The US and Israel assassinated Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint operation in late February. In a post on social media, Donald Trump boasted that Khamenei was “unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems”. Trump added that “there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do”.

The US helped plan the operation, provided key intelligence to identify Khamenei’s location and destroyed Iranian defences to pave a path for his executioners. But the US did not pull the trigger. Israeli warplanes launched the strikes that ultimately killed Khamenei.

While the rationale for this division of labour is unclear, it is not unusual for US assassination plots. Declassified documents, some of which we have published ourselves at the National Security Archive, a research institute at George Washington University, reveal striking details about the long history of the US seeking allies and proxies willing to cooperate to kill.

However, these previous operations offer a clear warning. More often than not, they made matters worse – prolonging wars, fuelling local chaos, straining US relations with the targeted state and creating the conditions for future violence.

Cold war assassinations

During the cold war, the US relied on Cuban exiles and the American mafia in its many assassination attempts against Fidel Castro of Cuba. The failed attempts between 1960 and 1962 contributed to moving Castro closer to the Soviet Union and paved the way for the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, which is widely considered the cold war’s most dangerous episode.

Around the same time, the Eisenhower administration entered into confrontation with Patrice Lumumba, the first elected prime minister of Congo. President Dwight Eisenhower and the then-CIA director, Allen Dulles, came to see Lumumba as unable at best and a communist stooge at worst.

While the US started working on a coup with Belgium, an ally and the former colonial power in Congo, assassination emerged as a policy option. US intelligence officials created the poison that was supposed to kill Lumumba, which was to be injected into his food or toothpaste by a local ally.

When that plot fizzled out, the US government contributed to the manhunt that delivered Lumumba to a firing squad of his domestic enemies in 1961. CIA officials later admitted that, while they were squeamish regarding the use of poison, they had no problem in delivering Lumumba to his enemies – even if this entailed a certainty of his killing.

Also in 1961, the CIA armed and supported local proxies – including by reviewing their plans – for the assassination of the Dominican dictator, Rafael Trujillo. Chaos ensued in the following years, contributing to a full-scale US invasion in 1965.

Setting the conditions for a military coup that was likely to lead to assassination was also at the centre of the 1963 killing of South Vietnamese president Ngô Đình Diệm. Henry Cabot Lodge Jr, the US ambassador to South Vietnam at the time, told President John F. Kennedy that the US had planted the seed for the coup and created a fertile ground where it could flourish.

While top CIA officials were initially reluctant to support a military coup, the agency had an operative, Lucien Conein, in close contact with South Vietnamese generals as the events took place. Kennedy was apparently shocked in learning that Diệm had been brutally murdered. To this, his chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Maxwell Taylor, remarked: “What did he expect?”

Starting in the 1980s, the US government turned its attention to the Libyan and Iraqi leaders, Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein. The Reagan administration supported the National Front for the Liberation of Libya in its ultimately unsuccessful efforts to overthrow and kill Gaddafi.

And in its confrontation with Hussein, the Bush Sr administration often called for a “palace coup” that could lead to the elimination of the Iraqi leader – although not necessarily of his regime. This confrontation spilled over into Bill Clinton’s presidency in the 1990s.

The US government supported Kurdish forces – something the Trump administration is considering in Iran – and members of the Iraqi opposition in a series of efforts to mount a coup. Many of these plots were deeply infiltrated and some were dismantled before they could start. A plot against Hussein involving the Kurds in 1996 was marred by betrayals. They all ended in disaster.

‘War on terror’

The “war on terror” after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the opportunities that new technologies such as armed drones had created meant the US became engaged more directly in the assassination of terrorist leaders. And yet, even at the height of the war on terror, the US at times showed an unwillingness to pull the trigger itself.

Israeli investigative journalist Ronen Bergman has reported that the Bush Jr administration agreed to cooperate with Israel to kill Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh in 2008. But they agreed to do so on three clear conditions: the strike should be kept secret, Mughniyeh alone would be killed and Americans would not do the killing. Mughniyeh was killed by a car bomb placed in his SUV by Mossad agents with key American assistance.

