March 17 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s government has launched a major initiative to foster domestic artificial intelligence semiconductor companies, committing tens of billions of dollars as part of a broader national investment plan.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Financial Services Commission held a public-private meeting in Seoul on Tuesday to introduce the so-called “K-NVIDIA Project,” a strategy aimed at building globally competitive AI chipmakers.

Under the plan, the government will allocate 30 trillion won (about $22.5 billion) to artificial intelligence and about 21 trillion won (about $15.8 billion) to semiconductors from a 150 trillion won ($112.5 billion) National Growth Fund to be created over five years.

Officials said the initiative is designed to nurture homegrown AI chip firms capable of competing with global industry leaders, strengthening South Korea’s position in next-generation technologies.

Participants at the meeting included Deputy Prime Minister and Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eun-won and Korea Development Bank Chairman Park Sang-jin, along with executives from local AI semiconductor firms.

Industry representatives from companies such as FuriosaAI, DeepX, Mobilint, HyperExcel and Rebellion also attended the session.

The meeting brought together government officials and private-sector leaders to discuss investment strategies, technological development and policy support for the emerging AI semiconductor ecosystem.

— 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=20260317010005198

Umar Muhammad Mustapha had just stepped out of the mosque when he heard someone say an explosion had gone off in the Maiduguri Monday Market area on the evening of March 16. He panicked and asked when. “Just a moment ago,” someone replied, “while we were praying.” 

Immediately, Umar began dialling his nephew’s number as he rushed toward the scene without first returning home. “The phone kept ringing, but he did not answer. A few moments later, it prompted ‘switched off’,” he recalled.

That was when the panic deepened. 

“I began dialling those whose shops were close to ours.”

Umar sells gabgab at the market. His nephew, Muhammad Ibrahim, makes the local incense while he sells it. The 27-year-old has been with Umar since he was nine. 

As he moved through the city that Monday evening, his thoughts raced ahead of him. “I began to imagine the condition in which I would meet him,” Umar said. “Is he alright? Is he alive? Is he dead? Is he injured? And how bad his injuries might be.”

They both work at the market, but that day, Umar stayed at home. 

That night, at around 7 p.m., three explosions simultaneously rocked parts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital in northeastern Nigeria, including the Monday Market, the Post Office area along Ahmadu Bello Way, and the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).

As he hailed a tricycle to rush to the market, Umar was restless. “I felt as though the keke was not going fast enough and kept urging the driver to go faster,” he said. 

From the market to the ward

Before he reached the market, Umar’s phone rang, and Muhammad’s name was displayed. But when he answered, a different voice spoke. “Come to the emergency ward of General [State Specialist Hospital],” the person said.

In that moment, uncertainty gave way to reality. “An explosion occurred; he was affected,” the person continued. “He was brought to the hospital. You are the last person he talked to, so we are reaching out.”

The blasts at the market and the Post Office were especially devastating. The two locations sit minutes apart. Traders had closed for the day and were heading home when the first explosion tore through the Elkanemi junction, near the market.

In the immediate aftermath of the first blast, many people scattered and ran towards the Post Office area. Muhammad was among them. At the time Umar was trying to reach him, he had already escaped the market blast. In the confusion, he could not hear his phone. As he ran towards the Post Office area, another explosion went off. 

It caught him, and he sustained injuries to his chest and legs. 

When HumAngle visited the hospital on Tuesday, March 17, Muhammad could not speak, only nodding when spoken to. Umar said he was scheduled for surgery later in the evening. 

Other survivors also carry similar stories.

Mohammed Babagana Bukar had just bought a pair of shoes for Eid al-Fitr, which is in a few days, with money he earned as a porter at the market. When the blast happened, the 15-year-old said, “We panicked and began running towards the Post Office when another one went off, close to where the flyover is being constructed.” 

He was brought to the hospital by a stranger. “He carried me as I could not walk.”

Fantami Modu didn’t escape the first blast that rocked the market; he was injured.

“It affected my leg,” the 40-year-old said. “We were brought to the hospital by the police.” Fantami sells clothing materials and earns about ₦7,000 daily. It is what he uses to feed his family.

Now, he cannot work. Beside him, his brother, Babagana, said they are contributing to support the household until he recovers.

According to the Borno State Police Command, 23 people were killed, and 108 were injured in the multiple bomb blasts. No terror group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Nigerian Army said they were “carried out by suspected Boko Haram terrorist suicide bombers”. 

“Preliminary information further indicates that the terrorists may have deployed multiple suicide bombers into Maiduguri with the intention of carrying out coordinated suicide bombings at crowded locations,” Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai, said in a statement.

At the State Specialist Hospital, where victims were first rushed to, HumAngle counted 13 survivors on admission. The hospital is less than two kilometres from the scenes. Of these 13, 11 were males and two females, with varying degrees of injuries to the arm, leg, and chest. 

Nurses at the hospital said at least 40 people were brought to the emergency ward that night, with many later referred to the UMTH. Only 14 survivors were eventually admitted, but one died on arrival. 

UMTH was also targeted that night. An explosion that went off at the hospital’s entrance. Although no civilian casualties were recorded, sources said that a suspected suicide bomber, who tried to enter the hospital on a bicycle before he was stopped by security operatives, died in the incident. 

A city remembering fear

For some residents, the events revived familiar anxieties. 

“We had just broken our fast and were waiting for a tricycle to return home when we heard the explosion close to the Monday Market,” Sulaiman Muhammad, a resident, recounted. “Less than 20 minutes after, we heard another one from the Post Office area. In panic, we scattered.”

He did not go to the scene. “It is dangerous,” he said. “I remember in one explosion like this inside the market at the peak of the [Boko Haram] insurgency, another explosion went off immediately people gathered to help victims.”

Now, those memories are resurfacing. “People are in panic,” he said. “We had begun to experience relative calm until the past few days.”

Sulaiman has sold shoes at the market for more than 20 years. He believes the attacks will affect business. “As you can see, no one is out [to sell],” he said. 

These incidents are part of a broader pattern of escalating violence.

The explosions came barely 24 hours after terrorists attacked a military base in Kofa, a community close to Ajilari on the outskirts of Maiduguri, on March 16. Joint security operatives repelled the attack, leaving many terrorists dead. 

However, before then, there had been attacks by terror groups across Borno State, including assaults on rural military bases and resettled communities like Ngoshe and Dalwa. Also, on Dec. 25, 2025, a suicide bomber detonated at a mosque in the Gamboru Market area of Maiduguri. Five people were killed, and 35 others were injured.

Taken together, these incidents point to what observers describe as a violent resurgence. HumAngle has reported that the terror groups operating in the region have undergone several technological shifts that have aided their expanded attacks and operations, including the use of artificial intelligence and drones.

For Umar, the incident has narrowed into something smaller, more personal.

Muhammad, he said, loves to read.

“He would read verses from the Qur’an after his morning prayer. And after breakfast, he would head to the market. And by evening, he would return home. He would read in the evening too, before going to bed.”

When asked what he hopes for, Umar paused.

“I would have hoped for more security or for more vigilance,” he said. “But what would an empty hope solve? Authorities know what to do. They would act properly if they intend to.”

Zendaya and Tom Holland exchanged their vows in a luxurious ceremony off the Italian coast attended by previous “Spider-Man” duos Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone and Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst and officiated, obviously, by Robert Downey Jr.

At least that’s what one improbable image fantasized in a recent slew of AI-generated “wedding photos” circulating online.

“Tomdaya” (Tom + Zendaya) fans in recent weeks took it upon themselves to conjure up photos from the “Spider-Man” co-stars’ supposed nuptials, further stoking speculation that the betrothed stars, both 29, had said their vows. The phony wedding photos began making the rounds on social media after Law Roach, Zendaya’s longtime stylist, claimed earlier this month that “the wedding’s already happened.” Zendaya broke her silence on the photos and wedding rumors on Monday, telling late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that “many people have been fooled by them.”

