A MAN lived with a transplanted pig liver for more than a month in the most successful operation of its kind, scientists say.
The terminally ill 71-year-old received the genetically modified organ in Anhui, China, last year.
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Chinese doctors transplanted a gene-edited liver from a micropig (stock image)Credit: Alamy
It then functioned normally for 38 days – five weeks – before having to be removed due to blood clotting, a complication from the op.
The patient was the first living person to have the procedure and survived for 171 days, about six months, afterwards.
He had run out of treatment options for liver cancer and scarring caused by hepatitis B, and died from internal bleeding months after the transplant was removed.
His survival is not as long as the record for a patient with a pig’s kidney, at six months and counting.
Scientists have also experimented with transplanting a lung into a brain-dead patient.
A new era has started
Dr Heiner WedemeyerThe Journal of Hepatology
Surgeon and study author Dr Beicheng Sun, from Anhui Medical University, said: “This case proves that a genetically engineered pig liver can function in a human for an extended period.
“It is a pivotal step forward, demonstrating both the promise and the remaining hurdles.”
Scientists hope that organs from pigs could be used to save people at risk of dying on transplant waiting lists.
They are similar in size to human body parts and gene editing can cut the risk of the immune system rejecting them.
Writing in the Journal of Hepatology, Dr Sun said more experiments are needed to perfect the procedure.
Dr Heiner Wedemeyer, editor of the journal, said: “A new era of transplant has started.”
HOW TO BECOME AN ORGAN DONOR
JUST over 4,500 people received an organ transplant in 2023 from 2,387 donors – but more than 400 people per year die waiting because there are not enough donors.
NHS Blood and Transplant says: “Only one per cent of people who die in the UK every year die in the right circumstances and in the right location to be eligible for their organs to be used to save someone’s life.
“That is why we need as large a pool of people as possible.”
The law has changed so all adults are “opt-out” organ donors, meaning hospitals can use their organs unless they told the NHS they did not want to be a donor, or their family says no after they die.
Six in 10 families refuse to let doctors use their loved one’s organs.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Russia says it carried out a drone boat attack on a Ukrainian Navy reconnaissance ship in the mouth of the Danube River, marking Moscow’s first confirmed use of these weapons that Ukraine has deployed to great effect. The Ukrainian Navy confirmed an attack on one of its ships but did not say how the strike was carried out. Meanwhile, Ukraine carried out an aerial drone strike deep behind enemy lines on a Russian missile corvette in the Sea of Azov. You can read more about that later in this story.
“Using a high-speed uncrewed surface (USV) vehicle, the Ukrainian Navy’s Simferopol medium reconnaissance ship was defeated at the River Danube mouth,” the Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) claimed. “As a result of the attack, the Ukrainian ship sank.”
Two videos emerged on social media showing the moment of the attack. One showed the drone boat view as it approached the Simferpol while the other was taken from a surveillance drone operating overhead.
Ukrainian officials did not name the vessel or provide details about its status.
“We confirm the fact of the strike on the ship,” Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmitry Pletenchuk told the Ukrainian Ukrinform news outlet. “Currently, the elimination of the consequences of the attack is ongoing. The overwhelming majority of the crew is safe. The search for several sailors continues. Unfortunately, one crew member was killed, and several were wounded.”
The Simferopol medium reconnaissance ship of the Ukrainian Navy. (Yulii Zozulia/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Though posting a video of the attack, Russia provided no details about the type of USV, where it was launched or any of its capabilities, beyond being able to stream video back to a controller. The Russian USV could have been launched from occupied Crimea, more than 130 miles to the east, or from a larger Navy vessel.
It is interesting to note that on Aug. 27, just a day before Russia supposedly launched its drone boat attack, a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane fitted with a secretive radar pod was videod by a Russian jet during a very rare mission over the western Black Sea. That’s over the region where the drone boat strike took place. The jet’s sensors are likely the best available for detecting small craft like a drone boat. You can see a video of that encounter below and read more about it in our original story here.
The meeting between a Russian Sukhoi fighter jet and U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft/ASW plane over the Black Sea. Video reportedly from today.
