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From Maddie Lee: As Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto came set on the Rogers Centre mound Tuesday, he didn’t let his mind drift to the last time he gazed from that exact spot.

He didn’t think of the snap of Alejandro Kirk’s bat as it splintered, or the fluidity of Mookie Betts’s movement as he started the double play, or the joy on Freddie Freeman’s face as his arms flew in the air.

He didn’t think of the relief as a back-and-forth World Series Game 7 finally ended, or the mayhem that ensued around him as he tilted his head back and smiled.

Yamamoto insisted he didn’t think about the final pitch of last year’s World Series during his start Tuesday. And in the Dodgers’ 4-1 win against the Blue Jays, his focus showed.

“No matter how important, how big the game is, I just treat every game as the same,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter the day before. “And in just normal games, I just pretend that that’s the biggest game.”

Tuesday was, by all measures, just a normal game. And Yamamoto held the Blue Jays to one run through six-plus innings.

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Dodgers-Blue Jays box score

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MLB standings

With Big 3 out, Lakers lose to Thunder

Lakers guard Bronny James dunks during a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: No Big Three. No surprise.

Without 80% of their starting lineup, the Lakers, predictably, got crushed by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, losing 123-87 to drop their third consecutive game and fall one game out of third place in the Western Conference.

Already without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) for the rest of the regular season, the Lakers had to dig deep in their bench when LeBron James (left foot injury management) and Jaxson Hayes (left foot soreness) were ruled out.

With Marcus Smart (ankle) sidelined for his eighth consecutive game, the Lakers were without five of their top nine players. Even some veterans left from the rotation didn’t inspire confidence early.

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Lakers-Thunder box score

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Jorge Soler, Reynaldo López get into benches-clearing fight

Angels batter Jorge Soler, left, fights Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López as the benches clear in the fifth inning at Angel Stadium on Tuesday night.

(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)

From the Associated Press: Ozzie Albies hit his third home run of the season, starter Reynaldo López struck out seven in 4⅔ innings before being ejected after a bench-clearing brawl, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Angels 7-2 on Tuesday night.

Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler went after López following a high-and-tight wild pitch in the fifth. There was a lengthy staredown before Soler took steps toward the mound and López held out his arms before the two exchanged punches. López was holding the baseball when he landed a punch on Soler’s batting helmet.

Soler homered in the first — the fifth of his career in 23 at-bats against López — and was hit by a pitch in the third.

Atlanta snapped a three-game skid and ended the Angels’ three-game winning streak.

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Angels-Braves box score

Aday Mara winning a national title exposes Mick Cronin’s failure

Michigan center Aday Mara celebrates during the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball championship win over Connecticut on Monday night.

(Abbie Parr / Associated Press)

From Bill Plaschke: Was that really Aday Mara?

It was the most maddening part of March.

It was a Cinderella story that smelled like rotting pumpkin.

It was a big dance over the sensibilities of everything that is UCLA.

Seriously, was that really Aday Mara?

The biggest player on the giant national champion Michigan basketball team Monday night looked familiar, yet strange.

Familiar, because he once played for the Bruins.

Strange, because he wasn’t buried on the bench.

Meet Mick Cronin’s nightmare, a 7-foot-3 indictment of his embattled program, a monumental mistake that has spent three weeks eating at the heart of even the most dedicated Bruin loyalists.

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Kawhi Leonard leads Clippers past Mavericks

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, right, passes the ball in front of Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell during the first half of the Clippers’ 116-103 win Tuesday at Intuit Dome.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

From the Associated Press: Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points, hitting six three-pointers, and the Clippers recovered after blowing a 23-point lead to beat rookie Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks 116-103 on Tuesday night.

It was Leonard’s 55th straight game with 20 or more points in the Clippers’ first win in three tries against the Mavericks this season.

Leonard played in his 62nd game, and he’ll have to appear in the final three games of the regular season to reach 65 and be eligible for postseason awards such as league MVP and All-NBA honors.

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Clippers-Mavericks box score

Ducks shut out by Predators

Nashville goaltender Justus Annunen makes a save on a shot by Ducks forward Ryan Poehling in the first period of the Ducks’ 5-0 loss at Honda Center on Tuesday.

(Scott Strazzante / Associated Press)

From the Associated Press: Justus Annunen stopped 43 shots — one shy of his career high — for his third career shutout, and the Nashville Predators sent the Ducks to their sixth consecutive loss, 5-0 on Tuesday night.

Erick Haula, Filip Forsberg and Brady Skjei scored second-period goals, and Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov scored in the third for the Predators. Joakim Kemmell and Ryan O’Reilly each had two assists.

The win pushed Nashville (84 points) one point ahead of the Kings for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Predators have four regular-season games left.

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Who UCLA could pursue in transfer portal

Iowa State center Audi Crooks, a prolific scorer, is in the transfer portal and is among the players UCLA could pursue.