The “Challengers” and “Dune” star, promoting her upcoming film “The Drama,” told Kimmel that the viral AI images caused people to approach her and congratulate her for the “gorgeous” ceremony and had even duped people in her close circles.

“Babe, they’re AI,” she recalled telling loved ones. “They’re not real.”

“Odyssey” co-stars Zendaya and Holland were first romantically linked in 2021, years after first sharing the screen in 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Zendaya memorably teased her engagement to the British actor at the 2025 Golden Globes, when she stepped out on the red carpet with a ring on that finger. At that awards show, when former Times columnist Amy Kaufman asked the actor if she was engaged, Zendaya flashed her ring, smiled coyly and shrugged her shoulders.

Earlier this year, eagle-eyed fans had their eyes on another ring. Tomdaya wedding rumors began gaining traction when Zendaya was spotted on Feb. 18 with a plain gold band on her left ring finger in place of her engagement diamond. Weeks after that, stylist Roach made his bold claim, one he danced away from at the 2026 Academy Awards on Sunday.

When the Hollywood Reporter asked Roach about his comment during the Oscars red carpet, he turned his attention elsewhere. “I think the weather’s really amazing today, it’s so sunny it’s a little warm but it’s beautiful,” he said.

During her late-night spot, Zendaya did not confirm or deny whether she and Holland had tied the knot but instead offered a video to “clear the confusion.” The video, a wedding scene from “The Drama,” shows Zendaya’s character posing alongside co-star Robert Pattinson’s, though his face is obscured by a picture of Holland.

“That was real footage,” she quipped. “That was real, I was there.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enjoyed another 40-point night as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic 113-108 to become the first NBA team to secure a play-off berth.

The 27-year-old Canadian went 14 from 27 from the field as he extended his record of most 20-point games in a row to 129.

Chet Holmgren added 20 points and 12 rebounds as the Western Conference leaders claimed a ninth straight win to improve to 54-15 for the season.

“We got off to a good start but then the car kind of came off the road for a little bit,” reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander said.

“But that’s what great teams do – they figure out a way to get the car back on the road, they figure out a way to go into a building and win a game when the chips are stacked against you, and we did that tonight.”

San Antonio Spurs remain second in the West after a comfortable 132-104 win over the Sacramento Kings, while the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Phoenix Suns 116-104.

In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons handed the Washington Wizards a 13th straight loss to strengthen their position at the top.

But the 130-117 triumph was marred by an injury to star point guard Cade Cunningham, who had to leave the game in the first quarter with a back issue.

The New York Knicks stay third in the East after a thumping 136-110 win over the Indiana Pacers, a 14th consecutive loss leaving last year’s NBA Finals runners-up 15-54 this term.

March 18 (UPI) — Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton claimed victory late Tuesday in a close race to be the Democratic Senate nominee in November, as voters headed to the polls to cast ballots in primary elections.

Dozens of local and federal contests were held throughout the state on a busy election Tuesday that included 17 U.S. House races but only one for the Senate — a seat being left vacant by the retiring Dick Durbin, the six-term senator and the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate.

Stratton claimed victory in a packed race for the Democratic nomination for Durbin’s seat.

“We did it,” she told supporters in her victory speech in Chicago.

“Tonight, we showed what’s possible when you listen to the people and give the people what they want.”

Stratton ran on a progressive platform of securing a single-payer healthcare system and a $25 minimum wage, while rejecting all corporate Political Action Committee funding during her campaign.

U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly emerged as her main political rivals.

Krishnamoorthi told his supporters in a brief speech Tuesday night at the Westin Hotel in Chicago’s River North neighborhood that he had called Stratton to congratulate her on winning the primary.

“I offered her my full support on the road ahead,” he said.

Krishnamoorthi positioned himself as the anti-President Donald Trump Democrat, often railing against the Republican leader and campaigning on his so-called Trump accountability plan of reforms to rein in presidential power to prevent abuses of power.

“Obviously, this is not the result we sought, but unlike Donald Trump, I’m not going to question the outcome,” he said.

“Now we must come together as Democrats and as Americans to make sure that we return to principles that made us a beacon of freedom and opportunity for the world.”

Kelly conceded online.

“Tonight’s isn’t the outcome we wanted, but I am so proud of us, and I still believe in putting people over profits,” she said in a statement.

“You want to know that your elected leaders are fighting for YOU, not distracted by outside noise. I’ll continue that fight in the U.S. house. I still have your back.”

As of early Wednesday, when an estimated 92% of the ballots had been counted, Stratton had secured about 40.1% of the vote share to Krishnamoorthi’s 33.2% and Kelly’s 18.1%, CNN and CBS News reported.

In a statement, Durbin, who did not endorse any candidate in the race, said he looked forward to “passing the torch” to Stratton when his term ends, while congratulating Krishnamoorthi and Kelly.

“Now our attention must turn to ensuring Juliana wins the general election on November 3,” he said. “With Donald Trump in the White House for another two years, the challenges facing our country and state will continue to be historic and unprecedented. We need Juliana Stratton fighting alongside Sen. [Tammy] Duckworth every day.”

On the GOP side, Don Tracy, former Illinois Republican Party chairman, was poised to seek Durbin’s vacant Senate seat as his party’s nominee.

Tracy campaigned in the blue state by positioning himself as a center-right candidate at a time of extremism in his party, stating on his website that he would seek “common sense solutions over extreme agendas.”

He also argued to be a voice for the entire state, voicing concerns that all federal elections had become contests for Chicago and Cook County.

“It’s time to make Illinois a two-party state again,” he said in a statement claiming victory on Facebook, while bashing Stratton as “the most extreme far-left U.S. Senate candidate this state has ever seen.”

“I will push for common sense solutions that make life more affordable for working families. I will work for everyday Illinoisans, not special interests or extreme agendas.”

Tracy was poised to win early Wednesday with nearly 40% of the vote share compared to lawyer Jeannie Evans’ nearly 23%, the closest runner-up, CNN and CBS News reported.

Evans campaigned on being a political outsider and a conservative Republican, while championing lowering costs and fighting crime.

In the governor’s race, Illinois is poised to have a rematch of 2022, when Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, beat Republican farmer Darren Bailey.

While Pritzker ran uncontested, Bailey was seemingly coasting to the GOP nomination in a landslide.

With 94% of ballots counted, Bailey had won 53.5% of the vote share to runner-up Ted Dabrowski’s 28.8%, according to CNN and CBS News tallies.

“The first fight has been won, but make no mistake, we are just getting warmed up,” he said in his victory speech.

“Best birthday ever.”

Bailey ran on a law-and-order campaign that included lowering property taxes, cutting government spending and cracking down on repeated criminal offenders.

Wave of Israeli air attacks launched as ground offensive widens in south where Hezbollah are fighting Israeli forces.

Israel has attacked a building in Bashoura, a neighbourhood in the heart of Beirut, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported, with a blast and smoke rising over the area shortly after Israel issued an evacuation threat for the site.

The attack was part of a deadly wave of Israeli strikes across Lebanon that killed at least 20 people and wounded 24 on Wednesday, according to the country’s Ministry of Public Health, with raids stretching from the capital through southern and eastern parts of the country, a devastating front in the wider United States-Israel war against Iran embroiling the region.

At least six people were killed in the air strikes in Beirut, with dozens injured.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Beirut, Zeina Khodr, reported that intense Israeli attacks hit multiple regions across Lebanon, including central Beirut, overnight.

Speaking from in front of a 15-storey building struck in one of the attacks, Khodr said its lower floors had been targeted a week earlier. In the early hours, however, the structure was completely demolished, with the Israeli army claiming Hezbollah had stored cash there.

“You can see the widespread damage across this whole neighbourhood,” Khodr said.

Israel’s military said it had launched what it described as limited ground operations in southern Lebanon, issuing evacuation threats for residents of four towns near the Zahrani River and the Tyre area, warning them to head north immediately.

Lebanon’s NNA also reported strikes on Tyre and the nearby area of Al-Burj Al-Shamali in the pre-dawn hours.