Trump has shown a proclivity for assassinations with what appears to be little concern for the implications of his actions. In his first term, again in collaboration with Israel, the US did pull the trigger in the assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. This act escalated matters with Iran and made it more likely that a war would materialise in the future.

With Khamenei, the US preferred to let Israel do the actual killing. The assassination is likely to make Khamenei a martyr and provides the Iranian regime an avenue for cohesion when its internal legitimacy was under severe strain. Collaborating to kill can lead to tactical success, but the costs are often grim.

Steve Borthwick will enter next week’s Rugby Football Union’s investigation into England’s worst performance in Six Nations history with the support of his players, according to Jamie George.

England finished fifth in the table following a 48-46 defeat by France in Paris on Saturday night, with their victory over Wales in round one the solitary win from a tournament that began amid high expectation but ended in crushing disappointment.

The RFU reviews every campaign using an anonymous panel of internal and external individuals, including former players, but on this occasion Borthwick will be asked to provide the explanations and fixes for the team’s four-match losing run in the knowledge he is fighting for his future.

England’s head coach has already been backed by RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney, although the statement released after the 23-18 loss to Italy in round four declined to look beyond the build-up to the Nations Championship, which begins against South Africa on July 3.

On March 13 1996, a man walked into a primary school in Dunblane, Scotland, armed with four handguns and several hundred rounds of ammunition. In the school gymnasium, he killed 16 young children and their teacher, and injured many others. This horrific tragedy prompted significant gun control reforms, including a ban on civilian possession of most handguns.

But 30 years later, the UK’s gun safety issues have not been fully solved. Two mass shootings in subsequent years, in Cumbria and Plymouth, add to the evidence that gun law reform in Britain has largely been event-driven. Changes only happened following tragedies – preventing future tragedies has been overlooked.

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Shotgun regulation has been a particular problem. Shotguns are far more frequently criminally misused than other types of licensed firearm. In the year ending March 2025, 346 shotguns were criminally misused, compared to just 76 rifles. Shotguns are also far more frequently lost or stolen, thereby contributing to illegal firearm supply.

Over the last two decades, there have been 68 domestic firearms deaths, murders and murder/suicides. The perpetrator is almost always a male gun owner, with victims disproportionately female, and most likely to be shot using a licensed firearm.

At the root of these problems are gaps in the process by which police grant firearms certificates. All of Britain’s mass shootings have been perpetrated using licensed, legally owned firearms.

Since Dunblane, police firearm licensing has attracted increasing scrutiny from many quarters. There are concerns about the diligence shown by police firearm licensing units when assessing the suitability of applicants or renewals. Until 2021, very few gun licences were revoked. However, in recent years the number of revoked certificates has increased.

Police have failed to identify disqualifying factors, or overlooked falsehoods made on gun licence applications. And in a number of recent domestic shooting tragedies, police have carelessly returned confiscated firearms to unsuitable people.

Different licensing standards

Many of these challenges are rooted in the complexity of the 1968 Firearms Act, which creates different licensing standards for rifles and shotguns. Rifles were originally thought to be “more lethal” because of their power and range. But of course, this means nothing in close domestic settings.

Meanwhile, the recent statutory safety guidance to police makes it absolutely clear that no-one denied a rifle certificate on safety and suitability grounds should ever be permitted a shotgun. A single licensing standard could significantly simplify matters.

After the Plymouth shooting in 2021, the coroner identified a “catastrophic failure” in shotgun licensing, and made a number of recommendations. These included improving nationally-accredited training for firearms enquiry officers, better resourcing of licensing departments, improved information sharing between police and health authorities and tighter statutory guidance. Importantly, it also included subjecting both shotguns and rifles to the same rigorous safety standards.

Following a shooting incident in Euston in 2023, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, suggested that the rules for the licensing of shotguns should be aligned with the more rigorous standards applied to rifles.