The P-8A is equipped with the AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor multifunctional AESA radar, deployed under… pic.twitter.com/F6xo80Hyq4
— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) August 27, 2025
While the first known sea drone attack on a Ukrainian naval ship, there were claims that Russia hit a bridge near Odesa with one in February 2023. It is unclear if those claims were ever confirmed.
“Katran lacks satellite communication capabilities, unlike Ukrainian sea drones equipped with systems like Starlink,” the publication reported. “Instead, it relies on radio channels, limiting its operational range and making it susceptible to electronic warfare (EW) systems. The declared control range is 100–200 km, possibly extended through a network of relays.”
The War Zone cannot independently verify these claims or the current status of the Katran. This is just one of several drone boats the Russians are developing of various capabilities.
🇷🇺 An unmanned suicide boat of the Black Sea Fleet, which took part in the “July Storm” exercises a month ago, sending the Ukrainian Navy reconnaissance ship “Simferopol” to the bottom at the mouth of the Danube. pic.twitter.com/JupWdOiDNe
For Russia, the attack is a significant new step in the ongoing battle for the Black Sea region, where Ukraine has pinned down the Russian Navy by using drone boats in a campaign unleashed in the fall of 2022. You can see videos of one of the earliest such attacks below.
Ukraine released a video from today’s attack on Sevastopol. It shows a naval drone targeting the Black Sea Fleet’s Admiral Makarov Project 11356 frigate, which Russian sources said was damaged (it replaced the Moskva as the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship). https://t.co/zdAeWUvDrbpic.twitter.com/TNnIu4OIap
As we noted earlier this year, in addition to building drone boats, Russia has also created dedicated units to operate them.
“The new units, which will be formed in all fleets, will perform reconnaissance and strike functions,” Izvestia reported in May. “According to experts, combining different types of drones will allow for effective reconnaissance, surveillance, and destruction of sea and coastal targets.”
The Russian Navy also created a course of study on these systems in the curriculum of its higher educational institutions.
“Now all cadets study the structure and characteristics of drones of various types and their use,” Izvestia pointed out. “In the future, they will master the combat use of attack drones to destroy enemy UAVs, unmanned boats and saboteurs. Classes are taught by teachers who have experience working with drones in combat zones.”
Ukraine’s drone boat campaign in the Black Sea has proven that a nation with nearly no significant remaining traditional navy but an array of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) can keep one of the world’s largest sea services at bay. Over the course of the past three and a half years, Ukraine’s USVs have attacked Russian ports, ships and the Kerch Bridge. They have forced Russia’s Black Sea Fleet (BSF) to avoid operating in the open waters of the northern Black Sea, and limit activities in other areas.
Meanwhile, about 300 miles to the east, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) carried out what its commander told us was the second successful strike on a Russian warship in the Sea of Azov in the past year. The two-pronged attack was launched from deep behind enemy lines using aerial drones, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told us Thursday morning.
The drones first struck and destroyed the radar of the Russian Project 21631 Buyan-M missile ship, GUR stated on Telegram. A secondary attack further damaged the ship, the agency claimed, though no further details were provided. GUR produced a video of that attack, which you can see below.
The attack on the Buyan-M was significant for several reasons.
The ship was struck while it was in Temryuk Bay, GUR stated. That was more than 130 miles from the front lines and would have required a great deal of coordination to carry out. The bay is also a known launch point for ships like the Buyan-M to fire Kalibr long-range sea-launched cruise missiles at Ukraine. As we previously reported, Russia began launching missile attacks from the Sea of Azov in June of 2024 due to the Black Sea becoming more dangerous as a result of repeated attacks by Ukrainian missiles and aerial and sea drones.
The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said it attacked a Russian missile ship in Temryuk Bay, a missile launching point about 130 miles from the front lines and some 300 miles east of where a Russian drone boat attacked a Ukrainian Navy ship. (Google Earth)
The attack on the Buyan-M came while Russia was launching its largest missile and drone barrage on Ukraine since U.S. President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. At least 17 people were killed, many more were wounded, and many buildings were damaged during that bombardment, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on X.
Now, as our people are dealing with the consequences of one of the most large-scale Russian terrorist attacks, we see yet another attempt by Hungarian officials to portray black as white and to shift the blame for the ongoing war onto Ukraine.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 28, 2025
Striking the Buyan-M took one missile carrier offline, GUR stated.
