DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base at the dignified transfer for the six U.S. soldiers killed in the war in the Middle East.

The dignified transfer, a ritual that returns the remains of U.S. service members killed in action, is considered one of the most somber duties of any commander in chief. During his first term, Trump said bearing witness to the transfer was “the toughest thing I have to do” as president.

“It’s a very sad day,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Florida later Saturday afternoon, saying that he was “glad we paid our respects.” He said the relatives of the deceased are “great people, great parents, wives, family” and said that the “parents were so proud.”

Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance were present for the transfer, as were their spouses. A host of top administration officials were in attendance, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who wrote in a social media post Friday of “an unbreakable spirit to honor their memory and the resolve they embodied”; Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence.

Also present for the solemn event were governors and senators from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Florida.

Those killed in action were Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa; Capt. Cody Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Sgt. Declan Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, lowa, who was posthumously promoted from specialist.

As is protocol, Trump — wearing a blue suit, red tie and a white USA hat — did not speak during the transfer. The president saluted as each flag-draped transfer case was carried from the military aircraft to awaiting transfer vehicles, which would take them to a mortuary facility to prepare them for their final resting place. The families were largely silent as they observed the ritual, which lasted about a half hour.

The six members of the Army Reserve, who were killed by a drone strike at a command center in Kuwait, were all from the 103rd Sustainment Command based in Des Moines, Iowa, which provides food, fuel, water and ammunition, transport equipment and supplies. They died just one day after the U.S. and Israel launched its military campaign against Iran.

“These soldiers engaged in the most noble mission: protecting their fellow Americans and keeping our homeland secure,” Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, a combat veteran, said earlier this week after the six were identified. “Our nation owes them an incredible debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.”

During the ritual, transfer cases draped with the American flag and holding the remains of the fallen soldiers are carried from the military aircraft that transported them to an awaiting vehicle to take them to the mortuary facility at the base. There, the service members are prepared for their final resting place.

Amor’s husband, Joey Amor, said earlier this week that she had been scheduled to return home to him and their two children within days.

“You don’t go to Kuwait thinking something’s going to happen, and for her to be one of the first – it hurts,” Joey Amor said.

O’Brien had served in the Army Reserve for nearly 15 years, according to his LinkedIn account, and his aunt said in a post on Facebook that O’Brien “was the sweetest blue-eyed, blonde farm kid you’d ever know. He is so missed already.”

Marzan’s sister described him in a Facebook post as a “strong leader” and loving husband, father and brother.

“My baby brother, you are loved and I will hold onto all our memories and cherish them always in my heart,” Elizabeth Marzan wrote.

Coady was among the youngest people in his class, trained to troubleshoot military computer systems, but he impressed his instructors, his father, Andrew Coady, told The Associated Press.

“He trained hard, he worked hard, his physical fitness was important to him. He loved being a soldier,” Coady said. “He was also one of the most kindest people you would ever meet, and he would do anything and everything for anyone.”

Khork’s family described him as “the life of the party” who was known for his “infectious spirit” and “generous heart” and who had wanted to serve in the military since childhood.

“That commitment helped shape the course of his life and reflected the deep sense of duty that was always at the core of who he was,” according to a statement from his mother, Donna Burhans, his father, James Khork, and his stepmother, Stacey Khork.

Tietjens, who came from a military family, previously served alongside his father in Kuwait. When he returned home in February 2010, he reunited with his overjoyed wife in a local church’s gym.

Tietjens’ cousin Kaylyn Golike asked for prayers, especially for Tietjens’ 12-year-old son, wife and parents, as they navigate “unimaginable loss.”

Trump most recently traveled to Dover in December to honor two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter who were killed in an ambush attack in the Syrian desert. He attended dignified transfers several times during his first term, including for a Navy SEAL killed during a raid in Yemen, for two Army officers whose helicopter crashed in Afghanistan and for two Army soldiers killed in Afghanistan when a person dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire.

