DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A top Iranian security official traveled Tuesday to Oman, the Mideast sultanate now mediating talks between Tehran and the United States over the Islamic Republic’ nuclear program aimed at halting a possible American strike.

Ali Larijani, a former Iranian parliament speaker who now serves as the secretary to the country’s Supreme National Security Council, likely will carry Iran’s response to the initial round of indirect talks held last week in Muscat with the Americans.

Larijani is due to meet with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, the chief intermediary in the talks, and Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. IRNA described the talks as “important,” without elaborating on what message Larijani will carry. It said he flew out of Tehran for Muscat on Tuesday morning.

Iran and the U.S. held new nuclear talks last week in Oman. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking Sunday to diplomats at a summit in Tehran, signaled that Iran would stick to its position that it must be able to enrich uranium — a major point of contention with U.S. President Donald Trump, who bombed Iranian atomic sites in June during the 12-day Iran-Israel war. That war disrupted earlier rounds of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to travel to Washington this week, with Iran expected to be the major subject of discussion, his office said.

The U.S. has moved the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, ships and warplanes to the Middle East to pressure Iran into an agreement and have the firepower necessary to strike the Islamic Republic should Trump choose to do so. Already, U.S. forces shot down a drone they said got too close to the Lincoln and came to the aid of a U.S.-flagged ship that Iranian forces tried to stop in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. Transportation Department’s Maritime Administration issued a new warning Monday to American vessels in the strait to “remain as far as possible from Iran’s territorial sea without compromising navigational safety.” The strait, through which a fifth of all oil traded passes, is in Iranian and Omani territorial waters. Those traveling into the Persian Gulf must pass through Iranian waters.

Emergency services were called to Hesleden Road near Blackhall Colliery at 7.20am on Tuesday (February 10).

Cleveland Police say a biker crashed with a car, and has been taken to hospital.

A force spokesperson said: “Police were called at 7.20am today to a collision in which a motorcycle collided with a car near Hesleden.

“The motorcyclist has been taken to hospital as a precaution.”

The North East Ambulance Service has been contacted for more information.

The BBC Radio 6 Music Festival will run from Wednesday, March 25, to Saturday, March 28, and take place in local venues including Band on the Wall, YES and, for the first time – the Eccles Town Hall Ballroom.

The four-day event will bring a mix of established names and rising talent to the city region.

Bloc Party, Courtney Barnett, The Horrors, Yard Act, Kelly Lee Owens, Lynks and Wesley Joseph are among the artists set to perform, alongside a host of DJ sets from the likes of Beth Ditto, Nick Grimshaw, Steve Lamacq and Lambrini Girls.

Samantha Moy, Head of BBC Radio 6 Music, said the shift towards smaller venues reflects the station’s commitment to supporting the foundations of the UK’s music scene.

She said: “Independent grassroots venues are vital to the UK’s music ecosystem and at 6 Music, we’re proud to support what they do.

“So, it makes sense for the next evolution of the 6 Music Festival to take place in these special spaces.”

BBC 6 Radio Music Festival line-up (Image: BBC Radio 6)

Nick Grimshaw, who will appear both on air and at the Indie Forever club night, added that such venues remain “vital for culture and a space where artists are given the freedom to take risks, grow and truly flourish. I can’t wait!”

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham welcomed the festival’s return and he praised its focus on the region’s independent spirit.

He said: “Greater Manchester’s music scene has always been driven by its grassroots venues and independent spirit.

“They’re vital to nurturing new talent and keeping our cultural life vibrant.

“It’s fantastic to see the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival celebrating those spaces and shining a spotlight on the creativity that continues to flourish right across our city region.”

6 MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026 LINEUP

Weds 25th March – BBC Introducing

• TTSSFU + Pyncher + Ellen Beth Adbi at Band on the Wall from 7pm

 Thursday 26th March

• Kelly Lee Owens (DJ set) + Wesley Joseph at Band on the Wall from 7pm
• Mandy, Indiana + SILVERWINGKILLER at YES from 7pm

 Friday 27th March

• Bloc Party + The Horrors at Band on the Wall from 7pm
• Yard Act + Sorry at YES from 7pm
• Indie Forever club night with Steve Lamacq, Beth Ditto + Nick Grimshaw, Emily Pilbeam + Nathan Shepherd, and Lambrini Girls at YES from midnight

 Saturday 28th March

• Courtney Barnett + Jacob Alon at Band on the Wall from 7pm
• Lynks + Tiberius b at YES from 7pm
• 6 Music Festival and FaT OuT present Lauren Auder, Naima Bock and R.AGGS at Eccles Town Hall Ballroom from 3pm
• Homobloc presents 6 Music’s Festival’s Closing Party with Olof Dreijer at YES from 11.30pm

Tickets to each event are sold separately and will be available from www.bbc.co.uk/6musicfestival at 10am on Thursday, February 12

A woman couldn’t believe her eyes after reading her dog’s DNA test results – as she explains how she adopted him as a beagle whippet mix when he was just six-month-old

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A woman was left stunned after discovering an “unexpected” truth about her beloved pooch 18 years following his adoption. She revealed how she welcomed her Beagle-Whippet cross, called Elliot, into her family when he was merely six months old – and has cherished every moment with him.