(Jessica Hill / Associated Press)

From Marisa Ingemi: Women’s college basketball’s version of free agency is here. Less than six hours after UCLA won its first NCAA national title, the transfer portal opened, allowing teams to talk to players seeking new schools. And, like the past few seasons, it is already filled with star power.

UCLA coach Cori Close has to replace six seniors and graduate students who exhausted their eligibility after scoring every point in the national title game.

Close enters the derby with considerable momentum.

“The transfer portal just got easier,” she said with a smile with a championship net draped around her neck Sunday.

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Rory McIlroy learns something about winning

Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot on the 17th hole during a practice round ahead of the Masters on Tuesday.

(Eric Gay / Associated Press)

From Sam Farmer: Rory McIlroy, defending Masters champion, finally belongs.

That’s how he feels in the Augusta National clubhouse, at least, even though this week marks his 18th start in the historic golf tournament.

“I always felt like I knew the week of the tournament that the clubhouse is for participants and their families,” he said, “but I still felt like I had to earn the right to be there a little more often.”

A year ago, McIlroy beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff to become the sixth man to complete a career grand slam, winning all four major championships.

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This day in sports history

1935 — Gene Sarazen gets a double eagle on the 15th hole to erase Craig Wood’s three-stroke lead, then goes on to win the Masters.

1941 — In his 4th title defense in 9 weeks Joe Louis beats Tony Musto by TKO in the 9th round.

1943 — The Detroit Red Wings beat the Boston Bruins 2-0 to win the Stanley Cup with a four-game sweep.

1956 — Jack Burke, Jr. comes back from eight strokes behind to beat Ken Venturi by one and win the Masters.

1966 — American Football League votes in 36 year old Al Davis as commissioner after Joe Foss resigns. Appointment lasts 3 months when AFL merges with NFL.

1968 — Major League Baseball decides to postpone Opening Day because of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

1969 — MLB expansion teams Royals, Expos, Padres & Pilots win their 1st games

1971 — The first legal off-track betting (OTB) system in the United States opens in New York City.

1974 — In the home opener in Atlanta, Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth’s career record by hitting his 715th home run, connecting off Al Downing of Los Angeles in the fourth inning.

1975 — Frank Robinson, the first black manager in the majors, debuts as player-manager for the Cleveland Indians. Robinson hits a home run in his first at-bat — as a designated hitter — to help beat the New York Yankees 5-3.

1989 — Alex English scores 26 points to become the first player in NBA history to score 2,000 points in eight straight seasons, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Utah Jazz 110-106.

1989 — One-handed pitcher Jim Abbott makes MLB debut.

1990 — Nick Faldo becomes the second player to win consecutive Masters, beating Ray Floyd on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. Faldo joins Jack Nicklaus as the only repeat winner.

1991 — Major league umpires & baseball reach a 4-year agreement after strike.

1995 — Oliver McCall beats Larry Holmes in 12 for heavyweight boxing title.

2001 — Tiger Woods claims the greatest feat in modern golf by winning the Masters, giving him a clean sweep of the four professional majors in a span of 294 days. Woods, with his winning score of 16-under 272, sweeps the majors with a combined score of 65-under.

2003 — 22nd NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Tennessee, 73-68.

2007 — Zach Johnson hits three clutch birdies on the back nine of Augusta National, to close with a 69 for a two-shot victory over Tiger Woods at the Masters.

2008 — Candace Parker, playing with an injured left shoulder, scores 17 points and grabs nine rebounds to help Tennessee capture its eighth women’s NCAA championship with a 64-48 victory over Stanford.

2012 — 76th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Bubba Watson wins on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.

2013 — Luke Hancock makes all five of his 3-pointers and leads Louisville to its first NCAA men’s basketball championship since 1986 with a 82-76 victory over Michigan. Coach Rick Pitino adds this title to the one he won at Kentucky in 1996 and became the first coach to win a championship at two schools.

2014 — 33rd NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Notre Dame, 79-58.

2017 — Damian Lillard scores a franchise-record 59 points and matches his career high with nine 3-pointers to help the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz 101-86.

2018 — 82nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Patrick Reed wins his first major title.

2019 — 81st NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Virginia beats Texas Tech, 85-77 OT.

Compiled by the Associated Press.

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Israel has backed a ceasefire between the US and Iran but made clear it does not extend to Lebanon. Al Jazeera’s Heidi Pett reports that as Israeli strikes continue, residents remain wary after repeated violations of past ceasefires and ongoing displacement.

The MLS started play seven weeks ago but apparently someone forgot to tell the Galaxy, who continue to sleepwalk through a season that is rapidly slipping away from them.