___

Kim reported from Washington.

Bronze played throughout the Euros with a broken leg and a recurrence of that injury kept her sidelined for several weeks at the start of the year. She, too, is being managed and was rested against Ukraine before returning the starting XI to face Iceland.

There is no ready right-back replacement for Bronze, who will be 35 by the time the 2027 World Cup comes around. Maya Le Tissier, who plays as a centre-back for Manchester United, seems to be the most likely back-up if Bronze is unavailable while Niamh Charles, who is currently injured, and Anouk Denton are also options.

Bronze now has 145 caps for her country, which puts her third in the all-time appearance charts and she shows no signs of slowing down.

“She’s an incredible human being and has a mindset that is really incredible,” Wiegman said of Bronze.

“She has so much football intelligence, she really gets it. At the same time she’s helping her team-mates off the pitch which makes the team play better.”

As they did against Ukraine, England dominated possession against Iceland but did not make the most of their 31 shots, with only seven hitting the target. Taking six points from both games was the most important factor for Wiegman, with Spain still to come in this World Cup qualifying group.

Only one team will progress automatically and the two games against the world champions – at Wembley in April and in Spain in June – will likely decide who tops the group and who has to go through the play-offs. It is vital England have their best players available for both of those games, so Wiegman’s management of James and Bronze will be crucial.#

Match details

England (4-2-1-3): Hampton 7; Bronze 8, Williamson 6, Morgan 6, Hinds 5; Walsh 6, Stanway 7 (Kendall 90+3); Park 6 (Blindkilde Brown 85); James 7 (Kelly 75), Russo, Hemp 6.
Goals: Bronze 22, Stanway 78.
Subs not used: Moorhouse, Roebuck, Le Tissier, Wubben-Moy, Pattinson, Clinton, Beever-Jones, Carter, Godfrey.

Iceland (4-3-3): Runarsdottir 6; Arnardottir 5, Viggosdottir 5, Sigurdardottir 6, Heidarsdottir 6; Hermannsdottir 5 (Asgeirsdottir 63), Antonsdottir 6 (Agustsdottir 86), Vilhjalmsdottir 5 (Johannsdottir 63); Eiriksdottir 5 (Olafsdottir Gros 46), Jessen 6, Jonsdottir 5 (Zomers 76).
Subs not used: Ivarsdottir, Birkisdottir, Tomasdottir, Georgsdottir, Palmadottir, Halldorsdottir, Karlsdottir.

Referee: Silvia Gasperotti.

Attendance: 27,472.

Wrexham’s second was yet another goal conceded from a corner by Chelsea of late. Hard to defend a deflected effort of its kind, sure, but where was the closing down? Where was the organisation and marking when Lewis Brunt so nearly levelled for 3-3 in extra time, only for his left boot to be ruled offside by VAR?

Konrad Jan Michalski and Klaudia Kozakiewicz were reported missing on Wednesday, March 4.

Two teenagers from Aberdeen who had been missing for three days have been traced. A frantic search was launched Konrad Michalski and Klaudia Kozakiewicz, both 15, after they vanished on Wednesday, March 4.

The pair had last been seen in the Tillydrone area of the city at around 1:15pm on Wednesday. A public appeal was launched by Police Scotland to find Konrad and Klaudia on Friday, March 5 after they were missing for around 48 hours.

Police have now confirmed that they have been traced and have thanked the public for their help with their enquiries.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “We can confirm Konrad Michalski and Klaudia Kozakiewicz who were reported missing from the Aberdeen area have been traced.

“Thank you to everyone that shared our appeal.”

Get more Daily Record exclusives by signing up for free to Google’s preferred sources. Click HERE.

Nigeria’s military has killed 45 “bandits” after they allegedly tried to steal a herd of cattle, according to local officials.

The militant gang members were shot dead during a gun battle with troops in Danmusa, in the state of Katsina in northern Nigeria, on Friday.