Yet as the years passed, she always had a hunch he was mixed with something different – but never got around to DNA testing him until recently. She posted on Reddit: “I was told ‘Beagle mix’ or ‘Whippet’ back when I adopted him at six months. But he’s 18 now and has been the best pup ever, so I just needed to know what he was.”

Following sharing snaps of the senior dog, users joked about how he resembles “Ed from The Lion King,” whilst others likened him to a “Chupacabra.”

The owner responded: “Definitely. Actually, his right ‘elbow’ was broken when animal control found him.

“Luckily, a rescue got him, and he had surgery to fuse the joint, so from a very young age he’s had a limp, which has affected how he developed. Not how fast he was. Damn, he could run! Still tries if he smells McDonald’s.”

She was flabbergasted when examining Elliot’s DNA findings, which showed him to be 42.1% Miniature Pinscher, 36.9% Small Poodle, 13.1% American Eskimo Dog, and 7.9% Supermutt.

Reacting to this revelation, one user commented: “So glad you decided to do this! I just tested my 14-year-old girl – I didn’t think I could stand it not knowing. Best decision ever!

“The German Shepherd was pretty obvious, but I expected a lot more Pit Bull considering I got him from the shelter.

“I was really curious because he has these golden eyes, and I was like, ‘Where on earth did that come from! ?’”.

“I don’t really see a lot of Dutch Shepherds around here, so that was pretty surprising!”.

“I’m thinking he might have been semi-intentionally bred and dumped on the res, because he definitely seems to have some abandonment issues.”

Another person commented: “My boy is starting to get older, and I was like, I’m gonna regret it forever if I don’t get this done. And it was more interesting than I thought!”.

A third said: “18 years! ! Amazing. What a sweet-looking dog – I just love the little triangle-shaped head as a puppy!”.

Someone else wrote: “Aww, sweet ole boy. My Mini Pin mix loved to run. Fast as he could go, always full tilt – clocked him off the bike at 17 mph, not bad for 15 lbs. It is said they used Italian Greyhound in them when making the breed.

“18 is a really good, long life. Hope he has a few more in him – make him a record breaker.”

A final commenter added: “Elliot looks like a grandfather. I love him so much.”

Olympic ice describes the uniform ice surface specified for international competitions, including the Winter Olympics.

Skilled technicians are responsible for making and maintaining the ice and they are are known as ‘ice masters’.

The team is tasked with ensuring the surface is optimal for the athletes to compete on in sports such as curling, ice skating and ice hockey.

The ice hockey arena in Milan-Cortina was built from scratch for the men’s and women’s matches following delays, concerns and last-minute building works.

But how do they make the ice for the rink?

It all starts with five centimetres of insulation laid down on the concrete floor. A vapour barrier is placed on top of the insulation, before engineers lay mats containing glycol on top to keep the ice cold.

Boards and glass walls are then placed around the rink and then roughly two inches of water is added above the mat – this is when the ice sheets are created.

The surface is painted white and sealed, with ice hockey markings and logos added.

Finally, the rink is topped with three to four centimetres of water to create the playing field. Temperatures are kept between -5 and -4C.

Resurfacing machines, colloquially known as Zambonis, are sent out regularly to shave away ice and form a new smooth layer.

Ice master Mark Messer, who is overseeing the long track speed skating said the hardest part is “working with a new system for such a high profile event, with little time for preparation”.

He added that although ice has been made on temporary settings, it has not been done on this scale for an Olympic Games.

Milan-Cortina will be the first time a temporary venue has been used for long track speed skating at a Winters.

Firefighters from Scarborough and Filey responded to the incident in Raincliffe Woods, Scarborough at 8.49pm on Monday (February 9).

A service spokesperson confirmed that most of the vehicle’s occupants were out prior to fire crews arrival.

They added: “However, one casualty was being prepared for extraction from the vehicle but self extricated after a medical assessment.

“Crews provided scene safety.

“The incident was left in the hands of paramedics and police.”

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli military strikes on Monday killed three people west of Gaza City, according to the hospital where the casualties arrived.

Shifa Hospital reported the deaths amid the months-old ceasefire that has seen continued fighting. The Israeli army said Monday it is striking targets in response to Israeli troops coming under fire in the southern city of Rafah, which it says was a violation of the ceasefire. The army said it is striking targets “in a precise manner.”