These proposals were broadly endorsed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the Scottish Affairs Select Committee. The College of Policing began a major overhaul of firearm licensing procedures and the training of firearms enquiry officers. That programme is currently being rolled out. In August 2025, the Home Office announced additional proposals to tighten the licensing process, but promised to consult on the changes.

Shooting representatives have objected to many of the proposals, voicing concerns about increased costs and further inconvenience to gun owners. They have longstanding complaints about delays and alleged inefficiencies in the licensing process. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Shooting and Conservation, effectively parliament’s own gun lobby, organised a petition and debate to resist the proposal to combine the licensing standards.

Firearms controls fit for the future

There is unlikely to be any single quick fix for the deeply-rooted problems facing firearm licensing in the UK. The key legislation is outdated and exhibits “labyrinthine complexity”.

The law has been substantially amended at least nine times and supplemented by new case law and guidance. Yet it still contains major gaps, contradictions and ambiguities. It has been outpaced by new firearm trends and technologies such as 3D-printing, online marketing and new weapons trafficking practices.

Another area of concern involves the country’s forensic science capacity, which a recent House of Lords committee report described as “dysfunctional” and barely fit for purpose.

Recent research has also exposed important information gaps undermining the capability of the National Firearms Licensing Management System. And the National Ballistics Intelligence Service, which coordinates the country’s hitherto successful national intelligence-led approach to gun crime since 2008, is not fully utilised by all police forces. This significantly affects its ability to develop a thorough intelligence-led assessment of illegal firearms in the country and reduce gun crime.

Successful firearm safety depends on many factors: clear national policies, precise laws, vigilant policing, scrupulous licensing processes and effective intelligence capabilities. In the case of Dunblane and Plymouth, tragedy energised political will and overcame opposition to firearm safety reforms. We must continue to work for public safety today, we cannot wait for another tragedy.

Having a run in the first team at such a young age does not mean that future progress will not be without potential setbacks.

Myles Lewis-Skelly broke into the Gunners team last season at the age of 18, and played and scored for England.

But this season, he has only started once in the Premier League – although he is a regular in the Champions League.

Arsenal winger Ethan Nwaneri is the only player to make his Premier League debut at a younger age than Dowman (15 years and 181 days – 54 days younger than his team-mate).

Last season, aged 17, he scored nine times in 37 appearances for the Gunners, but he joined Marseille on loan in January after struggling for game time this term.

Ward says Dowman’s family “have to get used to is the milestones of disappointment”.

“It’s important for the parents to handle it properly, to realise this could end at some point because of injury,” she said.

“There might be a point where he doesn’t get as much game time so he has to play for the under-21s or 23s. It’s how you then cope with that.

“To be fair to Arteta, when he played Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, it was a necessity because they had injuries. That experience helped Arteta because you have to be a really brave manager to play a kid.

“For Arsenal it’s about managing the ups and downs, because it’s not a straight line. Hopefully that won’t be the best thing to happen to him as a player, but for plenty of players that has been the best thing in their career.”

Many of the players in the youngest 10 Premier League goalscorers ever went on to have hugely successful careers including James Milner, Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas and Michael Owen.

But James Vaughan, the previous record holder before Dowman, spent the majority of his career in the EFL and retired aged 32 at League Two Tranmere.

“I don’t think it’s possible to stay fearless,” Vaughan told Sky Sports in 2021., external “As you become a first-team player regularly there’s people’s wages, jobs and careers on the line.

“You know you’re responsible for part of that, and you have to take that responsibility on. But as a kid you don’t have that so you can just go out and play and enjoy your football.”

The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world

These are your evening rugby headlines on Sunday, March 15.

England to launch Six Nations investigation

England will launch a review into their dismal Six Nations campaign in the coming days after finishing the tournament with one win to their name.

The wooden spoon went to Wales for the third successive year despite their superb win over Italy on Super Saturday, but Steve Tandy’s side have come away from the championship with plenty to be positive about.

Having been billed as tournament whipping boys and fallen to heavy defeats to England and France, Wales got better week-on-week with impressive performances against Scotland and Ireland preceding their victory in the final round.

