (Teamtalk), external
Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie, 24, will join Arsenal on a permanent transfer from Bayer Leverkusen at the end of this season. (Sun), external
The Gunners will need to sell a first-team player this summer, with Norway midfielder Martin Odegaard, 27, and Brazil winger Gabriel Martinelli, 24, among the potential candidates. (Telegraph – subscription required), external
Manchester United plan to hold contract talks with Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 31, after this summer’s World Cup. (Football Insider), external
Chelsea and Manchester City are among the clubs interested in Bayern Munich’s 21-year-old Germany midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic, who could cost 65m euros (£56m). (Caught Offside), external
Trump voices support for possible Kurdish offensive in Iran | Donald Trump News
US president says he’d be ‘all for’ Kurdish ground assault on Iran amid reports that Washington is egging on rebellion.
Donald Trump has expressed public support for a possible Kurdish offensive against Iran as the United States pushes to destabilise the Iranian governing system internally.
“I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that, I’d be all for it,” the US president told the Reuters news agency on Thursday when asked about the prospects of a Kurdish rebellion in Iran.
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Several US media outlets have reported that Trump called leaders in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq to enable Iranian Kurdish groups launch a ground offensive inside Iran.
In his comments on Thursday, Trump declined to say whether the US would provide air support for Kurdish rebels.
The White House had confirmed that the US president contacted Kurdish leaders in Iraq but denied that Trump agreed to a plan to push for an armed uprising by the Kurds in Iran.
“The president has held many calls with partners, allies and leaders in the region, in the Middle East,” Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.
“He did speak to Kurdish leaders with respect to our base that we have in northern Iraq.”
US assets in Erbil in the Kurdish region of Iraq have come under repeated Iranian drone and missile attacks since the war started.
Iran is home to millions of Kurds, mostly living in the west of the country.
Kurds represent a sizable ethnic minority in Iraq, Syria and Turkiye, as well.
Earlier this week, Mustafa Hijri, head of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), a prominent Kurdish opposition group, called for desertion from the Iranian army and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“I call upon all aware and freedom-seeking soldiers and personnel across Iran, and especially in Kurdistan, to abandon the barracks and military centres of the IRGC, the army, and other military forces of the regime, to refuse their assigned duties, and to return to the embrace of their families,” Hijri wrote on X.
“This action is important both for preserving their lives in the face of these attacks and as a sign of turning their backs on the regime’s military and repressive forces.”
On several occasions in recent decades, Washington has urged Kurdish groups seeking autonomy to rebel against governments it viewed as hostile in the region, only to cut off support to them or fail to come to their aid when the political situation changes.
Some critics have warned that stoking ethnic tensions in Iran could lead to a civil war that could further destabilise the entire region.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Press TV reported that the IRGC launched missiles and drones at the headquarters of “anti-Iran terrorist groups in the Iraqi Kurdistan region”.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq has condemned the Iranian attacks on the region while also “categorically denying reports of playing a role in an offensive against Iran.
“At the same time, the Kurdistan Regional Government and the political parties within it are not part of any campaign to expand the war and tensions in the region,” the KRG said in a statement. “On the contrary, we call for peace and stability in the region.”
But with government troops showing no signs of defection despite thousands of US and Israeli strikes, the Trump administration has struggled to find a prominent friendly force on the ground in Iran.
Despite the US president’s repeated calls for Iranians to rise up against their government, there have been no significant protests since the war began on Saturday.
Why has Hezbollah joined Middle East war? | Israel attacks Lebanon News
Hezbollah has been attacking Israel as it pummels southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut.
Lebanon is once again drawn into a war many of its leaders say is not their fight.
Against the government’s warnings, Hezbollah has joined Iran in its conflict with Israel. The armed group says it has a right to respond as part of what it calls a resistance campaign.
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However, this time, the Lebanese government has responded by deciding to ban Hezbollah’s military activities and demanding that it disarm. The group has not heeded that warning.
Now, as the war between the US, Israel and Iran widens to Lebanon, can Hezbollah’s involvement be of any real help to Tehran?
And what price will Lebanon pay as a result?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Heiko Wimmen – Project director for Iraq, Syria and Lebanon at the International Crisis Group
Nimrod Novik – Member of the leadership of Commanders for Israel’s Security
Nabeel Khoury – Non-resident fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC
Published On 5 Mar 2026
Emma Watson passionately kisses billionaire Gonzalo Hevia Baillares at the airport as Harry Potter star confirms romance
EMMA Watson has been spotted passionately kissing her billionaire boyfriend, entrepreneur Gonzalo Hevia Baillares.