On Saturday, a pair of defensive mistakes led to two Minnesota United goals and a 2-1 loss that extended the Galaxy’s winless streak to four games in league play. And it’s going to get harder, not easier, going forward for the Galaxy, who travel to Toluca, Mexico, on Wednesday for a CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal, the first of six games the team will play in the next 21 days.

Anthony Markanich and Kelvin Yeboah scored for Minnesota United (2-2-2) while the Galaxy goal came from Marco Reus.

The Galaxy (1-3-2) was the better team for most of the first half, but they were once again plagued by indecision in the final third — especially in the first half when they outshot Minnesota 6-2. And as a result, some promising scoring chances were wasted.

They wasted another golden opportunity in the opening minutes of the second half when Gabriel Pec beat a pair of defenders up the right side and into the box, where he pulled up and pushed the ball into the center of the penalty area for an onrushing Reus. But the pass went behind Reus, allowing Minnesota to recover.

That proved costly less than a minute later when Markanich, racing up the center, got behind Galaxy defender Mauricio Cuevas to corral a long ball from Joaquín Pereyra, then beat keeper JT Marcinkowski cleanly. The Galaxy pleaded for an offside call but were ignored.

Reus took matters into his hands to tie the score six minutes later, putting a sharp right-footed shot on goal that Drake Callender parried away, then jumped on the rebound with his left foot and lifting the ball over Callender, who was still on the ground.

Yeboah bettered that in the 67th minute, taking advantage of another defensive breakdown to poke a pass from Tomás Chancalay at the left post by Marcinkowski. The Galaxy keeper turned and appeared to upbraid his defenders before clapping his hands and trying to rally his team after what proved to be the winning goal.

The Galaxy had several chances to even the score starting in the 79th minute when a rebound from a Pec shot deflected to João Klauss, whose try was high, then again a minute later when no fewer than five players touched the ball inside the six-yard box before Callender grabbed it.

Six minutes into stoppage time, Callender batted away a final left-footed shot from Pec for his season-best sixth save. When the final whistle sounded following a final corner kick from the desperate Galaxy, some in the crowd of 22,447 booed. Supporters in the north grandstand, the Victoria Block, sent the team off with chants of “We Want Better.”

Both teams were missing important players. The Galaxy were without winger Joseph Paintsil (hamstring) and defender Jakob Glesnes (calf) while Minnesota was without midfielders Julian Gressel, who was sidelined with a toe injury, and James Rodríguez, captain of the Colombian national team, who was hospitalized with severe dehydration after an international friendly last weekend.

The undercard for Sunday’s London show is stacked with four female world-title fights featuring British fighters, all of whom made weight successfully.

Londoner Ellie Scotney, 28, has the chance to become Britain’s youngest ever undisputed champion – male or female – in the four-belt era when she faces Mexico’s Mayelli Flores for the undisputed super-bantamweight title.

Both fighters came in under the 8 st 9 lb limit, with Scotney towering over the 4 ft 11 in Flores by five inches at the face-off.

Flores vowed to bring “war to the ring,” citing Mexican legends Julio Cesar Chavez Sr and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, while Scotney responded: “I’m more than ready. All the belts, all the marbles.”

Northampton’s Chantelle Cameron weighed in for her WBO light-middleweight world-title challenge against unbeaten Czech fighter Michaela Kotaskova.

The fight will feature three-minute rounds, longer than the usual two in women’s boxing, and a win could set up a bout with three-division champion Mikaela Mayer, who was ringside.

“I’ve been working hard in the gym, getting ready for the three-minute rounds. I’ve got the engine,” said the 34-year-old Cameron.

Norwich’s Emma Dolan, 27, aims to claim her first world title against IBF super-flyweight champion Irma Garcia.

Dolan, unbeaten in eight fights, will face the experienced 44-year-old Mexican, who has had 35 professional bouts. Dolan promised she will “go in there and take over”.

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan intends to continue to nudge the United States and Iran towards negotiations aimed at ending their war, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledges “obstacles” in its efforts.

Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi did not specify the roadblocks on the path to peace that he was referring to. But his comments, made during a weekly media briefing in Islamabad, came hours after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages” if it did not accept Washington’s terms for a peace deal.

Pakistan has been leading a multination effort to facilitate negotiations between the US and Iran.

“Despite challenges and obstacles, Pakistan will continue its efforts to promote facilitation and dialogue,” Andrabi said. He added that Islamabad was working to create conditions for “meaningful negotiations among relevant stakeholders”.

He said the US and Iran had confidence in Pakistan’s role as a neutral intermediary.

In a sign of that confidence, Iran has allowed 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Andrabi called it “a harbinger of peace” and a positive step for regional stability.

He did not confirm whether any Pakistani ship had so far sailed through the strait.

The Hormuz route has been largely blocked since Iran began restricting oil and gas shipments following the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran conflict on February 28. The disruption has driven up energy prices and triggered widespread economic strain.