An army captain and two soldiers were also killed in the fighting, officials said.

State security commissioner Nasir Mua’zu said the group initially made a failed attempt to take the animals on Thursday.

“Seeking revenge, the bandits returned in large numbers on March 6,” he said.

“What followed was an intense and fierce battle. The army successfully neutralised all 45 bandits.”

Members of the local community helped repel the initial attempted theft on Thursday before the “prolonged” battle the following day, according to Nigerian media.

Read more from Sky News:
At least 10 killed in missile strikes in Ukraine
Four killed in US storms
Nairobi flash floods kill more than 20

The military in the West African country has recently been struggling to maintain security amid a spate of attacks by different armed groups.

They include Islamist groups such as Lakurawa, Boko Haram and its breakaway faction known as Islamic State West Africa Province.

Several “bandit” gangs, specialising in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining, have also been blamed for attacks in the north of the country.

Last month, the violence prompted the US to send around 100 troops to Nigeria to provide advice and training to its army on tackling the threats.

In another attack on Friday, more than 300 people, including women and children, were abducted by militants from the town of Ngoshe in the country’s northeast.

Several thousand people have been killed as a result of militant violence across the country, according to the UN, with the government accused of not doing enough to protect its citizens.

Donald Trump’s war with Iran is rapidly becoming global, with more than a dozen other countries in the firing line, or mobilising their armed forces, as Tehran fights back.

The UK, France and Spain are among the nations sending warships, jets and troops to the region to bolster their defences and protect their allies, while states across the Middle East, as well as Cyprus, Turkey and Azerbaijan, have been affected by Iranian drones and missiles.

The US is also not restricting its strikes against the Islamic regime to any geographical boundary, with an American submarine sinking an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka.

Follow live updates on the Iran war

Warnings about World War Three have long been voiced ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.

That was because of fears the conflict could spill over into neighbouring NATO states in Europe, drawing the nuclear-armed alliance into direct confrontation with Moscow, which also has a large arsenal of nuclear weapons.

This risk remains.

But the world has just become even more combustible because of the US president’s decision, along with Israel, to attack Iran with a ferocity of firepower that exceeded the opening days of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Since the fighting began on 28 February, the US military says it has struck more than 3,000 targets. Israeli warplanes have also conducted hundreds of sorties. The onslaught claimed the life of Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, in the opening salvo.

In response, Iranian forces have fired multiple waves of missiles and drones against US forces in the region and Israel, but also against Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and even Oman, despite Muscat having played an important role in negotiating between Tehran and Washington in the past.

The Iranian president on Saturday issued an apology to his neighbours, and said there would be no more strikes against them, provided that no attacks targeting his country originate from US forces on their respective territories. However, Iranian munitions have continued to hit Gulf states, though perhaps not at the same intensity.

The US military has said it has already seriously degraded Iran’s ability to attack, with Mr Trump warning of even more devastating strikes to come

Yet the Iranian side is vowing to keep fighting rather than heed American demands to surrender.

Pete Hegseth, who describes himself as the US secretary of war, has said the American operation could last eight weeks – an indication of the sheer number of targets the US must have amassed.

Mr Trump has vowed to destroy all Iranian missile and naval capabilities, and to prevent the country from ever having a nuclear weapons programme.

However, the longer the attacks continue, the greater the risk of miscalculation that could ignite an even wider war.

Read more:
Revealed: What Trump told Iraqi Kurdish leaders
Battle-hardened fighters ready to put boots on ground

The battle lines in the Middle East already have crossovers with Russia’s war in Europe, though they have not really reached Asia, with China so far giving a muted response.

Moscow has for years received weapons from Tehran, while Kyiv is backed by a coalition of allies, including the UK, France, Germany, Australia and Canada. The US is also an important source of munitions for Ukraine.

Share

Advertisement

Andrei Kelin says Russia is ‘sympathetic’ with Iran.