At least four people were killed in an Israeli attack that targeted four houses in the town of Sahmar in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.

The intensifying assault has now killed at least 912 people in Lebanon, including 111 children, and wounded more than 2,200 since Israel launched its offensive on March 2, according to Lebanese Health Ministry figures.

More than one million people have been forced from their homes. The United Nations warned on Tuesday that Israeli attacks on residential buildings and civilian infrastructure may constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law.

A spokesperson for the UN human rights office said that deliberately targeting civilians or civilian objects “amounts to a war crime”, adding that Israel’s sweeping displacement orders for southern Lebanon may themselves violate international law.

Khodr said that Hezbollah’s secretary general, Naim Qassem, last night laid down conditions for the war to end, including Israel stopping attacks, displaced people being permitted to return to their homes, those detained over the last two years by Israel being released and the Israeli army withdrawing.

Across southern Lebanon, Khodr said Hezbollah was “still present in the area, trying to repel the Israeli army’s advance”, adding that Hezbollah’s aim was not just territorial control of the region, but preventing Israel from gaining new positions in the country.

The conflict was ignited on February 28 when US and Israeli forces assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran, prompting Hezbollah to launch rockets into northern Israel on March 2.

Israel has since killed more than 2,000 people across Iran and Lebanon in its attacks.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a staunch Israeli ally, added his voice to growing international concern, warning that Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon was an “error” that risked worsening what he described as an already dire humanitarian situation.

The Foreign Office has updated travel advice for countries including UAE and Pakistan over the weekend, with 69 nations now carrying various levels of travel warnings

The UK Foreign Office has recently updated travel advice for countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan over the weekend. The Foreign Office (officially known as the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)) regularly updates travel guidance for the nation’s citizens and states that “with commercial flights resuming to the UK from United Arab Emirates (UAE), we are pausing our ‘register your interest in flights from UAE’ scheme”.

However, the UAE is still among the countries that the UK Government advises people should only travel to if essential. It is one of 69 countries with a travel warning attached to it for UK citizens, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Typically, the Foreign Office categorises its warnings into three classifications:

• The Foreign Office advises against all travel to a country: this is its highest warning level
• The Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of a country.
• The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to a country or parts of a country.

Countries where the Foreign Office recommends against all travel

This is the Foreign Office’s highest warning level, effectively telling UK citizens not to travel to these countries under any circumstances. There are 14 countries where the Foreign Office recommends against all travel.

You can see more detail on these countries here. They are:

1. Afghanistan, where British nationals face an elevated risk of detention.
2. Belarus, where “you face a significant risk of arrest if you have at any time engaged in any activity now considered illegal by the Belarusian regime”.
3. Burkina Faso, owing to “the threat of terrorist attacks and terrorist kidnap, and the unstable political situation in the country”.
4. Haiti, owing to a volatile security situation.
5. Iran, because of the ongoing Iran War. The FCDO warns: “If you are a British national already in Iran, either resident or visitor, carefully consider your presence there and the risks you take by staying. British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arrest, questioning or detention. Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you.”
6. Iraq, due to recent escalation in regional conflict. The FCDO warns: “There is significant risk of further escalation, and events are fast-moving and unpredictable.”
7. Israel, due to the escalation in conflict in the region which poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption.
8. Mali, owing to unpredictable security conditions.
9. Niger, owing to the increase in reported terrorist and criminal kidnappings of foreign nationals.
10. Palestine, owing to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
11. Russia, owing to a heightened risk of British nationals being detained in Russia and the dangers and threats stemming from its continued invasion of Ukraine.
12. South Sudan, owing to the danger of armed conflict and criminal activity.
13. Syria, owing to uncertain security circumstances and the risk of terrorist incidents.
14. Yemen, owing to the devastation caused by an ongoing civil war and humanitarian catastrophes.

Countries to which the Foreign Office advises against all travel to certain areas

The 36 countries to which the Foreign Office advises against all travel to certain areas are:

• Algeria: FCDO advises against travel to within 30km of Algeria’s borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Tunisia.
• Armenia: FCDO advises against all travel to within 5km of the entire eastern border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, owing to tensions between the two countries Azerbaijan: The FCDO advises against all travel within 5km of the border with Armenia.
• Benin: The FCDO advises against all travel to border regions near Niger and Burkina Faso.
• Burundi: The FCDO advises against all travel to a region where there is a rebel group and the risk of possible armed incursions from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
• Cameroon: The FCDO advises against travel to borders with Nigeria, Chad and the CAR.
• Central African Republic: The FCDO advises against all travel to the entirety of the Central African Republic, excluding the capital, Bangui.
• Chad: The FCDO advises against all travel to the northern provinces of Chad, among other regions.
• Congo: The FCDO advises against all travel within 50km of the Republic of Congo-Central African Republic border.
• Côte d’Ivoire: The FCDO advises against all travel within 40km of the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo: The FCDO advises against all travel within 50km of most of its northern and eastern border.
• Djibouti: The FCDO advises against all travel to the Djibouti-Eritrea border.
• Egypt: The FCDO advises against all travel within 20km of the Egypt-Libya border and the border with Israel and Gaza.
• Eritrea: The FCDO advises against all travel within 25km of all of Eritrea’s land borders.
• Ethiopia: The FCDO advises against all travel to anywhere near borders with Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya and Somalia.
• Georgia: FCDO recommends against all travel to the Russian occupied territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
• India: FCDO recommends against all travel within 10km of the India-Pakistan border and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Indonesia: FCDO recommends against all travel to a number of volcanoes in Indonesia.
• Jordan: FCDO recommends against all travel to within 3km of the border with Syria.
• Kenya: FCDO recommends against all travel to the Kenya-Somalia border and northern parts of the east coast.
• Lebanon: FCDO recommends against all travel to the vast majority of Lebanon.
• Libya: FCDO recommends against all travel to Libya except for the cities of Benghazi and Misrata.
• Mauritania: FCDO recommends against all travel to the eastern half of the country.
• Moldova: FCDO recommends against all travel to Transnistria, a region bordering Ukraine.
• Myanmar (Burma): FCDO recommends against all travel to most of Myanmar.
• Nigeria: FCDO recommends against all travel to large parts of north-west and north-east Nigeria.
• Pakistan: FCDO recommends against all travel to within 10 miles of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan and some other areas.
• Philippines: FCDO recommends against all travel to western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago.
• Saudi Arabia: FCDO recommends against all travel to within 10km of the border with Yemen.
• Somalia: FCDO recommends against all travel to the vast majority of Somalia.
• Sudan: FCDO recommends against all travel to the vast majority of Sudan Togo: The FCDO advises against all travel within 30km of the border with Burkina Faso.
• Tunisia: The FCDO advises against all travel to parts of its border with Libya and Algeria.
• Turkey: The FCDO advises against all travel within 10km of the border with Syria.
• Ukraine: The FCDO advises against all travel to the vast majority of Ukraine.
• Venezuela: The FCDO advises against all travel within 80km (50 miles) of the border with Colombia, within 40km (25 miles) of the border with Brazil and within 40km (25 miles) of the border with Guyana as well as some central areas.

Countries to which the Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel

The 19 nations to which the FCDO recommends against all but essential travel are listed below. The advisories may apply to either the entire country or specific regions within a country.