Andrabi also pointed to sustained high-level contact between Islamabad and Tehran. He cited a March 28 call in which Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stressing the need to “build trust in order to facilitate talks and mediation” and praising Pakistan for its “supportive role for peace”.

Regional diplomacy

The briefing came just a day after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar returned from Beijing, where he met China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The visit produced a joint five-point initiative calling for an immediate ceasefire, urgent diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation, and the restoration of normal maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Andrabi said the Chinese-Pakistani plan had since been shared with Iran, the US and other stakeholders, receiving appreciation “across the region and beyond”.

He added that the proposals were consistent with the outcome of the four-nation ministerial meeting held in Islamabad the previous weekend — the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt joined Dar for those talks.

Dar travelled to Beijing despite medical advice to rest after sustaining a hairline fracture during the Islamabad talks, a move Andrabi said reflected the importance Pakistan places on its ties with China. “The Chinese side expressed deep appreciation, conveying that China and Pakistan are strategic cooperative partners,” he said.

The Islamabad meeting between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt was the second such gathering in a coordinated regional push to de-escalate tensions. The first was held in Riyadh on March 19.

Following those talks, Dar said Pakistan was prepared to host direct US-Iran negotiations “in the coming days”.

“Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides for a comprehensive and lasting settlement,” he said on March 30.

At Thursday’s briefing, Andrabi reiterated that offer, confirming Pakistan had formally “offered to host and facilitate negotiations as part of its broader diplomatic outreach”.

He said the next phase of efforts would focus on securing “meaningful negotiations among relevant stakeholders”.

He appeared to acknowledge that Iran — which has so far denied any direct negotiations with the US and has insisted that the mediation is limited to messages being passed between Tehran and Washington by Islamabad — was not fully on board with the efforts to push the warring nations towards talks.

“Iran, as a sovereign country, determines its own policies,” Andrabi said.

Afghanistan breakthrough?

Separately, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry confirmed sending a delegation of senior officials to the northwestern Chinese city of Urumqi for talks with Afghanistan. It is the first substantive contact since Islamabad launched cross-border strikes in late February.

The Urumqi meeting on Wednesday focused on exchanging views on the current escalation, Andrabi said.

“Our participation is a reiteration of our core concerns,” he said. “The burden of real process, however, lies with Afghanistan, which must demonstrate visible and verifiable actions against terrorist groups using Afghan soil against Pakistan.”

Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq on the night of February 26, targeting what it described as sanctuaries of “terrorists” in Afghanistan, following what it called unprovoked fire from across the border by Afghan Taliban forces.

After a five-day pause from March 18 to 23 for Eid-ul-Fitr, partly in response to de-escalation requests from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkiye, Andrabi confirmed the operation was continuing.

“There has been no change in Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, and operations are continuing,” he said.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration in Kabul of enabling groups such as Pakistan Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, which have repeatedly launched deadly attacks inside Pakistan, to operate from Afghan soil. Kabul denies those allegations.

Islamabad says its concerns remain unaddressed, and violence has surged since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.

China has also played a role in facilitating engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, including meetings in Beijing in May and in Kabul in August.

Published on 30/03/2026 – 7:07 GMT+2•Updated
8:29

European markets are set to open lower on Monday, with futures pointing to declines across major indices as investor sentiment remains cautious amid rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

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As of early morning trading, Germany’s DAX was down around 0.5%, the FTSE 100 fell roughly 0.3%, and France’s CAC 40 was also in negative territory, according to IG data.

The weaker outlook follows losses in Asia, where shares mostly dipped overnight as concerns persisted around soaring oil prices and the potential for further escalation in the US war with Iran.

The declines follow steep losses on Wall Street on Friday, marking a fifth consecutive losing week — the longest such streak in nearly four years.

“US equity markets remained under sustained pressure, with the S&P 500 falling 2.1% for the week and the Nasdaq 100 sliding 3.2%. The Dow Jones held up comparatively better, declining 0.9%, owing to its lower technology weighting. Both the Nasdaq 100 and the Dow Jones have now officially entered correction territory after recording drawdowns of more than 10% below their respective peaks,” IG market analyst Fabien Yip said in a commentary note.

Asia-Pacific markets lower overnight

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 4.5% in early trading, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.2%, and South Korea’s Kospi slid 3.2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng declined 1.7%, while the Shanghai Composite edged 0.7% lower.

Investor worries have been particularly acute due to the risk of disrupted access to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments.

Benchmark Brent crude rose above $116 a barrel in early trading, marking an increase of more than 50% since the Iran conflict began on 28 February. Prices were just over $70 a barrel when the war started. US benchmark crude was also up, at around $101 a barrel, reflecting continued volatility in global energy markets.

The surge comes as US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of American forces seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, the country’s main oil terminal in the Persian Gulf. He made the comment in an interview published early Monday by the Financial Times.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t. We have a lot of options,” Trump told the newspaper. “It would also mean we had to be there (on Kharg Island) for a while.”