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For Steve Borthwick’s side, however, the picture looks quite different. Having been billed as potential Grand Slam winners before the tournament started following a run of 11 successive victories, their opening win over Wales was followed by a series of brutal defeats.

After losing the Calcutta Cup to Scotland, Borthwick’s men were on the receiving end of a record Irish away win at Twickenham and a first-ever defeat to Italy, before being edged 48-46 by France in a thrilling encounter in Paris on Saturday evening.

Their solitary victory meant England recorded their worst-ever return from a Six Nations campaign, finishing fifth in the table.

There was much improvement in the English performance against France, but the hugely disappointing campaign has seen pundits and fans call for Borthwick to be sacked, with many questions to be asked as bosses unpick what happened.

A group of senior rugby figures from inside and outside the RFU will now collect feedback from coaches and players about what went wrong over the coming days and weeks. While such a review is standard practice, the results will be eagerly awaited with next year’s Rugby World Cup on the horizon.

Wales duo star in cup mauling

Wales internationals Tommy Reffell and Gabriel Hamer-Webb helped Leicester Tigers to the PREM Rugby Cup title as they mauled a second-string Exeter Chiefs side 66-14 in the final.

A rain-soaked encounter at Welford Road saw Leicester dominate from start to finish, with a blistering first-half performance seeing them score four tries inside the first 30 minutes, with Will Wand scoring a brace and Archie van der Flier and Billy Searle also both crossing.

A further score from Searle gave the Tigers a commanding 35-0 lead, before Ross Vintcent pulled one back for the Chiefs on the stroke of half-time.

But Leicester picked up where they left off after the break, with prop Van der Flier scoring his second three minutes after the restart, before the referee awarded a penalty try to the Tigers after Exeter brought a maul down illegally on the line.

Will Haydon-Wood dotted down for Exeter shortly before the hour mark, but Leicester hit back immediately through newly-capped Wales star Hamer-Webb, with the wing squeezing over in the corner.

While they were already cruising to the title, Leicester refused to relent and Tarek Haffar scored before James O’Connor strolled over for a 10th try of the afternoon for the Tigers.

By the end, Exeter, who also lost in last year’s final, were waiting for the final whistle to sound, with Leicester winning the trophy for the first time.

Wainwright: Brighter times ahead for Wales

By Phil Blanche, Press Association

Aaron Wainwright believes brighter times lie ahead for Wales after their Six Nations drought was ended by a closing victory over Italy.

Wales won 31-17 in Cardiff on Saturday to end a 15-game losing streak in the tournament that stretched back to March 2023.

It was only Wales’ third win in 28 Tests – the other two were against Japan – and acts as a huge boost ahead of the inaugural Nations Championship this summer.

Wales kick off that campaign against Fiji at Cardiff City Stadium on July 4 before travelling to Argentina and South Africa on successive weekends.

“We started the campaign against England, and the first 20 minutes we were incredibly poor with our discipline and the accuracy wasn’t there,” said Leicester-bound back-rower Wainwright, who shrugged off a pre-game injury scare to score two tries and be named player of the match.

“How we’ve grown throughout the tournament could really set us up for when we come into the next campaign.

“Steve is really big on his care and connection and making sure we’re all aligned with what we want to achieve when we’re not in camp. So if we get that right over the next couple of months coming into summer tours we can really hit the ground running.”

Wales were cast as Six Nations whipping boys after conceding 102 points in disastrous opening defeats to England and France. But huge strides were made in narrow losses to Scotland and Ireland before a stunning opening 47 minutes against Italy, in which Wales stormed into a 31-0 lead, set up that elusive victory.

Wainwright said: “Given the circumstances of where we are as a country, in terms of our past results and performances, it’s great to get the win and end the campaign on a high.

“But if we are being realistic about it we probably should have had more wins from the campaign. Going forward hopefully this is a bit of momentum that we need to kick on and haul ourselves to those standards that we set here.”

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With crude oil prices incredibly volatile as the war in Iran continues, some countries are already warning they may run out of oil.