• Cambodia: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to within 20km from the land border with Thailand.
• Colombia: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to several parts of Colombia including the borders with Venezuela, Panama and Ecuador, and central Colombia.
• Cuba: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Cuba.
• Ecuador: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to several parts of Ecuador, where a 30-day state of emergency was renewed on February 28 due to internal disturbance and armed violence.
• Ghana: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Upper East region of Ghana.
• Guatemala: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to within 5km of the Mexican border from the Pacific Coast up to and including the Gracias a Dios crossing, as well as to to the towns of Santa Ana Huista, San Antonio Huista and La Democracia.
• Kosovo: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to a section of northern Kosovo.
• Kuwait: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Kuwait because of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
• Laos: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Xaisomboun Province, where there are intermittent attacks on infrastructure and armed clashes with anti-government groups.
• Malaysia: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to all islands and dive sites off the coast of eastern Sabah from Sandakan to Tawau, including Lankayan Island, due to the threat of kidnapping.
• Mexico: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to multiple cities and regions in Mexico because of escalating violence due to conflict between drug cartels and government forces.
• North Korea: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to North Korea, because “the level of tension on the Korean Peninsula remains high” even if “daily life in the capital city, Pyongyang, may appear calm”.
• Papua New Guinea: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to certain provinces due to the high risk of tribal fighting.
• Peru: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to areas near the border Colombia and elsewhere. There is a state of emergency in Peru.
• Qatar: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Qatar because of the conflict in the Middle East.
• Rwanda: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to a section of the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• Tanzania: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to a section of the Tanzanian border with Mozambique, due to attacks by groups linked with Islamic extremism.
• Thailand: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the south near the Thailand-Malaysia border and all but essential travel to within 20km of the land border with Cambodia.
• United Arab Emirates: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the UAE, which includes Dubai and Abu Dhabi, because of the conflict in the Middle East.

The Yorkshire Vet stars Julian Norton and Lucy Pittaway tackled an unusual case

The Yorkshire Vet stars Julian Norton and Lucy Pittaway urgently operated on a dog that faced “life-threatening” problems as they admitted it’s something they had never seen before.

The Channel 5 hit show made a comeback to our TV screens on Tuesday evening (March 17), as the vets at Wetherby prepared for a momentous procedure on a three-year-old spaniel named Ghost, who had a mysterious bump on his body.

Julian explained: “His owners are worried that they’ve seen something swollen and big in his abdomen and of literally seeing it sticking out. So the bulge under his skin there, we think it’s a tumour on the spleen.”

While checking Ghost’s lump, he pointed out how it was bigger than anticipated as he said: “Generally the more aggressive cancers we see in older dogs, so that makes it rather unusual, but we’ll see, hopefully with something that we can easily remedy.”

Resident expert scanner Nat was forced to step in and examine Ghost as they struggled to identify the problem as she admitted: “It generally doesn’t look recognizable as anything else.”

Julian was worried as he said: “It could be on the liver. Now, if it is, a cancerous growth on the liver, then that makes it altogether more complicated.

“With the benefit of modern imaging, we can get a really good idea in most cases what we’re dealing with, but this seems to be a little bit of a strange one.”

With scans inconclusive, Julian and the team are puzzled by Ghost’s mysterious lump. They made the decision to operate on the spaniel.

However It was clear they had a huge challenge on their hands as Lucy admitted: “It’s weird because it’s just so prominent there. I’ve literally never seen anything like it. It’s like not moving at all.”

Following a strenuous operation, Julian expressed his relief as he confirmed that it was not an abdominal mass and could in fact be an infection. They decided to prescribe Ghost with some antibiotics to help tackle the swelling.

Julian and Lucy were left pleased as they discovered that just one month after operating on Ghost, his lump was completely gone.

Speaking to Lucy, Julian said: “I’m glad we didn’t do anything more dramatic at the time but yeah, totally mended. Job is a good one. Another life saved, Lucy.”

Lucy added: “At least he is much happier now.” Ghost is definitely in good spirits as he was later seen enjoying a walk with his owner Ryan.

You can catch up on The Yorkshire Vet on Channel 5

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Standing in Tintern Abbey, you can feel the magic that has given this small Monmouthshire village on the banks of the Wye and its famous ruin such an outsized place in culture. JMW Turner, Gainsborough and Samuel Palmer are just some of the artists who have captured this landscape, and Wordsworth and Tennyson famously wrote poems inspired by Tintern. But it was Allen Ginsberg’s Welsh Visitation and his “clouds passing through skeleton arches” that came to mind while I sheltered from a cloudburst in the abbey’s nave. It’s a vast and fascinating site, and seeing it through sheets of rain as the sun went down was really special.

Ginsberg was here in the 1960s, following in the footsteps of the Romantics. But Tintern’s fame came thanks to its inclusion in travel writer William Gilpin’s 1782 book Observations on the River Wye. Gilpin’s writing about the “picturesque” – landscapes that inspired art through their rugged beauty – was so popular in the late 18th century that the Wye Tour was created to meet tourist demand, one of the first package trips in British travel history.

Tintern has been a destination ever since for literary travellers – though there are also many hillwalkers and canoeists who love the geography as much as the aesthetics of the area. So it’s interesting that the Royal George, the beautifully renovated coaching inn that has recently reopened in the village after a two-year refurbishment, takes local history and craft as its inspiration rather than leaning into the area’s national reputation.

A building has stood on the hotel’s location since the 16th century – it was originally the village forge owner’s home – but the renovation has opened under the name the Royal George because that’s what local people have always called it. The name comes from the warship HMS Royal George, which sank in Portsmouth in 1782, drowning hundreds on board in one of Britain’s worst maritime disasters. Timbers salvaged from the wreck were supposedly used in the construction of the inn, which opened in 1829. Camilla Kelly, the designer behind the refurbishment, found a ship’s bell which bears the insignia of another George, this one HRH George VI, which is now used to call last orders in the hotel bar

There are exposed paving flags and beams that date back to the 1600s as well as charmingly wonky walls and low ceiling beams but, unlike many hotels that aspire to the rustic, shabby chic vibe currently popular for a country stay, the Royal George is smart and very well put together. In its 20 bedrooms and dining rooms there is some vintage furniture – Kelly grew up in nearby Abergavenny with parents who worked in antiques shops and markets – but it’s the beautiful blankets and textiles made at the celebrated Pembrokeshire Melin Tregwynt mill, the metalwork art by local blacksmith and sculptor Mark Lumley, and the ornaments from Baileys Home, a destination shop for interiors fans that’s just up the road in Bridstow, that define this place.

It’s clearly a formula that’s proving popular with local people as well as visitors. At dinner time in the nautically named Upper Deck restaurant, there were families from the surrounding area who had come for a celebration meal. The pub dining room – the Lower Deck, of course – was full of local people including young parents sharing a plate of chips with their kids, as well as out-of-towners. It’s a testament to the quality of the food, which is really, really good.

Most dishes use ingredients from local farmers, growers and foragers and there are excellent and imaginative vegetarian options. Sunday lunch during my stay included a magnificent brie parcel as a special. Apparently, a local cheesemaker had brought in a particularly nice sample and chef Gareth Hope couldn’t resist adding it to the menu. I’d also recommend trying the Welsh wines – especially the sparkling Velfrey and the White Castle pinot noir.

Hope is particularly grateful that the George has become a pub for local people. At Christmas time, one of those dreaded courier delivery photos flashed up on his phone, of a parcel dropped in an unrecognisable doorway. Unfortunately, this parcel contained £450 worth of caviar for the Christmas menu. Hope shared his misfortune with the bar’s regulars and, after seeing the photo, one of them jogged off into a storm, reappearing with the caviar 20 minutes later.

It’s probably worth noting, with all this talk of fine food and furniture, that the Royal George isn’t as expensive as it sounds, with mains in the Lower Deck starting at £14 and a night in a garden room from £135.

If you want to walk off some of this lovely food, the 5-mile Angidy trail is an interesting journey through Tintern’s often overlooked industrial history. Before the abbey ruins turned it into a tourist attraction, the village was famous for its iron wire, and in 1600 the wireworks here were the largest industrial enterprise in Wales. The remains of the furnaces, waterwheels and workers’ cottages are dotted along the Angidy valley and among the hazel trees and larches on the forested hills. The ruins of St Mary’s church – built in the 13th century by the Cistercian monks for their lay tenants, but on a religious site dating back to the 5th century – will never rival the abbey, but the tombstones of the old industrialists – including one shaped like a wine cooler – are impressive, and there is a great view from the graveyard down to the Wye.