Asked about Iranian defences there, he said: “I don’t think they have any defence. We could take it very easily.”

The US has already launched airstrikes it said targeted military positions on the island. Iran has threatened to launch its own ground invasion of Gulf Arab countries and new attacks if US troops land on its territory.

Meanwhile, G7 finance ministers, energy ministers and central bank governors are set to hold an emergency meeting today to discuss the conflict and its consequences. It will mark the fourth time since the start of the war in Iran the G7 has convened at a ministerial level.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had killed Ali Shoeib, who worked for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar TV, describing him as a “terrorist” from Iranian-backed Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force who had “operated for years under the guise of a journalist”.

In the wake of Washington’s January 3 military attack and then problematic détente with Caracas, corporate media suggest a meaningful shift in Venezuela policy, implying relief for a country long subjected to economic coercion. However, far from dismantling the sanctions regime, the US has merely adjusted its application through licensing mechanisms, leaving the core structure of coercive measures fully intact.

Reuters reported “US lifts some Venezuela sanctions,” followed by news of sanctions being further “eased.” Both NBC News and ABC News likewise reported sanctions “eased,” while the Financial Times wrote that Washington “relaxes sanctions.” Reuters later found that “US waives many of the sanctions,” and the Los Angeles Times noted “targeted relief from sanctions.” The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) described a “huge easing of sanctions.”

Not a single sanction has been rescinded

In fact, there is no evidence of any revocation of executive orders, removal of Venezuela-related sanctions authorities, and certainly no formal termination or suspension of Washington’s sanctions regime.

At a February 21 meeting I attended in Venezuela, Anti-Blockade Vice Minister William Castillo described sanctions as a “policy of extermination.” These measures, “the most cruel aggression against our people,” had been renewed the day before by Trump. To do so, he had to certify the original mistruth first fabricated by Barack Obama in 2015: that Venezuela poses an “extraordinary threat” to US national security.

Castillo cited 1,087 measures imposed by the US and another 916 by its echo, the European Union. These unilateral coercive measures have a corrosive effect on popular support for the government, which is precisely the purpose of this form of collective punishment, illegal under international law.

In 2023, Castillo described Washington’s economic aggression as a means to destroy Venezuela without having to invade. The Bolivarian Revolution’s successful resistance, including positive GDP growth while under siege, suggests why the US felt compelled to escalate with a military incursion on January 3, killing over 100 and kidnapping the country’s lawful head of state and his wife.

In Castillo’s words, the US escalated from “a war without gunpowder…against the civilian population” to an actual one. As grave as the direct US military aggression has been – including 157 fatalities since last September in alleged drug interdictions of small craft in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific – the body count from the coercive economic measures has been far higher. Former UN Special Rapporteur Alfred de Zayas estimated that sanctions have caused over 100,000 excess deaths.

There is even a literal playbook on how to apply sanctions to inflict “pain” on civilians for “maximum effectiveness.” The author of The Art of Sanctions is Richard Nephew, a former US State Department senior official in the Biden administration who was responsible for implementing such policies.

Licenses vs. sanctions

What has happened in practice is a much more limited form of relief under the sanctions regime. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has issued broad licenses allowing certain dealings primarily with Venezuela’s state oil (PDVSA) and gold (Minerven) sectors.

OFAC licenses carve out limited exceptions principally benefitting US and other foreign corporations, not necessarily the Venezuelan people. Activities are authorized that would otherwise be illegal under US law, even though such activities are lawful under international law. They come with conditions, limits, and reporting requirements and can be revoked at any time.

In practical terms, sanctions remain in place, although certain transactions are temporarily allowed under strict licensing rules. “The result is a hybrid scheme in which formal sanctions and operational licenses coexist, enabling limited flows of economic activity,” according to Misión Verdad.

This flexible arrangement of sanctions combined with licenses allows US and other foreign corporations to make a profit off of the coercive system. Under sanctions alone, the targeted people overwhelmingly suffer but, secondarily, US and other corporations are shut out. Under this hybrid system, control is maintained and money is made.

However, most foreign investors are reluctant to make important investment decisions when there is uncertainty, especially given Mr. Trump’s mercurial reputation. A temporary license does not provide the security that corporations normally require. Recuperating the Venezuelan oil industry would necessitate “a gigantic investment.” Such investments will be unlikely if Venezuela is sanctioned, the licenses notwithstanding.

Media framing and blaming

Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and “First Combatant” Cilia Flores remain in a New York City jail, reportedly in solitary confinement.

Regarding what happened on January 3, corporate media sources overwhelmingly use relatively anodyne terms such as “downfall,” “removal,” or “ouster,” rather than the more pointed “kidnapping” or “abduction.” When the legality of this clearly illegal act of war is questioned by either the media or by the Democrats, it is mainly confined to whether President Trump required congressional approval.