“As a result of the strikes, the Russian missile ship, which was in the potential launch zone of the Kalibrs in the Temryuk Bay, was damaged and forced to leave the combat patrol area,” GUR stated. However, given the complexity of getting forces that deep behind the lines, the timing of the attack was most likely coincidental.
Still, both of these attacks show the increasing use of asymmetric drone tactics against naval vessels. While the Simferpol was probably attacked in large measure because it is one of the few larger vessels left in the Ukrainian Navy, there are other targets along Ukraine’s remaining Black Sea coastline. Given the success of Ukraine’s drone boat campaign, there is a high likelihood that we will see more Russian drone boat attacks in the near future.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss an end to the more than three-year war in Ukraine, hours after Trump’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without a concrete deal.
In a post on his Truth Social platform after holding phone conversations with European Union and NATO leaders, Trump said the talks with Putin “went very well”.
“It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”
Trump’s pitch for the peace agreement, analysts say, came after no deal was announced in the Alaska talks. Prior to the meeting, Trump had threatened Moscow to agree to a ceasefire.
Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Moscow, said there has been an atmosphere of success in Moscow.
“Trump’s remarks on the need for a larger peace agreement fall in line with what Putin has been saying for the last few months,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader and his European allies, who have been seeking a ceasefire, welcomed the Trump-Putin talks on Saturday but emphasised the need for a security guarantee for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy, who was publicly berated by Trump and his officials during his last Oval Office meeting, said, “I am grateful for the invitation.” The Ukrainian leader said he had a “long and substantive conversation with Trump”.
“In my conversation with President Trump, I said that sanctions should be tightened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia evades an honest end to the war,” the Ukrainian leader said.
He said that Ukraine needed a real, long-lasting peace and not “just another pause” between Russian invasions.
“Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the US,” he said on X following his call with the European leaders.
Zelenskiy stressed that territorial issues can only be decided with Ukraine.
Trilateral meeting
In his first public comment after the Alaska talks, Zelenskyy said he supported Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US, and Russia, adding that Kyiv is “ready for constructive cooperation”.
“Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace,” the Ukrainian president posted on X.
But Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said on Russian state television on Saturday that a potential trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy has not been raised during the US-Russia discussions.
“The topic has not been touched upon yet,” Ushakov said, according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
Trump rolled out the red carpet on Friday for Putin, who was in the US for the first time in a decade, but he gave little concrete detail afterwards of what was discussed.
Trump said in Alaska that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” after Putin claimed the two leaders had hammered out an “understanding” on Ukraine and warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress.”
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Kyiv, said Trump has been heavily criticised by the US media over the meeting in Alaska.
“They are concerned about what has been described as far more of a conciliatory tone by Trump towards Putin, without coming out of that meeting with even a ceasefire,” he said.
Stratford said that the eyes are now on the meeting in Washington as Zelenskyy and Trump try to set up a trilateral meeting with Putin.
“If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin,” the US president said.
During an interview with Fox News Channel after the talks, Trump insisted that the onus going forward might be on Zelenskyy “to get it done,” but said there would also be some involvement from European nations.
Meanwhile, several European leaders on Saturday jointly pledged to continue support for Ukraine and maintain pressure on Russia until the war in Ukraine ends.
Europe’s stance
In a statement, EU leaders, including the French president and German chancellor, outlined key points in stopping the conflict.
They said: “Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine‘s pathway to the EU and NATO, the statement said. “It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.”
Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Brussels, said reaching a ceasefire in Ukraine is the priority of European leaders.
“They believe that there needs to be an immediate ceasefire before reaching a comprehensive deal on the future of Ukraine,” he said.
“Then they seek to provide security guarantees by deploying their own forces to make sure Russians will not violate the terms of that agreement,” our correspondent stressed, adding that European countries reject the notion of changing the borders by force.
It’s a chaotic time in college sports, the rules seeming to change daily and some athletes making nearly as much money as their coaches.
At UCLA, the revenue-sharing era officially starts Friday. Athletes will undoubtedly keep refreshing their PayPal accounts to check for that first payment from the pot of $20.5 million that will be distributed in the first year.