Pakistan and Bangladesh are both introducing emergency measures as petrol and diesel reserves come under pressure. Both countries are already closing down public buildings to reduce energy use and putting restrictions on fuel use. In Bangladesh the military are guarding oil depots and there are queues building up at petrol stations in Vietnam, Pakistan and the Philippines as prices escalate.

The case for diversifying energy supplies and having more power plants in your home country potentially means being less vulnerable to what happens in conflicts in other parts of the world. And that argument might well push a change in energy strategy for countries that are struggling with supplies right now.

China is already the world’s leading green‑tech manufacturing hub in solar panels, windmills and electric vehicles, and produces more than 70% of the world’s clean tech. So Beijing is in an ideal position to benefit from any growth in the green economy.

As Washington walks away from its climate commitments and continues to act unilaterally on the world stage, Beijing has an opportunity to step in and also enhance its reputation with other nations.

China can do this by continuing to export affordable green technologies, and finance low‑carbon projects. Over time, it could even share its expertise with nations abroad. The goodwill that these initiatives generate could help enhance its reputation and alliances with other countries.

Yet China’s leadership in green technology brings its own challenges. Strong state backing has fuelled rapid expansion in sectors such as solar panels, electric vehicles and batteries, creating significant overcapacity and even losses.

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Who profits from war with Iran? Understanding that will be key to resolving the conflict

And many Chinese manufacturers now depend on overseas sales to stay afloat, which has led to accusations of unfair competition and market flooding. China needs to address these issues, otherwise it risks turning a potential soft-power asset into a source of friction even as the US cedes its role as a global climate leader.

Greenhouse gas emissions

To be an international green economic leader, China may also need to continue to work on its own environmental practises. China remains the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and was once called the “air pollution capital of the world”.

From 2014 however, China has made strides in reducing air pollution.

There are some indications that China’s carbon dioxide emission have been falling since 2024, and its large-scale tree planting and forest reparation program has reduced sandstorms and land degradation across the country.

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How would the Iran crisis play out in a world powered by renewables not fossil fuels?

Since the mid-1990s, China’s armed forces have rapidly modernised into a highly capable force. And its economy has been ranked as the world’s second largest since 2010. Yet, China’s willingness to use its growing trade and military influence to achieve its objectives has alarmed western governments and its regional neighbours.

China’s current strength lies in its hard power, which is the ability to get what it wants through economic and military might. But therein lies the problem. For a country that insists its rise is “peaceful”, this sort of aggression sends mixed signals. If China wishes other countries to see its ascent as benign and not threatening, it will need to rely less on coercion and more on attraction (soft power) to raise its image and limit the push back it receives, and enhancing its green image could be part of that.

But beyond its iconic panda diplomacy, which is the practice of sending giant pandas on long‑term loan to foreign zoos, China’s other notable soft-power tools have produced mixed results. Confucius Institutes, focusing on educational partnerships with foreign institutions, have faced political backlash in some countries, while China’s flagship economic initiative, the Belt and Road, has attracted both praise and criticism.

How Beijing responds to the growing oil crisis and its ability to grow green economic partnerships may give an indication of how it wants the rest of the world to see it in the future.

The 98th Annual Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 15 from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood with Conan O’Brien set to host the annual show

The biggest night in film is finally here, and the movies and stars that have been the talk of awards season are all set to face off at the most prestigious event of the year, The Academy Awards.

Some of the biggest names of the year will assemble at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on Sunday, March 15, where some will end the night with new hardware to add to their accolades for their work.

Going into Oscars night, some seem poised to have sure wins after dominating the entire season thus far, while others are new surprise contenders that could actually upend entire races after other unexpected wins. So who will win big? Here are our predictions for the night’s wins…

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Best Picture

Nominees: Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, Train Dreams

Will win: One Battle After Another: The movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn and more, has by and large been the favorite throughout awards season, picking up trophies at nearly every major precursor award show. Its director, Paul Thomas Anderson, is also favored to win as best director, and the Academy rarely splits the win between director and film, giving it an edge.