Likewise, application of international law regarding the illegality of unilateral coercive measures is largely absent from media coverage. Where legal issues appear, they tend to address mechanics (e.g., the US-controlled fund arrangement), rather than whether sanctions themselves violate international law.

When media outlets express concern about Washington’s restrictions, it is often that easing them would “reward Maduro loyalists.” While the plight of the Venezuelan people may be acknowledged, the blame is mainly attributed to corruption and economic mismanagement, with little if any opprobrium for sanctions.

As former political science professor at the Universidad de Oriente Steve Ellner (pers. comm.), notes, corruption and mismanagement do exist. But the overwhelming factor has been the sanctions regime. The blockade targeted Venezuela’s oil industry – at one point accounting for 99% of foreign-exchange earnings – forcing the country out of normal dollar-denominated markets and into black markets to survive.

What Alfred de Zayas dubs the “human rights industry” similarly exhibits a convenient blind spot regarding sanctions. WOLA, for example, advocates “addressing the complex humanitarian emergency.” Yet the NGO strongly opposes sanctions relief for the people, because the coercive measures are such an effective “pressure” tool on the leadership.

Former WOLA staffer David Smilde is preoccupied with “restoring” American-style democracy by imposing pressure on the “regime.” He argues: “The democratic transition in Venezuela…requires the support of international organizations.”

In contrast, acting President Delcy Rodríguez views ending interference by foreign actors in Venezuela’s internal affairs as a precondition for credible elections. In particular, she calls for the US “blockade and sanctions against Venezuela [to] cease.” With sanctions still in place, the US remains the biggest obstacle to free and fair elections in Venezuela.

Roger D. Harris is with the Venezuela Solidarity Network, Task Force on the Americas, and the US Peace Council. He recently visited Venezuela.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Venezuelanalysis editorial staff.

It was Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, when the grass outside the baseline and the bright red sign high above center field read “UNIQLO FIELD.” It will be Dodger Stadium on Thursday, when the defending World Series champions open their new season, and forevermore.

The official name of our summer home is now Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. The team announcers will say that, and so will some of the signs. The fans won’t, and the founder of the company that just spent nine figures on the name you won’t use said he completely understands.

“That’s a very natural reaction,” Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai told me through an interpreter. “We respect that.”

Yanai said his company’s deal with the Dodgers covers five years. He would say only that the total value was “more” than $125 million. That provides the Dodgers with an annual naming rights payment in line with the ones at Crypto.com Arena, Intuit Dome and Sofi Stadium, without the Dodgers having to sell naming rights to the actual venue.

Are the Dodgers baseball’s version of a gold mine? Yes. Do they spend big and win big? Also yes. Do you mind if Uniqlo essentially covers Freddie Freeman’s salary this season?

“We need a lot of revenue to put out the product that we do,” Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. “That’s not a secret. And we’re proud of everyone who helps us do it: all of our fans, all of our media partners, and all of our sponsor partners. They are all important. It is how this all comes together.”

While Uniqlo would be delighted if you used its name, whatever local fans choose to call the stadium is not critical to the success of the partnership.

For a Japanese company in pursuit of brand awareness and expansion in the United States and elsewhere, there might be nothing better than getting your name in front of millions of fans around the world watching Shohei Ohtani play on television.

Ohtani made an estimated $125 million in endorsements and sponsorships last year, Sportico reported, a larger annual haul “than any other athlete in the history of sports.”

“The Dodgers are such a popular team,” Yanai said. “I usually ask my wife, after I come back from the office, whether Shohei hit a home run. I think all the Japanese people do that.”

Uniqlo Field signs were unveiled Wednesday at Dodger Stadium in the wake of the team’s naming rights deal.

(Beth Harris / Associated Press)

According to Forbes, Yanai is the richest man in Japan, where baseball teams carry corporate names. Why not buy a team and call it, say, the Uniqlo Bears?

“I always keep saying that could be very interesting,” he said, “but my wife turned it down. She keeps telling me, ‘Tadashi, you are not cut out to manage sports teams.’”

Instead, he is managing Uniqlo, an apparel company that pitches itself as blending comfort with quality. “We do not make disposable clothing,” Yanai said in the company’s last annual report.

Uniqlo has 794 stores in Japan but only 77 in the United States, including 14 in the Southland. Koji Yanai, a senior executive officer and Tadashi’s son, said the company aspires to grow annual U.S. revenues from $6 billion to $30 billion.

He shared what might be a more challenging aspiration.

“The Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium name may be very new for everyone,” he said, “but I hope in the near future the fans will like it and will love it.”

United Airlines Field at the Coliseum? Yeah, no.