Meanwhile, Bruins athletic director Martin Jarmond will be keeping tabs on another bottom line — following up a successful Big Ten debut with something far bigger.
Having tallied 10 conference championships between the Big Ten and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation — more than any other Big Ten school — UCLA could be poised for a breakthrough in its two marquee sports as part of a potentially historic year across the board for its athletic department.
“If you look at our athletic program,” Jarmond, who recently completed his fifth year on the job, told The Times, “there’s an energy and buzz that I feel we haven’t had since I’ve been here, and that’s why I’m most positive now.”
At a recent player-run practice on campus, Jarmond watched Iamaleava step up in the pocket and fire a 50-yard pass down the sideline to wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer.
“Nico made a play that I don’t know how many other guys in the country could make,” Jarmond said, “and I was like, ‘whoa.’ Like, that’s pretty cool, you know?”
There’s lots of intrigue to behold in Westwood these days.
Fresh off a Final Four run, the women’s basketball team bolstered itself with the additions of sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens, a highly coveted transfer from Utah, and freshman Sienna Betts, the younger sister of All-America center Lauren Betts. Oh, and don’t forget that softball slugger Megan Grant will make Pauley Pavilion a second home as part of her bid to become a two-sport standout.
Grant will also once again combine with Jordan Woolery as perhaps the nation’s top-hitting duo in their bid to help the softball team not only make it back to the Women’s College World Series but win the whole thing this time.
The baseball team that just made the College World Series is bringing back shortstop Roch Cholowsky, the probable No. 1 pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball draft, and recently learned that high school pitcher Angel Cervantes will play for the Bruins next season instead of the Pittsburgh Pirates after contract negotiations ended with the recent draftee. Jarmond said he was confident the team could continue to play at Jackie Robinson Stadium in 2026 after a judge issued a stay of legal proceedings that threatened to force the Bruins to go elsewhere.
The men’s water polo team will try to defend its national championship with Ryder Dodd trying to top a season in which the freshman scored a MPSF-record 102 goals.
After finishing as runner-up to national champion Oklahoma, the women’s gymnastics team will welcome a top recruiting class plus the return of two-time Olympic medalist Jordan Chiles.
Jarmond said he appreciates working for a university administration that understands the importance of supporting a strong Olympic sports program, particularly with the 2028 Summer Olympics headed to Los Angeles.
UCLA’s Jordan Chiles competes on the floor exercise during the NCAA women’s gymnastics championships in Fort Worth on April 17.
(Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
“This is the time to continue to invest in our Olympic sports and make sure that we have the excellence that UCLA is known for,” Jarmond said, “and we’re going to uphold that tradition.”
Unlike other schools that have imposed student fees to help offset rising athletic department costs upon the onset of revenue sharing, UCLA officials have not discussed such a move, Jarmond said. The Bruins will instead focus on revenue generation through fundraising, ticket sales, sponsorships and new creative endeavors.
The school plans to partner with an outside firm to help its athletes with content creation to boost their social media following, making them more attractive to brands that could hire them for name, image and likeness deals.
Jarmond said he’s not aware of any NIL deals involving UCLA athletes being rejected by the new College Sports Commission, though there remains a backlog of deals under review. Deals of $600 or more are evaluated by a clearinghouse called NIL Go to ensure they represent fair market value and a legitimate business purpose.
UCLA football coach Deshaun Foster speaks to reporters during Big Ten media days in Las Vegas.
(Louis Grasse / Getty Images)
The role of collectives in offering additional compensation to athletes beyond revenue sharing continues to evolve as part of a shift away from what was previously considered a hard cap on earnings.
“I’m optimistic that it’s going to work out,” Jarmond said of maximizing earnings opportunities for athletes. “I’m optimistic that we will adapt to whatever situation that presents itself based on hard cap, soft cap, whatever cap.”
UCLA is also strengthening the infrastructure of its men’s and women’s basketball teams with the hiring of an assistant general manager for each sport to help with recruiting and navigating the transfer portal.
When it comes to revenue sharing payments, Jarmond said he’s leaving it up to coaches to dictate how much each player makes. Football coach DeShaun Foster said he divvied up his team’s money based on talent, with general manager Khary Darlington and assistant general manager Steven Price assigning values for each player based on previous NFL front office experience dealing with salary structures.