Could win: Sinners: After winning the Actor Award for best ensemble, which can also serve as a precursor to a win, Sinners could pull a surprise upset at the last minute and usurp the moment that has been built for One Battle After Another all season. While the other film still has the edge, it isn’t impossible for Sinners to win, even if Anderson takes home Best Director. The Academy has split the awards 25 times in the past, most recently in 2021.

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Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees: Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme; Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another; Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon; Michael B. Jordan, Sinners; Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Will Win: Toss-up between Timothée Chalamet and Michael B. Jordan, with a slight edge to Chalamet

Why it’s a toss-up: Chalamet has picked up at least two big awards in the lead-up to the Oscars, scoring both Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice wins for his role, but Michael B. Jordan pulled an unexpected upset at the Actor Awards, which has seriously increased the probability he could win the Oscar as well. The edge could still trend slightly towards Chalamet, however, due to his consistent presence at awards shows and propensity for nominations each year. Marty Supreme marks his third Best Actor nomination after Call Me By Your Name and A Complete Unknown–and the Academy does have a tendency to try and reward oft-nominated stars at some point. Jordan, meanwhile, is a first-time nominee.

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Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominees: Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another; Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein; Delroy Lindo, Sinners; Sean Penn, One Battle After Another; Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value

Will Win: Sean Penn: Penn is well-poised to take home his third Oscar in a row when it comes to his most recent nominations, after taking home Lead Actor trophies for both Mystic River and Milk. Now, in his first nomination in nearly 20 years, he is poised as the favorite to win for his role as Steven J. Lockjaw.

Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet; Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You; Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue; Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value; Emma Stone, Bugonia

Will win: Jessie Buckley. The phrase “it’s just an honor to be nominated” has rung true at every other awards show this season, as those who have gone up against Buckley have yet to stand a chance at winning. The only other one to take home a trophy was Byrne at the Golden Globes–but she and Buckley were in separate categories.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees: Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value; Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value; Amy Madigan, Weapons; Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners; Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

Will Win: Amy Madigan: Amy Madigan appears poised to win after her Critics Choice and Actor Award wins, and is an overall favorite, though she could have a surprise upset.

Could Win: Wunmi Mosaku. If anyone pulls an upset, it is Mosaku, who won the BAFTA.

Directing

Nominees: Chloe Zhao, Hamnet; Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme; Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another; Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value; Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Will Win: Paul Thomas Anderson. Like Jessie Buckley, Anderson has dominated the director’s category and wins all awards season. While upsets aren’t impossible, it seems unlikely to happen here.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Nominees: Bugonia, Will Tracy; Frankenstein, Guillermo Del Toro; Hamnet, Chloe Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell; One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson; Train Dreams, Clint Bentley and Greg Kewdar

Will Win: Paul Thomas Anderson. Like his domination as a director, Anderson has swept all prior Adapted Screenplay categories. He is the one to beat.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Nominees: Blue Moon, Robert Kaplow; It Was Just An Accident, Jafar Panahi; Marty Supreme, Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie; Sentimental Value, Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier; Sinners, Ryan Coogler

Will Win: Ryan Coogler. While Paul Thomas Anderson has dominated the adapted screenplay category, Coogler has had the same success in the original screenplay category, making him the one to beat here

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All other predictions:

Animated Feature Film: Arco, Elio, KPop Demon Hunters, Little Amelie or The Character of Rain, Zooptopia 2

Animated Short Film: Butterfly, Forevergreen, The Girl Who Cried Pearls, Retirement Plan, The Three Sisters

Casting: Nina Gold, Hamnet; Jennifer Venditti, Marty Supreme; Cassandra Kululkundis, One Battle After Another; Gabriel Domingues, The Secret Agent; Francine Maisler, Sinners

Cinematography: Dan Laustsen, Frankenstein; Darius Khondji, Marty Supreme; Michael Bauman, One Battle After Another; Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Sinners; Adolpho Veloso, Train Dreams

Costume Design: Deborah L. Scott, Avatar: Fire and Ash; Kate Hawley, Frankenstein; Malgosia Turzanska, Hamnet; Miyako Bellizzi, Marty Supreme; Ruth E. Carter, Sinners