Jeff Marks, the chief executive of Los Angeles-based Innovative Partnerships Group, once brokered a naming rights deal in which the Cal football team would play on Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium. He tried to find a receptive audience for the name.

“We educated a lot of freshmen, sophomores, and newcomers,” Marks said. “Are you going to go after alumni who have been calling it Memorial Stadium? No. So you didn’t focus on that. You focused on people that could be more impressionable, and it worked.”

With Dodger Stadium, we’ll see. For the 2026 season, it is now time for Dodgers baseball, but not before one reporter at a press conference Wednesday asked company officials whether Uniqlo would provide the Dodgers players with free clothing.

Kasten could not pass up the chance to interject.

“We pay them enough,” he said with a grin, “to shop at Uniqlo stores.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praises services from Cuban doctors, who often work in underserved rural areas.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has confirmed that her country will continue receiving Cuban medical workers, as part of a longstanding programme meant to build goodwill between the island and other Latin American countries.

Her remarks on Wednesday come as the United States pressures Latin American countries to sever their ties to Cuba’s medical programme.

Sheinbaum, however, told reporters during a news conference that the agreement was a benefit to Mexico. Thousands of Cuban medical workers have deployed there since 2022 to work largely in poor, rural areas.

“We have a very good agreement that’s also been a great help to us. It’s a bilateral agreement that’s been very beneficial for Mexico,” said Sheinbaum.

“It’s hard to get Mexican doctors and specialists to go out to many rural areas where we need medical specialists, and the Cubans are willing to work there.”

In February, the US passed a law that opens the door to sanctions on countries that continue to participate in the programme.

It called for the US secretary of state to issue a report within 90 days about which countries continue to pay the government of Cuba for the “coerced and trafficked labour of Cuban medical professionals”.

The move comes amid a wider push to further isolate Cuba and topple the government in Havana, a longtime target of US ire. So far, countries including the Bahamas, Honduras, Guatemala, Jamaica and Guyana have ended their participation in the Cuban medical exchange programme.

Cuba has long depicted the decades-old programme as a means of signalling solidarity with other countries. It has also become an important source of foreign revenue for the island nation, which has been under a restrictive US economic embargo since 1960.

The administration of US President Donald Trump, however, has depicted the programme as akin to forced labour.

“Basically, it’s human trafficking,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in February.

“I mean, they’re barely even being paid. Their freedom of movement is tightly restricted. And we want these countries to understand that’s what they’re participating in.”

Experts at the United Nations have also raised similar concerns, including about the confiscation of passports, which the Cuban government justifies as a means of preventing trained doctors from fleeing the country after their state-sponsored studies.

The pressure on the Cuban medical missions is part of a broader push under Trump’s second term to seek regime change on the island.

By threatening tariffs on Cuba’s trading partners, Trump has largely cut the island off from accessing the foreign oil necessary to power its electrical grid.

Trump has also said that he hopes to “take” Cuba and install a new government that will be more pliant to US demands.

The Mexican government has tried to balance its friendly relations with Cuba with the US’s demands.

In the absence of energy shipments, Sheinbaum’s government has sent vessels with humanitarian aid to the island.

March 19 (UPI) — The number of cases of meningitis in Kent has risen to 27, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency reported.

There are 15 confirmed cases, and 12 suspected cases, meaning health professionals suspect the illness based on symptoms.

Two people have died since the outbreak began: One high school student and a college student at the University of Kent.

“What is particularly remarkable about this case, and unexpected about this case, is the large number of cases all originating from what seems to be a single event,” Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UKHSA, told The Guardian.

Officials believe some students picked up the disease at Club Chemistry, a nightclub in Canterbury.

“There are two possible reasons for that,” May said. “One is that there might be something about the kind of behaviors that individual people are doing. The other possibility is the bacteria itself may have evolved to be better at transmitting.”

Students at the university are being given preventive antibiotics and vaccines effective against the strain of meningitis B. Officials have given 600 vaccines and 6,500 doses of antibiotics.

Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent confirmed that a student had meningitis, and four schools have seen confirmed cases.

The UKHSA said there was one student with meningitis at a college in London whose case was linked to the Kent outbreak.

Meningitis is an infection of the protective lining of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by bacteria or viruses. Meningitis B is caused by the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria, which is also called meningococcus.

Doctors in England were told on Wednesday to prescribe antibiotics to anyone who was at Club Chemistry between March 5 and 7 and to University of Kent students who had left the campus.

“Two doses of the MenB vaccine helps protect individuals against meningococcal B disease,” but not other strains of meningitis, said Trish Mannes, UKHSA regional deputy director for the south east, in a statement. “It is therefore still hugely important that people are aware of the signs and symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease and that they seek immediate medical attention if they or anyone they know develops these signs and symptoms.”

The UKHSA said the National Health Service was well stocked with vaccines after pharmacies reported they were struggling to get them.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC there is no reason for people to buy it privately.