“They loved that we had people explaining to them how you’re getting this money or why you’re not getting this money,” Foster said of his players, “and I think that resonated with them.”
Across all sports, the Bruins are seeking a strong encore after an initial Big Ten season that saw the school place fifth in the Learfield Director’s Cup standings, its best finish since 2018. UCLA athletes posted what Jarmond called a “phenomenal” 3.22 grade-point average through winter quarter (the latest for which figures are available) despite the travel challenges presented by playing in a coast-to-coast conference.
For UCLA athletics to reach the heights that Jarmond wants, its football and men’s basketball teams must win big, and he believes the coaches and influx of talent on each of those teams will give them a chance to do so next season.
Iamaleava’s arrival has generated heightened excitement about a football team that went 5-7 in Foster’s debut season. Jarmond said two recruits he met with on their campus visits mentioned the quarterback as one of the reasons they wanted to come to UCLA.
“You know, we just have more interest and buzz, and it’s cool,” Jarmond said. “I think DeShaun has created that, and Nico and the guys.”
What excites Jarmond most is the potential to be on a victory lap that’s picking up speed.
“This is a great time for UCLA athletics,” Jarmond said, “and I feel like it’s just the beginning.”
She dropped former England captain Steph Houghton in 2022, and told goalkeeper Mary Earps she would not be the number one for Euro 2025.
Her honesty is appreciated by many, but not all.
“Sarina has always been direct, she always says it how it is, whether you like it or not, and it’s something you have to take on the chin,” said midfielder Georgia Stanway.
“Get the people around you that you need and if she gives you some negative feedback then you know that the rest of the staff are going to help you to fix it.”
Kirby went from being a starter in 2022, to the fringes of the squad before she was told she would not make the cut for 2025.
The Brighton midfielder announced her international retirement early as a result but says Wiegman learned quickly what style of feedback people could handle.
“If it’s not right for the team, she will be direct with you, regardless of what you are feeling,” said Kirby.
“But she gets to know you, so you have that respect for her when you do have to have that difficult conversation. You know that it’s not personal, it’s just she needs more from you or she needs you to do more for the team.
“She is just consistent with everyone, regardless of whether you’ve got 80 caps or five. Everyone is treated the same.”
White says they had regular one-to-one conversations when Wiegman first took over and they often discussed analysis on Zoom away from camp.
“She visits clubs as well, and has communication with club managers. She’ll always pick up the phone to you no matter what time it is,” added White.
“She’s so approachable. Yes, she is the manager, but she is a human being. She wants what is best for you.”
Bardsley’s injuries meant she had to retire before making an appearance under Wiegman but she had regular contact throughout her attempted comeback.
The ex-goalkeeper was given a six-week deadline to return to play and when it was clear she wouldn’t make it, she called Wiegman, who was “very empathetic”.
“She is really emotionally intelligent and could feel I was disappointed. It probably made her selection headache a lot easier but she said lots of nice things about my career. I was just grateful,” said Bardsley.
“I would have loved to have played under her. She took the time to have a chat and I really appreciated that because she didn’t have to do that.”
But Houghton did not feel she was given the same treatment and has been critical of Wiegman’s approach to her.
Writing in her book, Houghton said she felt Wiegman was “pretty brutal” in how she communicated that she would not be part of her squad for the 2023 World Cup.
“We were told we would know the final World Cup squad on Tuesday,” Houghton wrote.
“On the Monday, I had an appearance at St George’s Park for Nike. When I went back to the changing room, I had a missed call from Sarina. She didn’t know I was there, so when I told her, she asked me to go and meet her in the canteen, where she told me she wasn’t taking me.
“I found myself wondering if this would have been a face-to-face conversation if I hadn’t already been at St George’s Park. Sarina told me that I probably wouldn’t play for England while she was in charge.
“She obviously made her mind up, which is fine and I’ve got to respect that. The problem was more that I think she’d intended to have this conversation over the phone, and she knew she was going to tell me I wasn’t in her plans at all. I thought that called for a face-to-face conversation given the career I’d had.”
June 21 (UPI) — President Donald Trump announced successful attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran and said all planes have exited Iranian airspace.