Documentary Feature Film: The Alabama Solution, Come See Me in the Good Light, Cutting Through Rocks, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, The Perfect Neighbor

Documentary Short Film: All the Empty Rooms, Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud, Children No More: “Were and Are Gone,” The Devil is Busy, Perfectly a Strangeness

Film Editing: Stephen Mirrione, F1; Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme; Andy Jurgensen, One Battle After Another; Olivier Bugge Coutte, Sentimental Value; Michael P. Shawver, Sinners

International Feature Film: The Secret Agent, Brazil; It Was Just an Accident, France; Sentimental Value, Norway; Sirat, Spain; The Voice of Hind Rajab, Tunisia

Live Action Short Film: Butcher’s Stain, A Friend of Dorothy, Jane Austen’s Period Drama, The Singers, Two People Exchanging Saliva

Makeup and Hairstyling: Frankenstein, Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey; Kokuho, Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino and Tadashi Nishimatsu; Sinners, Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine and Shunika Terry; The Mashing Machine, Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin and Bjoern Rehbein; The Ugly Stepsister, Thomas Foldberg and Anne Catherine Sauerberg

Music (Original Score): Jerskin Fendrix, Bugonia; Anexandre Desplat, Frankenstein; Max Richter, Hamnet; Jonny Greenwood, One Battle After Another; Ludwig Goransson, Sinners

Music (Original Song): Dear Me, Diane Warren: Relentless; Golden, KPop Demon Hunters; I Lied To You, Sinners; Sweet Dreams of Joy, Viva Verdi!; Train Dreams, Train Dreams

Production Design: Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sinners

Sound: F1, Frankenstein, One Battle After Another, Sinners, Sirat

Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash, F1, Jurassic World: Rebirth, The Lost Bus, Sinners

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Liverpool played host to Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, and Igor Tudor was spotted on live TV making quite the gaffe after making his way down the tunnel prior to kick-off

Igor Tudor seemingly mistook Allan Dixon for Arne Slot ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s away trip to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon. The Croatian headed into the fixture with mounting pressure on his back, having failed to win any of his four matches since taking up an interim managerial role last month.

As things stand, Spurs sit 16th in the Premier League standings on 29 points alongside a 17th-place Nottingham Forest and an 18th West Ham – safe only via goal difference. And with just eight matches remaining in 2025/26, the plausibility of the 47-year-old helping the club avoid their first-ever relegation to the Championship seems to be dwindling by the day.

However, it was Tudor’s actions ahead of kick-off against Liverpool that caught the attention of fans worldwide, as he looked to have approached Dixon from behind thinking he was about to share a traditional pre-match handshake with Slot . After making his way out of the tunnel, Tudor tapped Dixon – who is Spurs’ player liaison officer – before putting his arm around him and briefly exchanging words.

READ MORE: Igor Tudor ‘did give Antonin Kinsky a hug’ but Tottenham boss doubles down on ruthless callREAD MORE: Tottenham Igor Tudor sack stance update as Liverpool decision made ahead of trip

And one eagle-eyed social media user was quick to share a clip of the interaction online, writing: “Igor Tudor confused Alan Dixon for Arne Slot,” with a string of laughing emojis. The replies section of the post were also filled with sarcastic comments about Tudor’s struggles with Spurs, as well as what Dixon was doing on the touchline.

One person wrote: “Just like he confuses himself he’s a manager,” while another added: “Alan Dixon works for Spurs lol. He’s literally a colleague.”

A third said: “Why is Alan Dixon standing on the sideline like he is some sort of coach though?” while a fourth joked: “He was complimenting him on buying the same coat I think?”

There will be more to follow on this breaking news story and Mirror Sport will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible.

Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story.

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The alleged assault took place outside of the Zabka grocery store on Deane Road, Rumworth, at 7.45pm.

A GMP Bolton spokesperson said: “We are appealing for information for an assault which took place outside of Zabka on Deane Road, Bolton on the 14th March 2026 at approximately 19:45.