The Harry Potter star confirmed their secret romance on a trip to Mexico.
Emma, 35, didn’t appear to care who saw her embrace the businessman as they walked through Mexico City airport.
The couple were flanked by guards as they snogged in the security queue, according to pictures seen by the Daily Mail.
A source told the paper: “Widely regarded as one of Mexico’s most eligible bachelors, Gonzalo now appears to be deeply smitten and reportedly taking his relationship with Emma seriously – having already introduced her to his parents.
”Without a doubt, Gonzalo and Emma are shaping up to be one of 2026’s most unexpected power couples.”
Emma was believed to have last been dating Kieran Brown while she studied creative writing.
The actress appears to have moved on with Gonzalo – cementing their relationship with a romantic getaway to the exclusive beach resort of Punta Mita.
Gonzalo is the grandson of Mexican billionaire Alberto Baillères, who died in 2022.
His family are the third wealthiest family in the country and are said to have a net worth of £14.2billion, having made their money from a multi-billion-dollar mining company.
Gonzalo is currently working as a CEO of investment firm HBeyond in New York.
He was previously romantically linked with Spanish singer Belinda Peregrín before they broke up in 2024.
Trump fires Kristi Noem, ending her turbulent reign heading Homeland Security
WASHINGTON — In a major shakeup of the agency at the center of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, President Trump announced Thursday that he was replacing embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who will step down at the end of the month.
Trump said on Truth Social that he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Millin (R-Okla.) to take over the job, two days after Noem was grilled on Capitol Hill by Democrats and some Republicans.
Trump said Noem will become a “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that he said would focus on the Western Hemisphere.
Noem, the former South Dakota governor, is the first Cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term as president. Her departure comes amid intense scrutiny over immigration enforcement tactics since last year that intensified after the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis by immigration agents.
Those killings led to demands for more accountability within the agency, and disagreement over how to rein in the tactics deployed by federal immigration agents, have led to a weeks-long standoff over the agency’s funding.
Since the shutdown, lawmakers from both parties have used a series of contentious oversight hearings to question Noem’s management of the agency. During a hearing Tuesday, the criticism from Republicans was particularly blunt.
“We are an exceptional nation, and one of the reasons we are exceptional is because we expect exceptional leadership, and you’ve demonstrated anything but that,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told Noem.
When Trump announced the shakeup on social media, Noem was speaking at a conference in Nashville. She answered questions from local law enforcement organizations, and did not offer hints that she knew her departure was imminent. She was not asked about her firing during the event.
After the conference ended, Noem thanked Trump for her special envoy appointment, a diplomatic position she said will have her working to curb drugs from coming into the United States.
“I am super excited about this opportunity. It came at not a complete surprise, but it came at a little bit of a surprise,” Mullin told reporters outside the Capitol.
Mullin said he was not expecting the call Thursday, but that he is “ready to get started” and will work to “earn everybody’s vote,” regardless of party affiliation.
“When I go into this position, yes, I am a Republican, yes I am conservative, but the Department of Homeland Security is to keep everybody — regardless of whether you support me , if you don’t support me, regardless of what your thoughts are — I am here to enforce the policies that Congress passed,” Mullin said.
Mullin would need to be confirmed by the Senate, but under federal law is allowed to serve as acting Homeland Security secretary while his nomination is pending.
When the news broke, Republican senators appeared to be congratulating Mullin on the Senate floor as the chamber was conducting business. Meanwhile, Democratic senators applauded the decision to fire Noem but lamented that she will continue to serve in public office.
“The atrocities she oversaw, the falsehoods she peddled, & the corruption she committed — all richly deserve her discharge,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote on X. “President Trump should have made it explicit, rather than disguising it with another position of public trust.”
Noem was also criticized over how her department spent billions of dollars allocated by Congress.
In the congressional hearings this week, lawmakers questioned her on a $200-million ad campaign she oversaw that urged anyone in the U.S. illegally to deport voluntarily.
Noem told the Senate panel on Tuesday that the president approved the campaign, which the White House denied to NBC News.
Early criticism of Noem came last June, as DHS was scaling up raids throughout Los Angeles. During a news conference at the Westwood federal building, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forced to the ground and handcuffed by federal agents after he interrupted Noem to ask her a question.
“If this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a senator with a question,” Padilla said later. “I can only imagine what they’re doing to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country.”