Trump announced the military intervention after returning to the White House on Saturday and scheduling a meeting with his national security team on Sunday. He also has scheduled a televised address at 10 p.m. EDT on Saturday.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz and Eshafan,” Trump said in a Truth Social post at 6:50 p.m. EDT.
“All planes are safely on their way home,” Trump said. “Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the world that could have done this.”
The U.S. military has moved several B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and refueling aircraft to Guam, which may be a precursor to aerial strikes against Iran’s most important nuclear facility.
The deployment comes after President Donald Trump announced a two-week pause to allow for potential cease-fire negotiations to end the hostilities between Israel and Iran.
Trump also has said the U.S. knows where Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is sheltering but won’t target him with a military strike for the time being.
Israel has gained aerial superiority in the skies over Iran, but Israel’s conventional munitions can’t effectively penetrate the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant site in a mountainous area in central Iran, according to reports.
B-2 bombers armed with bunker-buster bombs, however, can penetrate the site and the deployment of B-2 bombers and refueling aircraft to Guam raises the potential for eventual U.S. military intervention in Iran.
Guam is about 5,900 miles from Tehran, and B-2 bombers have a range of nearly 6,900 miles with a cruising speed of 559 mph, according to the U.S. Air Force.
When supported by refueling aircraft, the bombers have plenty of range to target Iran’s remaining nuclear facilities, or they could be moved to forward bases that are closer to Iran.
Each bomber can carry bomb loads of up to 40,000 pounds, which makes them capable of deploying 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs against the Fordow site.
The bunker-buster bombs can penetrate “any mixture of earth, rock and concrete before the bomb itself then explodes” deep beneath the Earth’s surface and obliterate a target, cause its support structure to collapse, or both.
It’s unknown if the B-2s flying to Guam also are carrying bunker-buster bombs or if such munitions might have been shipped there or to other regional bases.
Formidable Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant site
Iran’s Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant is located near Qom in central Iran and about 100 miles south of Tehran.
The facility has 3,000 centrifuges that are located about 300 feet beneath the area’s mountains, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday said Iran refuses to reduce its nuclear enrichment “under any circumstances,” The New York Times reported.
Iran is “ready to talk and cooperate” with world leaders but will continue its retaliatory attacks against Israel, Pezeshkian said.
The Iranian president’s position runs counter to that of Trump’s and other U.S. leaders.
Trump “hates nuclear proliferation, [and] I hate nuclear proliferation,” Vice President JD Vance told attendees at the Munich Leaders Meeting held in Washington, D.C., on May 7.
Vance advocated for meeting with Chinese and Russian officials to reduce the number of nuclear arms in the world.
“There is no way you get to that conversation if you allow multiple regimes all over the world to … enter this sprint for a nuclear weapon,” Vance said,
“If the Iran domino falls, you’re going to see nuclear proliferation all over the Middle East,” he added. “That’s very bad for us. It’s very bad for our friends, and it’s something that we don’t think can happen.”
Vance asked attendees which nation has “civil nuclear power” but does not also have nuclear weapons. “The answer is: No one,” Vance said.
“We don’t care if people want nuclear power,” he said. “But you can’t have the kind of enrichment program that allows you to get to a nuclear weapon, and that’s where we draw the line.”
Houthis would resume attacks on U.S. vessels
If the U.S. attacks the Fordow site or otherwise intervenes in the war between Israel and Iraq, the Houthis have said they will resume attacks on U.S.-flagged commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea.
“Any U.S. aggression or attack in support of the Israeli enemy against Iran serves this goal and therefore cannot go unanswered,” the Houthis said in a statement on Saturday.
“Remaining silent would mean surrendering the freedom and dignity of the [Iranian] nation and allowing its wealth to be plundered,” the statement continued.
“This is a battle for the entire nation and a salvation for all its people.”
The Houthis agreed to stop targeting U.S.-flagged vessels in May after enduring a weeks-long aerial campaign by the U.S. military against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Iranian officials also have threatened to target U.S. bases in the Middle East if the U.S. military intervenes in the war.