“We make it available through the NHS to those groups at risk based on independent scientific advice,” he said.

“In recent days, here in Canterbury we’ve made it more widely available than we normally would to targeted groups of students, club-goers, sixth-formers [older teens] where we think there is a higher risk. We’re doing this as a precaution.”

From early next week, a change in wind direction will bring lower temperatures.

A north-westerly wind will drag in some colder air with temperatures on Monday actually falling below average in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It will also temporarily turn more unsettled with an area of low pressure tracking across Scotland into Tuesday.

This will bring some showers which could turn a little wintry over the higher ground of Scotland, northern England and Wales.

Feeling chilly early next week too with temperatures ranging from 6C in northern Scotland to 13C in south-east England.

Looking further ahead, there are signs that high pressure will return to bring the settled weather back for the start of the Easter school holidays.

You can stay up to date with the details of that on our monthly outlook.

Neighbourhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs have been left in ruins by Israeli bombing attacks. Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure but hundreds of thousands of people have been forcibly displaced.

A dispute over the city of Los Angeles’ eviction defense program came to an end Tuesday when the City Council approved millions of dollars in funding for the next 15 months.

The program, Stay Housed L.A., started in 2021 and provides thousands of renters with legal representation in eviction proceedings as well as other services.

Tenant advocates feared that the new contract, which passed 12 to 1 and funds an initial portion of a three-year, $177-million contract, was under threat after City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto urged the council to reconsider it in a confidential memo last week.

Feldstein Soto said she had concerns about awarding such a large contract to Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, which frequently sues the city over homelessness issues.

Legal Aid is the main legal service provider under the Stay Housed L.A. contract, which also funds Southern California Housing Rights Center for short-term emergency rental assistance, Liberty Hill Foundation for tenant outreach and Strategic Actions for a Just Economy to protect tenants from harassment.

The city’s Housing Department had recommended a three-year contract, but the council opted for a shorter period that can be extended.

Legal Aid has argued that its lawsuits against the city are unrelated to its eviction defense work under the Stay Housed L.A. contract.

“We are very relieved that our services can continue uninterrupted,” said Barbara Schultz, director of housing justice for Legal Aid, in an interview after the vote.

Feldstein Soto, who is running for reelection, said in a statement that her office wanted to make sure the city wasn’t giving a “blank check” to Legal Aid without requiring detailed reporting of finances and outcomes.

“The eviction defense program is a city program and is in zero jeopardy,” she said. “What is in question is a $177-million blank check to [Legal Aid] and its partners without the reports and invoice review that is required by law. That is an amount that exceeds the budget of numerous city departments.”

On Tuesday, the City Council added a requirement that the nonprofits in the program provide “performance metrics” including the number of tenants served, case outcomes and demographic data.

Schultz said that Legal Aid already provides monthly data to the city.

John Lee was the only councilmember who voted against the new contract, saying he was not comfortable with the new “transparency requirements.”

Since its inception, Stay Housed L.A. has opened about 26,000 cases overall, providing full representation for 6,150 cases and working on nearly 20,000 “limited scope” cases, according to data from Legal Aid. The original contract, which is set to lapse at the end of the month, was for about $90 million.

The program is funded by Measure ULA, the “mansion tax” passed by city voters in 2022. On Tuesday, the council included a provision that would allow it to cease funding the eviction defense program if Measure ULA were overturned.

March 10 (UPI) — The average price of a gallon of unleaded gas in the United States hit $3.54 on Tuesday as the Trump administration continues military action against Iran.

AAA reports the current average price for fuel is higher across all grades than it was a year ago. Diesel fuel is up more than 10 cents over Monday’s average, reaching $4.78 per gallon.

Prices are highest on the West Coast, as they typically are, with the highest average cost of a gallon of unleaded gas at $5.29 in California.

Tuesday’s average price marks the highest gas prices have been since July 2024.

Gas prices spiked following bombings in Iran by Israel and the United States on Feb. 28. On Feb. 26, the average price per gallon was $2.98 after months of mild fluctuation.

The price of a barrel of crude oil jumped from $91 to $116 on Sunday.

President Donald Trump urged that the increase in oil prices is temporary and a “small price to pay,” in a post on social media.

Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route in the oil trade, due to the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel. About 20% of the world’s oil is shipped through the strait.

Trump told CBS News that he “has thought about taking [the Strait of Hormuz] over.”

Rising gas prices have caused concern for Republicans on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he hopes to see “things can resume some sense of normalcy in that region in terms of shipping lanes.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has been more skeptical about the president’s strategy with Iran and its impact on oil prices.

“For heaven’s sakes, are you telling me you didn’t game this one out?” Murkowski told Punchbowl News. “I’m starting to think they didn’t game this one out.”

US-Israeli attacks on Iran continue as Iranians rally in support of new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.