For a different but equally pleasurable excursion, go to the previously mentioned Baileys Home. The homeware store, owned by designers Mark and Sally Bailey, is massive. The showrooms fill not just a barn but also a cowshed, stable, granary and loft with a mix of antiques, vintage pieces and handmade furniture. You can browse smithy-made coat hooks and soap made from organic sheep’s milk for under a tenner, or try the bespoke sofas for size.

Inside or out, this is a very special corner of Wales. It may have found fame as a muse for visiting artists, but if you come here, don’t forget to look for the other stories told by the landscape.

Accommodation and dinner was provided by the Royal George in Tintern, which has doubles from £135, room only

The stars appear to be aligning for both club and country.

The World Cup is a “motivating factor” for Hall, and there remain question marks surrounding just who will line up in his position for England this summer.

Hall, who has won two caps for his country, has yet to earn a call-up under Thomas Tuchel following an injury-disrupted period in his fledgling career.

But that will surely change when the England manager announces his squad for the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan on Thursday.

Tuchel certainly knows him well.

The England boss handed Hall his debut at Chelsea at the age of just 17 in 2022, and has watched the left-back play against his former club and Manchester City this month.

Hall was a highly-rated talent at Chelsea, but he has come a long way since Tuchel first trialled him in a back three against Chesterfield.

Arno Michels, Tuchel’s long-serving assistant at Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain, knows that better than most.

“It’s incredible to see how Lewis has developed – and he’s still only 21,” he said.

Yet Hall will not be getting carried away.

Hall, by his nature, is a level-headed character, who does not tend to look beyond the next game, and has been kept grounded by a tight-knit family.

He has never lost touch with his roots.

The defender still has a small circle of close friends from his native Binfield, where it all started in Slough, and has returned to the village in each of the past three summers to hand out trophies and medals at the annual junior football tournament he once played in.

Hall has even been back to represent his local cricket club as relatively recently as 2024.

The left-back has not forgotten those who have helped him along the way, either, such as Mark Robinson, his former manager with Chelsea‘s under-23s.

Hall even jumped into the stands to catch up with Robinson after Newcastle‘s 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge at the weekend.

“There’s lots more to come because Lewis is a very humble lad,” Robinson said.

“I can’t see that ever changing. You have got to keep learning, keep improving, and he will do that.”

Venezuela upset the star-studded host nation to win a politically charged showdown in Miami.

Venezuela scored a stunning 3-2 upset over tournament hosts United States to capture the World Baseball Classic for the first time on Tuesday in a tense final played out against a backdrop of political tensions.

Eugenio Suarez drove in the winning run in the top of the ninth inning to seal a victory for Venezuela over an American lineup that had been hyped as a baseball “dream team”.

Trailing for most of the game, the Team USA looked to have hauled themselves back into the contest when Bryce Harper blasted a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth inning.

But Harper’s salvo proved to be in vain as Venezuela regained the lead in the ninth inning, punishing a shaky performance from USA reliever Garrett Whitlock to clinch victory.

“What can I say, it’s amazing,” Venezuela hero Suarez said. “Nobody believed in Venezuela, but now we win the championship today. This is a celebration for all the Venezuelan country.”

Suarez’s winning double settled a final that had got under way in a raucous atmosphere at Miami’s LoanDepot Park, with a large contingent of Venezuela fans in a sold-out crowd of 36,190 booing the USA lineup during pre-game introductions.

US President Donald Trump, whose government captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a military raid in January, had stoked tensions with a social media post on Monday, congratulating Venezuela for reaching the final while simultaneously suggesting the country could become the US’s “51st state”.

Trump again returned to the theme moments after Tuesday’s defeat, declaring in a post on his Truth Social platform: “STATEHOOD!!! President DJT.”

Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, who replaced the ousted Maduro, declared a “national day of jubilation” on Wednesday.

“This triumph is the victory of the passion, talent and unity that define us as Venezuelans,” Rodriguez wrote on X.

“An achievement that will remain forever in the heart of our country. ¡VIVA VENEZUELA!”

Venezuela dominate

Venezuela, whose players had been instructed by team management to avoid commenting on politics throughout the tournament, dominated the vaunted Team USA lineup for long periods, with starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez stifling the American batters led by New York Yankees home run king Aaron Judge.

The South Americans took the lead in the top of the third as USA starter Nolan McLean struggled for command from the mound.

Salvador Perez singled to get on base before Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr drew a walk.

A wild pitch from McLean left Venezuela with runners on second and third base, and on the next pitch, Kansas City Royals slugger Maikel Garcia’s sacrifice fly allowed Perez to score.

With the USA bats continuing to flail against Rodriguez, the Venezuelans doubled their lead in the top of the fifth inning.

McLean delivered a four-seam fastball into the centre of the strike zone, and Boston Red Sox left-fielder Wilyer Abreu duly pounced, crushing a 414-foot (126-metre) solo home run to centre field for a 2-0 lead.

Venezuela appeared to be closing in on victory, but were jolted by Harper’s 432-foot (132-metre) home run to centre field off reliever Andres Machado in the eighth.

But the USA rally was short-lived, and Venezuela grabbed the lead again in the ninth when Luis Arraez drew a lead-off walk from Whitlock before Suarez’s blast to left centre field gave Venezuela the winning run.

Closer Daniel Palencia removed Kyle Schwarber, Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony in quick succession to seal Venezuela’s triumph.

Qatar, UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia report new blasts, interceptions, with war edging to 3-week mark.

Iran has fired missiles and drones at several Gulf Arab nations, which have sought to intercept them, in a now-daily fallout from the United States-Israel war launched on Iran nearly three weeks ago that has engulfed the Middle East with deaths, destruction, assassinations, and an energy crisis spreading far beyond the region.

Early Tuesday, Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said its armed forces intercepted a missile attack against the country.

The Kuwait National Guard said it shot down an unmanned aircraft at dawn. The statement came hours after the Kuwaiti army said it was intercepting hostile missile and drone attacks.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have also reported intercepting missiles and drones in recent hours.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense reported the interception and destruction of a drone in the Eastern Region.

Earlier Tuesday, the UAE Ministry of Defence said the country’s air defences were “currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran”. The announcement came four hours after another reported attack from Iran. Later, a loud bang was heard in Dubai as authorities said air defences were dealing with a missile threat.

Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi, reporting from Dubai, said, “The UAE has been the hardest hit by Iran’s retaliation. For instance, there have been 3000 different projectiles – missiles and drones – fired at GCC countries by Iran in terms of its retaliation. More than half, well over half, have targeted places in the UAE. Overnight was no different … Multiple explosions heard throughout the city.

“That glow of defensive weapons and interceptions in the night skies, something that has become all too familiar, not just in Dubai, but in cities across the GCC. Once again seen over the skies here.

“Dubai’s media office confirming that they were the result of air defence interception operations,” he added.

There have been several deaths in the Gulf nations, where an economic effect is also being acutely felt since the war began.

Gulf economies bear brunt of Iran war

The economies of the Gulf are suffering some of the worst damage.

Iran has launched continuous attacks on Gulf states since the onset of the conflict on February 28, arguing that it is attacking military bases used by the US for the war. Gulf nations have rejected Tehran’s claims, insisting the attacks on them are unjustified.

The Iranian strikes have upended energy production and inflicted major disruption to tourism and travel, putting the region at risk of some of the most severe economic harm since the 1990-1991 Gulf War.

After nearly three weeks of war, the economic effect on the region has already been substantial.

Middle Eastern oil producers’ daily output declined from 21 million barrels to 14 million barrels after a little more than a week of conflict as they deal with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Rystad Energy.

This countryside spot is steeped in folklore about a monstrous Barghest that legends claim crushed victims – making for an atmospheric hiking spot

Nestled within an abandoned mining region, hidden away in the Wharfedale valley of the Yorkshire Dales, lies a collapsed limestone ravine, brimming with historical tales, folklore and even a potentially terrifying resident.