“If you have any information, please contact 101 or utilise LiveChat at ‘Contact us’, Greater Manchester Police, quoting log 2782 of the 14th March 2026.”

According to Greater Manchester Police, officers were called to the scene after men were seen fighting in the area.

Around 10 other people were seen to be watching the fight.

One of the men is reported to have punched another man in the face.

Officers are currently investigating the incident, and are appealing for members of the public to come forward with information.

It all started with a set-piece, as so many Premier League games seem to these days, but by the end Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa had become an advert for the benefits of good old fashioned wingers and number nines.

Much has been made of the role of set-pieces in the league as several sides have struggled to reliably create goals from open play, but in the end United took a giant leap towards next season’s Champions League in a more familiar manner, with Matheus Cunha the star as he and Benjamin Sesko sealed the result.

In the end, a 3-1 win for Michael Carrick’s side takes them three points clear of the Villans in the battle for the top five, but while it’s a win that puts United in an enviable position, it was a scoreline that flattered the hosts.

It was a performance that was not as convincing as the result suggests. In the end it followed a similar blueprint for Carrick’s United, but this time around the tried-and-tested method raised a different conclusion.

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Recent United games have been defined by Benjamin Sesko cameos, with the Slovenian striker coming off the bench to score against Fulham, West Ham and Everton. That was the case again this afternoon, and while the 22-year-old didn’t net a winner this time, it was a cameo that might have convinced Carrick to take a different route forward for the rest of the season.

The interim United boss once again chose Bryan Mbeumo to start as a lone striker at Old Trafford – as he had for six of his previous eight matches in charge – while Sesko settled for a place on the bench, the plan seemingly to bring him on around the 70th minute as has worked to great effect previously.

However, once again United laboured in the absence of a recognised striker in the starting line-up, the hosts struggling to create clear-cut chances despite a few threatening crosses.

While it might not have been the case in other games, this time round it was a display that clearly underlined the need for a recognised striker on the pitch, Diogo Dalot wasting a golden chance from close range while Mbeumo toiled in attack. The Cameroon international did not possess enough of a box presence, and failed to take the chance of a near-post run across the defender to get onto the end of a superb Dalot cross.

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When the opener did come it was via a familiar route, Casemiro glancing in a header from a corner. Old Trafford was buoyed but Villa soon hit back, Ross Barkley finishing well and taking United back to square one.

And while Mbeumo continued to struggle in a lone striker role – often too isolated against Mings and Konsa – United finally got joy from the left wing, Matheus Cunha making a perfect run before curling a brilliant finish into the far corner for 2-1.

It was a goal that underlined Cunha’s status as the club’s most exciting and effective winger, the Brazilian providing a threat with a clever run inside the full-back and once again proving a difference-maker, as he did against Palace.

Carrick reacted to retaking the lead by making his favourite substitution. Sesko replaced Mbeumo in the 75th minute and the Stretford End sang the Cameroonian’s name as he made his way to the bench. But while he came off to a standing ovation, it didn’t take long for his replacement to illustrate exactly why he should be the one starting every game.

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Within six minutes of his introduction Sesko was once again on the scoresheet, the youngster firing in to effectively kill the game in the 81st minute. Cunha provided the width before taking the ball down brilliantly to get into the box. While his cross wasn’t a great one, Sesko then pounced on the loose ball, turning it in via a fortunate deflection. It was precisely the natural striker instinct that Mbeumo had failed to show throughout his cameo.

While it was a fortunate third for the hosts it was one that featured the exact type of wing play and striking nous that has been lacking earlier on. It sealed the three points but while everything seems rosy at United, obvious improvements can be made.

Mbeumo’s striker experiment has not failed as such – in fact, it worked to great effect in the wins over Manchester City and Arsenal – but it is something that should be reserved for very specific circumstances.

Carrick has Sesko to thank for grabbing at least 10 points with pivotal goals and another important goal for the 22-year-old proves that he is ready for a starting berth. Surely Carrick can now see that making him a regular starter is the blueprint for the next step in his interim revolution.