Padilla reacted to Noem’s ouster as evidence of public pressure working to hold her to account.
“This is why we don’t give up,” he said.
Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles, said Noem’s departure was long overdue.
“Her tenure, as two congressional hearings this week clearly showed, was defined by chaos, cruelty, corruption, and a refusal to take responsibility for the abuses carried out by federal agents under her watch,” she said. “For immigrant communities across the country, her leadership represented a dangerous escalation of policies that treated families and workers as targets rather than as human beings who contribute to and strengthen this nation.”
Salas said the new Homeland Security secretary must ensure transparency, respect the Constitution and treat immigrants with dignity.
Jazzy Davidson to get MRI after USC Big Ten tournament loss
INDIANAPOLIS — If the USC women’s basketball hoped to make a case for a favorable NCAA tournament seed, the Trojans did themselves no favors during the past two weeks culminating with Thursday’s Big Ten tournament loss.
The No. 9 seed Trojans let a second-round tournament contest against No. 8 seed Washington get out of hand in the third quarter, stumbling to a 76-64 loss at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. USC’s conference run ended quickly after the Trojans delivered one of their worst offensive outings of the season.
It was USC’s fourth consecutive loss, putting its NCAA tournament positioning in question.
USC (17-13, 9-10) didn’t make its first three-pointer until the 3:30 mark in the second quarter, just the Trojans’ fifth made basket of the game overall. The Trojans trailed 32-20 at the half while shooting just 25%.
Washington (21-9, 11-8) took a 20-point lead near the end of the third quarter while USC struggled to 1-for-7 shooting during that stretch.
USC made it a 10-point game with 1:51 to play as the Trojans’ aggressive half-court press forced Washington turnovers, but even the team’s 26-point fourth quarter couldn’t rescue it.
The Huskies and Trojans entered Thursday with the third and fourth best defenses in the conference, respectively. That didn’t deter a Washington offense that shot 50%, its fourth-best effort all season.
But USC was stymied and put up its fourth-worst shooting of the year at 31%. Point guard and Big Ten freshman of the year Jazzy Davidson shot 2-for-13 after briefly leaving the game in the first quarter with a right shoulder injury and playing the rest of the contest with it wrapped under her jersey. She didn’t see the floor again after the 7:12 mark in the fourth quarter.
Davidson said after the loss she is getting an MRI on her shoulder to determine the extent of the injury.
Washington outrebounded USC 43-26. Huskies guard Elle Ladine led the game with 25 points. Londynn Jones netted 19 for the Trojans.
USC entered Thursday boasting the No. 22 NET ranking in the country and will likely get an at-large NCAA tournament bid, but Thursday’s loss put a good seed in peril.
The Huskies will face No. 1 seed UCLA (28-1, 18-0) in the quarterfinal on Friday at 9 a.m.
Trump replaces DHS chief Kristi Noem with Okla. Sen. Markwayne Mullin
March 5 (UPI) — President Donald Trump has removed Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and appointed Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., Thursday after she was aggressively grilled by a Senate committee the day before.
Trump announced the change on Truth Social, along with a new job for Noem, naming her “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida. I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.'”
He praised Noem for her “numerous and spectacular results” in the announcement.
“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026,” he said.
Mullin has been a Senator since 2023 and served in the House from 2013-2023. He is a member of the Cherokee Nation.
Noem faced a combative Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, as they pressed her for answers on several issues the department has been plagued with in the past year.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called her leadership a “disaster” and told her she should resign.
“What we’ve seen is innocent people getting detained that turn out are American citizens,” Tillis said in a heated exchange.
“The fact that you can’t admit to a mistake, which looks like, under investigation, is gonna prove that Ms. [Renee] Good and Mr. [Alex] Pretti probably should not have been shot in the face and in the back. Law enforcement needs to learn from that. You don’t protect them by not looking after the facts.”
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., pressed Noem about DHS ads that she starred in, spending $200 million.
The ads were made by a Republican consulting firm that was allegedly created just before submitting bids for the work.
The company is reportedly connected to the husband of Noem’s former spokesperson, though she denied any part in choosing the firm and called the ads “extremely effective.”
“Well they were effective in your name recognition,” Kennedy said. “It troubles me. A fifth to a quarter of a billion dollars of taxpayer money when we’re scratching over every penny and we’re fighting over rescission packages. I just can’t agree.”
Noem told the Senate panel that Trump had authorized the ads.