Unless you’re aware of its existence, the enigmatic cavern is virtually invisible from view, concealed just off the roadside, making it a genuine secret treasure for ramblers.

Troller’s Gill is a legendary location beloved by keen walkers who venture to the region hoping to witness its splendour, as it packs considerable natural beauty into a compact trail.

The difficulty level for the path is fairly moderate, largely due to a handful of sections requiring scrambling, with a total distance of 2.6 km. It’s a trek that typically takes around one hour and can therefore be combined with any other walking or exploration activities you’ve planned during your stay in the Dales.

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To access this captivating destination, you can leave your vehicle on New Road, where parking is free, before discovering this luminous green treasure.

Upon arrival, you’ll understand why it’s such a frequently discussed location and observe its rocky brook, which seems to emerge from nowhere.

Approximately a 15-minute stroll from where you’ve parked, you’ll spot a disused mine, the former operations of Gill Heads Mine, which has remained dormant since the early 1980s.

The entrance features a substantial gate with rockfall partially obstructing it, and visitors are strongly advised against entering the mine itself due to potential hazards, including potholes and collapse risks.

Legends and myths

Since its existence began, Trollers Gill has been cloaked in mystery but there’s one talethat particularly stands out from the rest. The location is thought to have been haunted by a Barghest, a massive hound with large luminous eyes.

According to ancient folklore, encountering the creature was far from fortunate but rather a harbinger of death, as those who crossed paths with the fearsome beast were frequently crushed to death or ripped apart, tales suggest.

One legend recounts the story of a man, John Lambert of Skirethorns, who bragged in a local pub about what he’d do to the enormous hound, which involved ‘giving it a good thrashing’ if he were to ever come across it. However, legend has it, he encountered the dog on his journey home, and it fatally crushed him.

John Henry Dixon from Grassington may have been the first individual to document such tales when he contributed a poem to a book published in 1827, William Hone’s Table Book.

In the ballad he describes a courageous man who ventures out to visit the Gill hoping to summon the mighty Barghest.

As he entered the gorge, he sensed the spirit of the stream warning him to turn back, but he disregarded it. He drew a protective magic circle around himself “with charms unblest”.

In his brief tale, the stream swelled and thundered, accompanied by a powerful wind, sweeping down the valley. He glimpsed the enormous shadow of the growling dog, its eyes illuminating the gorge walls.

The ferocious creature launched itself at the man and seized him as its next victim, dragging him to the valley floor, where his remains were subsequently discovered.

Various mythical creatures and supernatural entities have been reported inhabiting the ravine, which quite literally takes its name from trolls. It’s believed that Trollers’ Gill originates from ‘Troll’s Valley’, drawing from the Scandinavian tongue of those who made this area their home.

Their traditions and legends indicate that the term ‘troll’ encompasses any supernatural creatures, ranging from hulking giants to goblins, and naturally ‘trolls dwelling beneath the bridge’.

Meanwhile, the term ‘trolldom’ was understood to signify witchcraft and therefore implies the name stems from the notion of the valley being cursed, enchanted or inhabited by otherworldly beings.

ALICE Evans has shared the devastating news that her father has passed away – just months after losing her brother.

The actress, 57, revealed that her dad David died on Friday as she shared a heartbreaking tribute post with fans today.

Alice shared a series of throwback photos of her dad and her late mum when they were younger, along with a photo of her with her parents.

She penned: “Dear Dad, You left us on Friday. Only six months after the death of your beloved son Tony.

“Now all three of you are gone – you, Mum, Tony and it’s just me and Phil from the OG family.

“I hope the three of you are together. I hope there is a place where we get to see the people we’ve lost and that the three of you are having a blast, free from pain and the worry and anxiety and sometimes pure hell of life on earth.”

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She continued: “I hope you know how much wisdom you passed on to me that I am now passing on to my girls.

“Your crazy maths problems, brain teasers, your brilliant anecdotes, encompassing both the respect you had for the incredibly high position you reached in the world of academia, and at times the absurdity of the whole system.

“You taught me to laugh. You taught me that there is humor in almost anything. You taught me to play the piano.

“You taught me not to care what people thought because ‘if you do A, they’ll say you should have done B.

“And if you do B they’ll say you should have done A’. That stayed with me forever.

“Godspeed, Dad. Give Mum and Tone the biggest hug from me.

“David Vincent Evans 27th October 1940. – 13th March 2026 RIP.”

Alice was flooded with messages of support from her followers.

One wrote: “I am so sorry for your loss!!! Sending you all my love.”

A second posted: “Oh Alice, I’m beyond sorry, my heart goes out to you. You’ve endured so much loss, but know your parents’ love and legacy live on through you. Sending you love, prayers, and compassion God bless sweetheart.”

Another added: “So sorry to hear this news. Thinking of you. My condolences. I fully understand how painful this must be right now.”

In August 2025, Alice revealed her beloved brother Tony has tragically passed away.

She had previously revealed that her brother Tony has been through a lot of trauma.

Alice shared a series of touching photos from their childhood together, as well as special moments from each other’s weddings,

She wrote in the caption: “I can’t believe I’m writing this.
On Thursday, at 6.42pm, our beloved Tone left this earth.

“My brother, my best friend, the most incredible husband to Rachel, and beloved Uncle Tone to my girls who became so close to him in these past few years thanks to the wonders of face time.

“Tony was the kindest, most loyal, funniest, warm person I could have ever hoped to have had as a sibling.

“He will leave a gaping hole in the lives of me and the girls, that I have no idea how I will fill.

“Rachel, you are the strongest person I know and this week has been hell for all of us but especially you.

“You are the most caring, beautiful person and my sister forever. You and Tone were meant for each other.

“I have never met another couple so in love and so dedicated. It’s just unthinkable that your story has to end here.

“Tone – I don’t remember life without you in it and I have no idea how to even go about trying. RIP my beautiful, perfect brother.”

It comes after Alice’s ex Ioan and his new wife Bianca welcomed their first child together in November.

The couple wrote alongside a photo of them enjoying a kiss in the hospital: “November was a biggie…  Name: Mila Mae Gruffudd.

“Birth date: 2 November 2025. Due date: 2 December 2025.

“Bubba Bear and Rocky: Absolutely smitten. Daddy & Mummy: Completely and totally in love with our tiny little angel

“Extremely grateful this thanksgiving.”

It comes more than three years after Fantastic Four star Ioan, 52, divorced British-American actress Alice, after having split in 2021.

She played Chloe Simon in the film 102 Dalmatians as-well as Esther Mikaelson in the third season of the The Vampire Diaries.

The pair officially ended their marriage amid a bitter court battle and vicious custody row over their daughters.

Hollywood star Ioan also obtained a restraining order in 2022 against Alice.

Ioan and Bianca went public with their relationship in 2021.

The couple announced they were engaged in January 2024.

He revealed he was looking forward to giving marriage another go, captioning the photo on Instagram: “The most precious thing happened…”

They married in April this year and shared a video showing their romantic wedding ceremony.

Welsh actor Ioan could be seen wiping away tears as he expressed his love to Bianca.

Weeks later, they revealed they were expecting their first child together.

This particular run of seven games will define City’s season on all four fronts – losing twice against Real means their trophy prospects have been reduced to three.

That could be down to two on Sunday with a huge clash against the Gunners, who are hungry to rid their tags of ‘nearly men’ by ending a trophy drought which stretches back to 2020.

“On Monday [after Carabao Cup final] hopefully we will wake up and it is a sunny day,” said Guardiola. “It is not crucial, it is a football game, we are going to try to win with a good performance.

“We will challenge against the best team in England so far, the best team in Europe because look at their results in the group phase, they were first and have lost three or four games all season. We will challenge them and we have to see how we are competing against them.”

City were held to a surprise 1-1 draw at relegation strugglers West Ham, which has left them nine points off the pace in the Premier League with eight games to go – and a monumental effort is required to overturn that particular deficit.

And the FA Cup is no formality either, with City hosting rivals Liverpool in the quarter-final on Saturday 4 April after the international break, with league games immediately after against Chelsea and Arsenal.