The four-month-old U.S-backed ceasefire followed stalled negotiations and included Israel and Hamas accepting a 20-point plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war unleashed by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel. At the time, Trump said it would lead to a “Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”

Hamas freed all the living hostages it still held at the outset of the deal in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and the remains of others.

But the larger issues the agreement sought to address, including the future governance of the strip, were met with reservations, and the U.S. offered no firm timeline.

Top UN official concerned over Israel’s West Bank decision

The United Nations top official on Monday expressed concern about the Israeli security cabinet’s decision to deepen the country’s control over the occupied West Bank.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “gravely concerned” and warned that the Israeli decision could erode the prospect of a two-state solution, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

“Such actions, including Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are not only destabilizing but – as recalled by the International Court of Justice – unlawful,” he said.

Israel ’s security cabinet on Sunday approved measures that aim to deepen Israeli control over the occupied West Bank and weaken the already limited powers of the Palestinian Authority.

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the measures would make it easier for Jewish settlers to force Palestinians to give up land, adding that “we will continue to bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”

Israel captured the West Bank, as well as Gaza and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for a future state.

Rafah crossing improving, official says

The Palestinian official set to oversee day-to-day affairs in Gaza said on Monday that passage through the Rafah crossing with Egypt is starting to improve after a chaotic first week of reopening marked by confusion, delays and a limited number of crossings.

Ali Shaath, head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, told Egypt’s Al-Qahera News that operations at the crossing were improving on Sunday. He said 88 Palestinians were scheduled to travel through Rafah on Monday, more than have crossed in the initial days since reopening. Israel did not immediately confirm the figures.

The European Union border mission at the crossing said in a statement Sunday that 284 Palestinians had crossed since reopening. Travelers included people returning after having fled the war and medical evacuees and their escorts. In total, 53 medical evacuees departed during the first five days of operations.

That remains well below the agreed target of 50 medical evacuees exiting and 50 returnees entering daily, negotiated by Israeli, Egyptian, Palestinian and international officials.

Shaath and other members of the committee remain in Egypt, without Israeli authorization to enter the war-battered enclave.

The Rafah crossing opened last week for the first time since mid-2024, one of the main requirements for the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. It was closed Friday and Saturday because of confusion around operations.

Palestinian officials say nearly 20,000 people are seeking to leave Gaza for medical care unavailable in its largely destroyed health system.

Palestinians who returned to Gaza in the first days after the crossing reopened described hourslong delays and invasive searches by Israeli authorities and an Israeli-backed Palestinian armed group, Abu Shabab. Israel denied mistreatment.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Monday that five people were killed over the previous 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 581 since the October ceasefire. The truce led to the return of the remaining hostages — both living captives and bodies — from the 251 abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.

Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the attack. Israel’s military offensive has since killed over 72,000 Palestinians, according to the ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government and is staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties.

___

Magdy reported from Cairo and Metz from Jerusalem. Sally Abou AlJoud reported from Beirut

Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Filmmaker Michael Bay is suing Formula 1 team Cadillac for $1.5 million, alleging his creative ideas were used without permission in their recent Super Bowl commercial.

The 19-page lawsuit, filed on Friday in the Los Angeles Superior Court of California, claims Cadillac F1’s principal owner and CEO, Dan Towriss, appropriated Bay’s concepts before he “abruptly decided to go in a different direction.”

Cadillac, in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday, acknowledged meeting Bay but stated: “it became clear he couldn’t meet our timeline, and there ultimately wasn’t a path forward.”

The team expressed confusion over the claim, adding: “It’s unclear why he’s bringing this claim since the concept and creative were already developed and we were only exploring him as a director.” Cadillac remains “confident this will be resolved appropriately” and still “admire Michael Bay’s creative brilliance and would welcome the opportunity to work together in the future.”

The Super Bowl commercial, broadcast on Sunday, featured the unveiling of a new car alongside excerpts from John F Kennedy’s famous “We Choose to Go to the Moon” speech.

Bay’s lawsuit further details that he had shown Towriss a seven-minute clip from Transformers 3 where he had previously used the JFK speech, noting that “Towriss was thrilled.”

However, Towriss has insisted that Bay was never going to be hired to work on the creative side of the commercial. “Our reaction is that we have a lot of respect for Michael… [but] disappointed he chose to do that [file a lawsuit],” Towriss said. “Certainly all the creative [work] was done well in advance of ever speaking with him. We were wanting to talk to him about a role as director, not taking creative ideas from him.

“The group, Translation [creative agency], that we worked with did an excellent job developing all that, so we are confident it will be resolved amicably. From our standpoint, last night was a huge success and we are very proud of the work that was done, and that’s all I can say on it.”

Cadillac joined Formula 1 as the sport’s 11th team this season with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez as its drivers. They will appear in Bahrain for testing this week, before the first grand prix of the season in Australia on March 8.