Kennedy told reporters Thursday that he got a call from the president about her testimony, The New York Times reported.
“Put it this way: His recollection and her recollection are different.”
Mullin told The Times that he has not had time to call Noem, whom he said is a friend.
“She was tasked with a very difficult job,” he said. “I think she has done the best that she could do under the circumstances.”
But he said he believed that there are opportunities to “build off things that didn’t quite go as planned.”
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said he would wait and see if Mullin will be an improvement at DHS but told The Times, “It will be hard to be a downgrade.”
The Department of Homeland Security is in its third week of a shutdown, with Congress expected to vote later Thursday on a funding package.
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on the Ratepayer Protection Pledge inside the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House on Wednesday. Technology firms that sign the pledge will commit to ensuring artificial intelligence infrastructure does not raise utility bills for households and small businesses. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Trump fires Homeland Security head Kristi Noem, names Mullin as replacement | Donald Trump News
United States President Donald Trump has announced that he will replace Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin.
In a social media post on Thursday, Trump explained that he had reassigned Noem to be a special envoy for a new security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere, dubbed the “Shield of the Americas”.
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The staffing change, he added, will take effect starting March 31. It marks the first major cabinet-level shake-up of Trump’s second term so far.
Trump praised Noem upon her departure from the cabinet-level post, writing that she “has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!)”
But Noem has played a prominent role in some of the administration’s most controversial immigration policies, and her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has spurred questions about government spending and conflicts of interest.
The announcement that she would be leaving her post comes a day after she faced a grilling from Democrats during congressional hearings this week, with several politicians called for her resignation.
“DHS is supposed to be protecting our residents and upholding constitutional protections. But you’ve turned that on the head. You have actually turned the United States government against its own residents,” Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat, said during Wednesday’s hearing.
“Yours is a case of failed leadership. Secretary, you need to resign, be fired or be impeached because you don’t have the right to lead this agency.”
The announcement of Noem’s removal also comes as DHS continues to weather a partial government shutdown.
Democrats have opposed approving new funding for the department in response to deadly shootings involving immigration agents under Noem’s leadership.
Those shootings were brought up again this week during Noem’s appearances before judiciary committees in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, for instance, repeatedly accused Noem of launching a “smear campaign” against two US citizens shot dead during interactions with immigration agents: Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
“There have been three homicides in Minneapolis in 2026, and your agents committed two of them,” Raskin told Noem.
He also highlighted comments Noem made calling Good and Pretti “domestic terrorists“, despite evidence undercutting the administration’s depiction of the events leading to their deaths.
“Rather than work with state and local authorities to solve these homicides, you barred Minnesota’s investigators from the crime scenes,” Raskin said.
“It smells like a coverup, and it makes me wonder who the real domestic terrorists are.”
Noem, formerly the Republican governor of South Dakota, has also been scrutinised for a $220m advertising campaign promoting border security.
The advertising campaign shows Noem riding a horse near Mount Rushmore, a well-known national memorial in her home state.
The news outlet ProPublica previously reported that a government contract for the campaign went to a Republican consulting firm with ties to senior DHS officials.
Noem has denied any wrongdoing, stating that the bidding process was “competitive” and that the contract was “all done correctly, all done legally”.
On Thursday, before announcing the staffing change, Trump denied any connection to the advertising campaign, telling the news service Reuters that he “never knew anything about it”.
Noem played a key role in the administration’s mass deportation push, and she has frequently used rhetoric that vilified immigrants as dangerous and violent.
Though DHS’s mandate focuses on domestic security, Noem has made several international trips over the last year, including visits to Ecuador in July and November.
Trump has called a “Shield of the Americas” summit at his Mar-a-Lago estate this weekend, inviting world leaders from multiple countries to discuss regional security and combatting Chinese influence in Latin America.
Noem’s replacement as DHS head, Mullin, has served as a US senator since 2023. He was a representative in the House for a decade before that, representing Oklahoma.
Trump highlighted his membership in the Cherokee Nation, writing that Mullin would be a “fantastic advocate for our incredible Tribal Communities” as DHS leader.
“Markwayne will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN,” Trump said on Thursday.
EastEnders air ‘heartbreaking’ Nigel scenes as character leaves Walford for good
EastEnders have been using Nigel Bates in a dementia storyline, exploring the effects of the illness on those suffering from it and their loved ones, particularly those caring for them
EastEnders air ‘heartbreaking’ Nigel scenes as character leaves Walford for good(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
BBC soap EastEnders has aired emotional scenes about Nigel Bates‘ dementia, as the fans become sure he will die soon. The character has been part of a “heartbreaking” dementia storyline that has highlighted the impact of the illness on those caring for a sick loved one.