Guardiola said: “After one or two weeks, we play against them in the Premier League and it is a good mirror to see what we have to do to achieve [like] them. I am old enough to see that one football game is not the big happiness or a loss is the end of the world, it’s just a game.

“In the end, the results have not been good except Newcastle but I have the feeling we are an extraordinary team with many, many, many good things that I love.

“We are still not complete, we are not aware in certain moments and departments, we have to be more clinical but my feeling is it is a question of time.”

March 17 (UPI) — An unidentified projectile struck the premises of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant on Tuesday evening, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said, raising fresh concerns about the risks the U.S.-Iran war poses to nuclear facilities in the region.

Little information about the strike was made public in the carefully worded and brief statement from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which said it had been informed that “a projectile hit the premises of the Bushehr NPP on Tuesday evening.”

“No damage to the plant or injuries to staff reported,” it said.

The IAEA’s director general, Rafael Grossi, reiterated his call “for maximum restraint during the conflict to prevent risk of a nuclear accident,” the agency said.

Located near Bushehr city on Iran’s southwest Persian Gulf coast, the Bushehr plant began construction in 1975, but its original German contractor abandoned the project following the Islamic Revolution four years later. In the mid-1990s, Russia agreed to complete Bushehr Unit 1, Iran’s first reactor, which began operating in 2011, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service.

Rosatom, Russia’s state atomic energy corporation, said the projectile struck near the metrology service building in the vicinity of the plant’s operating power unit at 6:11 p.m. local time, according to Russian state-run TASS news agency.

“There were no casualties among personnel of the Rosatom State Corporation. Radiation levels at the site are normal,” Rosatom General Director Alexei Likhachev said.

The strike was the first on the premises of the nuclear power plant since the war between Iran and the United States and Israel began late last month, he noted.

This is a developing story.

The national power grid comes back on after Cuba’s 10 million people were plunged into darkness overnight.

Cuba has reconnected its power grid and brought online its largest oil-fired power plant, energy officials said, putting an end to a nationwide blackout that lasted more than 29 hours amid a United States move to choke off the island’s fuel supply.

After the country’s 10 million people had been plunged into darkness overnight, the Caribbean island’s national power grid had fully come back online by 6:11pm (22:11 GMT) on Tuesday. However, officials said power shortages may continue because not enough electricity is being generated.

In addition to cutting off oil sales to Cuba, US President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric against the Communist-run island, saying on Monday he could do anything he wanted with the country.

A US State Department official blamed the Cuban government for the grid collapse, calling blackouts a “symptom of the failing regime’s incompetence”.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel fired back at Washington, criticising its “almost daily public threats against Cuba”.

“They intend to and announce plans to take over the country, its resources, its properties, and even the very economy they seek to suffocate in order to force us to surrender,” Diaz-Canel wrote on social media on Tuesday night, shortly after power returned nationwide.

Cuba has yet to say what caused Monday’s nationwide grid failure, the first such collapse since the US cut off the island’s oil supply from Venezuela and threatened to slap tariffs on countries that ship fuel to the nation.

By midday on Tuesday, grid workers successfully fired up the Antonio Guiteras power plant, a decades-old behemoth that underpins the country’s power grid.

Daily blackouts

Electricity generation, hampered by dire fuel shortages and antiquated power plants, is still far below what is necessary to meet demand, providing scarce relief for Cubans already exhausted from months of blackouts.

Most Cubans, including those in the capital, Havana, were seeing 16 or more hours of blackout daily even before the latest grid collapse.

“It affects every aspect of our lives,” said Havana resident Carlos Montes de Oca, noting that the outages had thrown simple necessities such as food and water supply into disarray. “All we can do is sit, wait, read a book… otherwise the stress gets to you.”

Much of Cuba was overcast through the afternoon on Monday as a cold front neared the island, casting shadows on the solar parks that account for a third or more of daytime generation.

Cuba has received only two small vessels carrying oil imports this year, according to LSEG ship tracking data seen by Reuters on Monday. On Tuesday, a Hong Kong-flagged tanker that could be carrying fuel to Cuba resumed navigation after suspending its course weeks ago in the Atlantic Ocean, the data showed.

Cuba and the US have opened talks aimed at defusing the crisis, among the most acute since 1959, when Fidel Castro forced a US ally from power on the island.

Neither side has provided details of the ongoing negotiations, although Trump has portrayed Cuba as desperate to make a deal.

Cubans, no strangers to hardship, saw little choice but to stay calm.

“We still don’t have power at my house,” said Havana resident Juana Perez. “But we’ll take it in stride, as we Cubans always do.”

MORGAN Freeman will become the voice of the London Underground this week.  

The Hollywood legend’s famous tones will ring out at Baker Street tube today and tomorrow.

The event is part of his big money advertising deal with Warburtons bread.

Instead of the announcer’s usual warning to “mind the gap”, Freeman will urge them to “mind the bap”.  

The bakery firm’s CEO, Jonathan Warburton said: “We wanted to share a bit of that fun with Londoners on their daily commute and hopefully raise a few smiles.  

“As you can probably tell, we also love a good bread pun, so Baker Street was a match made in heaven, and hearing a voice as legendary as Morgan Freeman’s booming to travellers on the platform is certainly a recipe for a memorable day.” 

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Freeman joined the likes of Robert De Niro, Olivia Colman and George Clooney when he signed up as the face of Warburtons last month.  

He admitted at the time he had never tried a crumpet before.  

New research by Warburtons reveals that 71 per cent of Brits consider the holey bun a cornerstone of UK culture.  

The firm will also transform signage at Baker Street tube into giant crumpets to celebrate Freeman’s turn on the tannoy. 

BEIRUT —  Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, has been killed in an Israeli airstrike, a move that represents a palpable hit to an Iranian leadership that has shown little interest in compromise after almost three weeks of war with the U.S. and Israel.

Killing Larijani, who led Iran as de facto wartime leader after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died on the first day of the war, eliminates a veteran official seen as the consummate insider despite not having the religious credentials for the Islamic Republic’s highest offices. Israel, in an announcement Tuesday, said the attack occurred the night before.

For all his bellicose comments since the war began, Larijani was also seen as a pragmatist, and observers say his death might strengthen the resolve of what’s left of Iran’s leadership, rather than induce a willingness to compromise.

His post as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council gave Larijani control of the country’s top security body, where he tasked government forces with subduing anti-regime protests in January. Thousands of Iranians were killed.

Also killed in the Israeli strikes was Gen. Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the Basij, the volunteer auxiliary wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and an integral part of the state’s ability to keep order.

“Larijani and the Basij commander were eliminated overnight and joined the head of the annihilation program, Khamenei, and all the eliminated members of the axis of evil, in the depths of hell,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement Tuesday.

Israeli officials have employed “axis of evil” to refer to Iran and its allies, including the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

Larijani had served as parliamentary speaker for 12 years and became the point man on nuclear negotiations as well as relations with allies such as China and Russia. He often acted as the government’s representative in the media.

Iranian officials confirmed that Larijani and Soleimani had been killed. They said Larijani’s son, the head of his office and several guards were also killed in the strikes.

Soon after Katz’s announcement, Iranian authorities released an undated note said to have been written by Larijani in which he honored Iranian sailors killed in a U.S. attack. The image of the note was also posted to Larijani’s account on X.

There was no explanation why the note was released and whether it is signified Larijani was still alive.

“We are undermining this regime in the hope of giving the Iranian people an opportunity to remove it,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu and President Trump have repeatedly called on ordinary Iranians to topple the government.

Though assassinating Larijani counts as yet another intelligence coup for Israel and the U.S., both may come to regret the loss of a figure who, despite his defiant rhetoric since the war began Feb. 28, was considered by some analysts as a realist.

His killing adds to the evisceration of Iran’s upper echelons, raising the question of who is left to negotiate an end to the war, or have enough influence to make Iran’s deep state accept compromise.