A photo made available by the Ukrainian Security Service Tuesday shows people looking at damages caused by an explosion at the Crimea bridge. EPA-EFE/UKRAINIAN SECURITY SERVICE / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES
June 3 (UPI) —Ukraine said Tuesday it successfully carried out a military strike on the Crimean Bridge, the culmination of an operation that took several months to execute.
The Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, posted to Telegram that it struck the bridge, which connects Russia and Crimea, in an underwater attack.
The aquatic assault, the third strike on the bridge by Ukraine, involved SBU agents who mined the bridge’s pillars over a period of several months. The first explosive device was detonated early Tuesday morning, and SBU officials claim no civilians were harmed in the attack.
The SBU said the structure’s submerged support system was “severely damaged at the bottom level,” with the equivalent of over 2400 pounds of TNT used, which ostensibly left the bridge is in disrepair.
SBU Lieutenant General Vasyl Maliuk, who was in charge of the operation, said via the Telegram report that “the Crimean Bridge is an absolutely legitimate target, especially given that the enemy used it as a logistical artery to provide its troops.”
Ukraine also suffered a major attack Tuesday as its president Volodymyr Zelenskyposted to social media around an hour after the assault on the Kerch Bridge happened. He posted videos that purportedly showed bodies on the ground of the northeastern city of Sumy and confirmed that three people were killed and many were injured. “The Russians launched a savage strike on Sumy, directly targeting the city and its ordinary streets with rocket artillery. It was a fully deliberate attack on civilians.” said Zelensky.
He did not mention the Kerch Bridge attack in his post.
Rotating and resting players in secondary cups is not a new phenomenon – but Chelsea took it to a new level in the Conference League this season.
They averaged 8.5 changes per European game, based on their previous Premier League line-up.
In the league stage there was a recognised Premier League team and a Conference League XI – with very little overlap. They were much changed in the domestic cups too, although fell at the second hurdle in both.
England forward Palmer, their star player, was not even registered in Europe until the knockout games.
As the Blues started playing in knockout games they started using more first-team players, like Palmer, Caicedo and Marc Cucurella.
But even through that they never made fewer than five changes from their last league game, including the final.
As the season ends, well, until next month’s Fifa Club World Cup, 18 Chelsea players featured in more Conference League than Premier League games this season.
That includes five players who left the club in January.
Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who played all 15 European games, featured 13 times in the league.
Marc Guiu, whose six goals were two shy of the Conference League Golden Boot, has yet to start a league game.
However, the final saw a stronger XI, with only four outfield changes from the side that beat Nottingham Forest last Sunday to clinch a Champions League spot.
“Chelsea have got so much more money than anyone else competing in this competition,” said ex-Blues winger Pat Nevin on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“But they have respected the competition by saying, ‘we’re not going to put out the softest of teams but we’ll put out enough to make sure we’ll get through’.
“I have to say, looking back on it all now, Enzo Maresca has done a great job.”
“What the f— is going on?” Bernard Sumner says jokingly.
After crashing on both Zoom and WhatsApp, the founding member of New Order decided to give FaceTime a shot. He materializes, sitting on a couch with a white wall behind him. Mild, inviting eyes hide behind his glasses.
It’s been 45 years since he, now “below 70 and above 20,” founded the group alongside bassist Peter Hook, drummer Stephen Morris and keyboardist Gillian Gilbert. But it’s impossible not to mention New Order in the same breath as its previous ensemble in Joy Division. The story is all too familiar, with the band springing up after a Sex Pistols gig in Manchester.
“Famously, loads of people went … Morrissey was there, and the Buzzcocks were there … and everyone went out and formed a band,” Sumner quips.
And to anyone who has ever heard Joy Division, it makes complete sense. The band’s debut album “Unknown Pleasures” is imbued with the Pistols’ signature sense of “anarchistic rebellion, aggression and energy,” from the very first track. Sumner describes the gig as a pivotal moment in the history of music as it, sonically, gave everything the “kick in the balls” it needed.
“It was really ‘f— the establishment’ … we’d all had a pretty s— time at school and the rebelliousness and didn’t like the establishment,” Sumner says. “It was giving those teachers a kick! F— you and f— your lessons and f— all the s— you’re trying to teach us, because we’re not f— interested.”
“Punk gave us the excuse we really needed,” he adds.