In Thursday’s episode (March 5), Nigel (Paul Bradley) was thrown a going-away party at the Vic before moving to his new care home. While he was able to smile and laugh in the pub, as those around him reminisced, he was unable to remain completely in the present and struggled with his illness.
As he hopped in a taxi, Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) noted that Nigel was unlikely to ever be back to Albert Square – and fans agree.
READ MORE: Danniella Westbrook’s surgery – everything she’s had done to her faceREAD MORE: Holby City legend to join EastEnders for role that will cause major drama for Walford
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When he arrived at the care home, Nigel became agitated and then unresponsive. His behaviour was deeply distressing for Phil (Steve McFadden), who had been caring for his friend. Breaking down in tears, Phil apologised to Nigel and gave his hand a squeeze, but Nigel did not move. As such, many fans think Nigel will die soon.
“I don’t know why, but I feel maybe next week, maybe Nigel’s final week,” one wrote. “I don’t know because seeing this episode made it feel like his time is near, and it’s so devastating and heartbreaking.”
Another added that Nigel’s unresponsive behaviour made it look like he was already dead. “Very much looked like he died at the end of the episode as he didn’t react to the door slamming or the card falling.”
Others shared that they thought this would become a euthanasia storyline. “I genuinely thought Phil was gonna suffocate Nigel OMG,” one wrote.
A second said: “For a minute there I thought Phil was gonna ease his pain by suffocating him by putting the jacket on him, but I’m glad it didn’t happen as it would have been even more heartbreaking.”
They later added that they loved a conversation between Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) and Nigel’s wife Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) and felt this was leading towards Nigel’s death too: “I thought they were gonna go down the route of euthanasia.”
As part of Nigel’s dementia storyline, his daughter, Clare Bates (Gemma Bissix) has returned to the Square for a short stint. Clare is Nigel’s adoptive daughter. They became family in 1994 when he married her mother, and he continued to care for her after her mother died a year later.
Though Nigel and Clare both left the show shortly after, Clare made a comeback in 2008 without him, and she has made a return again. Her return was not such a happy one, as she had been estranged from her father, and he failed to recognise her for most of the episode. Eventually, Julie helped Nigel remember his daughter in a touching moment.
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Panel reviewing Trump’s White House ballroom project will vote on it April 2
WASHINGTON — A federal panel reviewing President Trump’s plans to build a ballroom at the White House has set April 2 for a final vote on the project, the chairman said as the agency prepared to give additional consideration to the construction plans.
Will Scharf, chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission and a top aide to the Republican president, made the announcement Thursday at the start of the panel’s March meeting.
The panel will hear additional details about the project from the White House as well as its own staff, and had been expected to vote on Thursday.
But Scharf announced that the vote was switched to April to give every member of the public who wants to comment a chance to do so. More than 100 people had signed up to comment at Thursday’s meeting, which was being conducted online as a result.
The panel has also been flooded with scores of written comments about Trump’s plans to build a 90,000-square-foot addition where the East Wing of the White House once stood. Trump has said it will cost about $400 million and be paid for with private money. Trump had the East Wing demolished in October.
Scharf said the meeting was being conducted online to ease the public testimony portion, which he said was likely to extend into Friday given the number of people who had signed up to speak.
“They are taking time out of what I presume are busy schedules to join us,” he said. “One way or the other, we are going to make sure that members of the public have the opportunity to be heard on this project.”
Critics of the project have argued that Trump should not have demolished the East Wing until the National Capital Planning Commission and a separate panel, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, had reviewed and voted on his plans. The fine arts panel approved the project last month.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private, nonprofit group, asked a federal judge to temporarily halt construction until the White House submitted the plans both to federal panels and to Congress for approval, and allowed the public to comment.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejected the request last week, and the trust has said it plans to file an amended lawsuit.
Superville writes for the Associated Press.
India reach T20 World Cup final as England fall short
Defending champions India are through to the T20 World Cup final after England fall short, missing out by seven runs.
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Trump administration doubles down on military action in Latin America | Donald Trump News
The United States-Israeli war with Iran continues to rage, as Washington pledges to send more troops and military assets to the Middle East and Tehran widens its retaliatory strikes across the region.
But on Thursday, top officials under US President Donald Trump shifted focus to another military front: Latin America.