Some observers say that’s the point.

“Why did the Israelis take out Larijani in this moment? Because Netanyahu is focused on blocking Trump’s pathways for a ceasefire and follow-up negotiations with Iran,” said Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior policy fellow at the European Council for Foreign Relations, adding that “Larijani would have been the man to get that job done.”

Khamenei’s assassination, Geranmayeh said, had already empowered more hard-line figures in government, and Larijani’s death “could act as an accelerator to that path.”

“Israel seems to be turning its attention to targeting those that could push for a political solution to the current crisis,” she said.

Larijani’s death would add to the murkiness surrounding Iran’s leadership. After Khamenei was killed and it remained unclear who would replace him, Trump added to the uncertainty by saying that the country’s new leader would need his approval, but also that the U.S. had killed many of the leaders whom he would have deemed acceptable.

After Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was named the new supreme leader, Trump expressed his displeasure but repeatedly dodged questions about what the transition under the younger Khamenei would mean for the U.S. war effort.

After the elder Khamenei’s death, Larijani emerged as a high-profile voice for Iran, saying that Trump must “pay the price” for the U.S. strikes on the country.

In response, Trump acted as if he didn’t know who Larijani was.

“I have no idea what he’s talking about, who he is. I couldn’t care less,” Trump told CBS News.

Benjamin Radd, a political scientist and senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations, said Larijani was perceived to be “the last of the competent bunch” within the Iranian leadership — an intellectual who had a complex understanding of the geopolitical reality on the ground, who had negotiated with the U.S. in the past, and who was “adept at maneuvering” all the various parts of the Iranian power structure.

Radd said Larijani “lost that mantle of being the pragmatist” when he strongly backed the deadly January crackdown on protesters, for which he was “more responsible than anyone else.”

He “absolutely was responsible for a tremendous amount of carnage and death and destruction,” Radd said.

And yet, with his death, “all of that diplomatic, institutional experience” that he did have “is gone” from the Iranian leadership, Radd said.

Those left in power, he said, are “generally not the sharpest people, they’re not the people who understand the subtleties of diplomacy, of what negotiating with the U.S. is like.”

Bulos reported from Beirut and Rector from Colorado.

MIAMI — Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic for the first time, rebounding from a blown eighth-inning lead to beat the United States 3-2 Tuesday night on Eugenio Suárez’s tiebreaking double in the ninth.

Maikel Garcia’s third-inning sacrifice fly and Wilyer Abreu’s fifth-inning homer off rookie Nolan McLean built a 2-0 lead before a roaring pro-Latin America crowd. Meanwhile, left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez and lights-out relievers limited the Americans to two hits through the seventh.

Bobby Witt Jr. walked with two outs in the eighth and Bryce Harper drove the second straight changeup from Andrés Machado over the center-field fence for a two-run homer that tied it. Harper slowly trotted around the bases and took time at third to salute coach Dino Ebel.

Luis Arraez walked against Garrett Whitlock starting the ninth. Pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second just ahead of catcher Will Smith’s throw and came home when Suárez doubled to the left-center gap. Suárez spread his arms wide and pointed to the sky at second base while teammates streamed from the dugout to greet Sanoja at the plate.

Daniel Palencia struck out two in a perfect bottom half to finish a three-hitter and get his third save of the WBC, striking out Roman Anthony to end the game. Venezuelans ran onto the infield to celebrate as the Americans stared while leaning on their dugout railing.

“Nobody believed in Venezuela but now we win the championship,” Suárez said. “This is a celebration for all the Venezuelan country.”

Despite a heralded roster of stars led by Aaron Judge, Harper and Paul Skenes, the U.S. lost its second straight final of baseball’s premier international event and remained without a title since 2017.

Venezuela celebrates its victory.

(Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)

Judge was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in the championship game and hit .222 with five RBIs in the tournament, while Harper batted .214 with three RBIs and Alex Bregman .143 with four RBIs. The U.S. scored nine runs in the three knockout-round games while batting .188.

Ahead of a matchup with political overtones, players and coaches avoided discussing the government turmoil between the nations, heightened when the U.S. military captured Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in January. The sellout crowd of 36,190 at LoanDepot Park was heavily pro-Venezuela, with some booing American players during the introductions.

Venezuela became the second Latin American nation to win the WBC, after the Dominican Republic in 2013. The U.S. took the title in 2017 and lost the 2023 final to three-time champion Japan on this same field.

While the U.S., Japan and the Dominican Republic got much of the attention ahead of the sixth edition of the 20-nation event, Venezuela’s success was not that surprising. Sixty-three players born in Venezuela appeared on Major League Baseball opening-day rosters last year, second-most from outside the U.S. behind the Dominican Republic’s 100.

Venezuela went ahead in the third inning against McLean, getting the start because Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers decided the two-time Cy Young Award winner would make only a first-round appearance.

Salvador Perez sliced a first-pitch single and Ronald Acuña Jr. walked with one out. The runners advanced when McLean bounced a curveball, and Garcia followed with a sac fly to center.

Abreu doubled the lead when he drove a fastball 414 feet to center. His helmet fell off when he rounded second and he hopped in excitement as he neared the plate, where he was greeted by a line of teammates.

Rodriguez gave up one hit in 4 1/3 innings before Venezuela turned to its bullpen.

U.S. players had arrived at LoanDepot Park in game-worn U.S. Olympic hockey jerseys coordinated by outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jack Hughes, who scored the gold medal-winning goal against Canada last month.

In a darkened ballpark filled by fans wearing wristbands with festive blinking lights, Judge and Arraez led the teams down the foul lines for the introductions while carrying their nation’s flags.

Iran’s foreign minister is pushing back after the killings of top officials Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani. Abbas Araghchi says the Islamic Republic is built to withstand shocks, insisting that no single figure, no matter how powerful, can destabilise the system.

The US defence secretary designated the AI company a ‘supply chain risk’ after it refused to remove guardrails on its technology.

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has said in a court filing that the Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic was justified and lawful, opposing the artificial intelligence company’s high-stakes lawsuit challenging the decision.

The administration made its comments in a court filing on Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic, the maker of popular AI assistant Claude, a national security supply chain risk on March 3 after the company refused to remove guardrails against its technology being used for autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance.

The Trump administration’s filing says Anthropic is unlikely to succeed in its claims that the US government’s action violated speech protections under the US Constitution’s First Amendment, asserting that the dispute stems from contract negotiations and national security concerns, not retaliation.

“It was only when Anthropic refused to release the restrictions on the use of its products — which refusal is conduct, not protected speech — that the President directed all federal agencies to terminate their business relationships with Anthropic,” the administration’s legal filing said. The filing, from the US Justice Department, said that “no one has purported to restrict Anthropic’s expressive activity”.

Anthropic’s lawsuit in California federal court asks a judge to block the Pentagon’s decision while the case plays out. Some legal experts say the company appears to have a strong case that the government overreached.

In a statement, Anthropic said it was reviewing the government’s filing. The company said that “seeking judicial review does not change our longstanding commitment to harnessing AI to protect our national security, but this is a necessary step to protect our business, our customers, and our partners.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Supply chain risk

Trump has backed Hegseth’s move, which excludes Anthropic from a limited set of military contracts. But it could damage the company’s reputation and cause billions of dollars in losses this year, according to its executives.

The designation came after months of negotiations between the Pentagon and Anthropic reached an impasse, prompting Trump and Hegseth to denounce the company and accuse it of endangering American lives with its use restrictions.

Anthropic has disputed those claims and said AI is not yet safe enough to be used in autonomous weapons. The company said it opposes domestic surveillance as a matter of principle.

In its March 9 lawsuit, Anthropic said that the “unprecedented and unlawful” designation violated its free speech and due process rights, while running afoul of a law requiring federal agencies to follow specific procedures when making decisions.

The Pentagon separately designated Anthropic a supply chain risk under a different law that could expand the order to the entire government.

Anthropic is challenging that move in a second lawsuit in a Washington, DC, appeals court.