But just a few years after Joy Division graced the music scene, the group came to an untimely demise following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis. And a year after that, New Order appeared with Sumner, Hook, Morris and Gilbert at the helm, and an entirely different sound to back them.
The band began to mix in synthesizers with the typical instrumentation, creating an unforgettable, hypnotic sound — every thump and woosh calls listeners to the dance floor and begs them to move. Sumner says it came from nothing, with no conscious effort being put into the familiar noise that would go on to define decades to come.
New Order performs in front of a buzzing crowd in Sydney, Australia.
(Warren Jackson)
“Four people came together and that’s what we did,” Sumner says. “We got rehearsals, but we had no great plan, we didn’t give a s— about earning loads of money, we didn’t give a s— about being famous.”
In fact, their creative process boiled down to going to rehearsals, talking about what they saw on TV the night before and going to grab a baked potato from Spudulike near the studio.
“Then we’d go, ‘Should we try to write something?’” he recalls. “We go, ‘Yeah, okay,’ and then we switch the amps on, and just see what happened.”
He even tells a story of the first time they worked in New York, and met up with famous producer Arthur Baker. The latter was used to working with session musicians, and while doing so, decided to throw New Order into a studio while he finished up.
“He said, ‘Come up with some ideas,’” Sumner says. “We just couldn’t, because we’d been put on the spot and told to do it, and that had never happened before … the trick was not to think about it.”
However, even with its original and revolutionary style, New Order struggled to etch its name in the charts outside of the indie and indie alternative categories. In the ’80s, they were reliant on radio play and didn’t get much outside of college campuses in America.
Instead, groups like Sumner’s, such as the Smiths and Echo & the Bunnymen, ignored what was going on in the mainstream altogether, leaving the numbers game to pop music.
“We just ignored what was going on in the mainstream,” he says. “We didn’t really like what we were hearing on the radio, so we made our own radio.”
Of course, when the internet came around, it bypassed mainstream radio and absolved the band’s issues with getting airtime. This led to its undoubted success in bridging the gap between generations, with parents sharing the group’s records with their kids.
“Good music is good music, isn’t it? It always floats to the top,” he says. “Buy a New Order record, it’s a good investment for the rest of your life.”
Sumner claims the group is now “more successful” than they’ve ever been and says it comes down to a couple of factors, including cohesion.
“In the early days, we used to get f— up quite a lot and that f— up the shows,” Sumner says. “We used to play a really good one, celebrate how great it was, and then the next one would be terrible because we celebrated too much.”
Bernard Sumner of New Order bows out to fans.
(Warren Jackson)
“Our popularity has increased, really, rather than decreasing, and it usually decreases, doesn’t it?” he jokes.
This relationship between generations that grew up listening to the group and those now is all too apparent when it comes to festivals like Cruel World, which celebrates post-punk, new wave, goth and alt-rock. The event, first hosted in 2022, has brought the likes of Iggy Pop, Duran Duran and Morrissey back to the main stage.
Now, New Order is set to headline the festival on May 17 alongside Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It’s an unexpected ’80s revival that has maintained steady enough attendance to point toward becoming a staple, much like many of Goldenvoice’s other feats.
“There must be an appetite for this [era of] music, otherwise they wouldn’t be putting it on,” Sumner jokes. “It’s got soul, it really has got soul.”
As for what’s next in terms of new releases, the group recently had to shut down rumors of an album on the way. It’s been 10 years since its critically-acclaimed album, “Music Complete,” was delivered to fans, who are understandably craving a new project. Sumner says the delay comes down to general motivation to write again, with some members wanting to do so and others not being “too keen.”
“I’m one of the ones that does,” Sumner assures. “That’s all I can say, really.”
Angel City defender Savy King has had successful heart surgery following her collapse during a match against the Utah Royals.
The 20-year-old fell to the ground in the 74th minute of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) match at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday.
She left the pitch in a stable condition after receiving lengthy on-field treatment, and was then transported to the California Hospital Medical Centre.
Follow-ups discovered a heart abnormality, with King having surgery on Tuesday to “successfully” treat the issue, said Angel City.
“She is now resting and recovering surrounded by her family, and her prognosis is excellent,” the club said.