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Since taking office for a second term, Trump has indicated he plans to exert US dominance over the entire Western Hemisphere. His push for control has coincided with military operations against alleged criminal networks across the region.
At Thursday’s inaugural “Americas Counter Cartel Conference”, speakers such as White House security adviser Stephen Miller assured reporters that Latin America would remain a top military priority for the US, regardless of events in the Middle East.
“We are not going to cede an inch of territory in this hemisphere to our enemies or adversaries,” Miller said, adding the US was “using hard power, military power, lethal force, to protect and defend the American homeland”.
Miller further maintained there is no “criminal justice solution” to drug cartels, which he likened to armed groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).
Organised crime, he concluded, “can only be defeated with military power”.
Since Trump took office last year, his administration has applied what experts describe as a “global war on terror” approach to Latin America, including by labelling drug cartels “foreign terrorist organisations”.
Figures like Miller, a key architect behind Trump’s hardline immigration policies, have championed the president’s militaristic approach, even as critics warn it raises human rights and legal concerns.
Last September, for instance, the administration began striking alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, in what rights groups have decried as extrajudicial killings.
And in early January, the US launched an extraordinary operation to abduct Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. It has since pursued a pressure campaign against Cuba designed to weaken its communist government.
Just this week, on Wednesday, the Pentagon announced it had launched joint operations with Ecuador’s military “against Designated Terrorist Organizations” in the South American country.
The announcement indicated a new front for US military actions in the region, which officials have said could include land operations.
But the broadening scope of Trump’s military involvement in Latin America, combined with the nascent war with Iran, has raised questions about the US’s ability to sustain such intense military activity.
Prepared to ‘go on offence alone’
The “Americas Counter Cartel Conference” came as Latin American leaders arrived in South Florida to attend a regional summit hosted by Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Attendees included officials from the Trump-allied conservative governments in Argentina, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
But despite support from several regional governments, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth nevertheless told the audience that the US was “prepared to take on” Latin America’s cartels and “go on the offence alone, if necessary”.
“However, it is our preference — and it is the goal of this conference — that, in the interest of this neighbourhood, we all do it together,” Hegseth added.
The secretary also praised Trump’s take on the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, which sought to establish a US sphere of influence, separate from Europe, in the Western Hemisphere. Administration officials have dubbed Trump’s parallel approach the “Donroe doctrine”.
Hegseth framed the administration’s attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats as a keystone of Trump’s effort to maintain regional influence.
The US military has carried out at least 44 aerial strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in an estimated 150 known deaths.
The identities of the victims have not been released, with several family members saying fishermen and informal workers were among those targeted.
The Pentagon chief said the approach was meant to “establish deterrence”.
“If the consequence was simply to be arrested and then released, well, that’s a consequence they’d already priced in a long time ago,” Hegseth said.
He then pointed to a “few weeks” in February in which there were no strikes on alleged drug boats.
The pause in attacks, he said, was evidence of the strategy’s success. But that break notably came as the US surged assets to the Middle East.
Emphasis on ‘heritage’
Neither Hegseth nor Miller specifically referred to the war with Iran, but the pair touched on themes that have been present in the administration’s messaging on the war.
Trump, for example, said Iran’s government “waged war against civilisation itself”. There have been reports, meanwhile, that US military officials have referenced the biblical “end times” as a religious underpinning for the war.
Those remarks have reflected what critics consider Trump’s embrace of Christian nationalism and his view of the Americas as a European-derived “civilisation” threatened by outside forces.
At Thursday’s conference, Miller himself referenced violence in European history as justification for the modern-day military actions in Latin America.
There were periods in European history throughout the 18th and 19th centuries during which “ruthless means were used to get rid of the people who were raping and murdering and defying established systems of order and justice,” Miller said.
He also echoed Trump’s allegation that Europe was facing “civilisational erasure” as a result of left-wing leadership and immigration.
“The reason why many Western countries are struggling today is they’ve forgotten the eternal truth and wisdoms they once followed,” Miller said.
Hegseth, meanwhile, described all the countries at Thursday’s meeting as “offsprings of Western civilisation”.
Representatives in attendance, he said, faced a test “whether our nations will be and remain Western nations with distinct characteristics, Christian nations under God, proud of our shared heritage with strong borders and prosperous people ruled not by violence and chaos but by law”.
He added that foreign “incursions” represent “existential questions” for the region, seemingly referencing the growing influence of China as an economic and political partner in the Americas.