Now reports are emerging of Russian forces providing intelligence to Iran that could help Tehran target American warships, troops and bases in the Gulf. At the same time, the US has asked Ukrainian soldiers for support in countering Iranian drones.

These alliances and allegiances underline the complexity of the chaos – and just how dangerous a moment this is.

Callum Doyle showed great instincts inside the area to divert a shot from Josh Windass into the back of the net, but Wrexham’s lead was short-lived once again as Josh Acheampong equalised emphatically four minutes later. A red card for George Dobson in second half stoppage time left Wrexham with a huge mountain to climb and despite forcing the tie into extra-time, Garnacho’s fine finish and then Joao Pedro’s superb strike ultimately proved decisive in a thrilling FA Cup showdown. Follow the game back below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Dom Smith at the ground.

The Bishop Auckland Town Of Culture Forum held its second meeting yesterday (Friday, March 7) at the Spanish Gallery, to discuss their bid set to be submitted in the coming weeks.

The winner of the title, expected to be announced in early 2027, will scoop a £3m prize and two runners-up will pocket £250,000 each.

But Bishop is not alone – in the North East, Gateshead, Blyth North Shields and Berwick-upon-Tweed are hoping to end up on the shortlist.

If Bishop Auckland make the shortlist, the town will be awarded £60,000 before submitting its final bid to win in autumn.

On Friday’s agenda was the town’s ‘story’, heritage, success stories as a number of residents gave feedback on what they thought should be included in the preliminary bid to make the town stand out.

Three category winners – for towns under 20,000 population, under 75,000 and up to 100,000 – will be announced in the late autumn.

Bishop Auckland is likely to enter the medium-sized category and would include West Auckland, Escomb, Witton Park and Shildon in its bid.

Cllr Sam Zair, Mayor of Bishop Auckland previously said: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for Bishop Auckland.

“Our town has a powerful cultural story to tell from our heritage assets and events programme to the creativity, passion, and dedication of our residents and volunteers.

“Our bid will demonstrate that culture isn’t only about performance and heritage; it’s about people, identity, pride of place, and community connection.

“Winning Town of Culture would help us drive forward positive change.”

Bishop Auckland MP Sam Rushworth said in January: “We are not creating culture, we are recognising it and celebrating it because the story of Bishop Auckland belongs to everyone.

“We have the opportunity to show the whole country what we already know: that Bishop Auckland is a town of culture. Let’s make it official!”

As BBC racing pundit John Hunt prepares to return to Cheltenham next week, he has opened up about how he is attempting to move on from the horrifying murder of his wife and two daughters.

BBC racing commentator John Hunt has opened up about his unimaginable grief, following the death of his wife and two daughters, Louise and Hannah. The three women were killed by Louise’s ex boyfriend Kyle Clifford on 9 July 2024, who murdered them in a horrifying act of violence in their own home in Bushey, Herts., using a crossbow.

Clifford, a former soldier, from Enfield, London, was 26 when he pleaded guilty to murdering the three women in 2025. However, as he denied also raping Louise, he forced the murdered women’s family and friends to endure the horror of a trial, during which the horrific details of his crimes were dissected.

READ MORE: Cheltenham Festival 2026 VIP tickets still available but with ‘limited availability’READ MORE: John Hunt and daughter Amy bravely speak out after crossbow killer destroyed family

He was eventually convicted of the murders and rape, and was sentenced in March 2025. In a final act of cowardice, the killer refused to attend the sentencing, where he received a whole life order.

And now, as he prepares to work at Cheltenham races next week, John, 61, has opened up on the aftermath of losing his wife and two daughters. Speaking to the Telegraph, he explained how he has learned not to push his recovery “too hard”, as it leads him to ‘unravel’.

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

John said: “It [grief] writes its own rules, it’s the strangest thing. You can wake up at half past seven one morning and think, ‘I feel quite bright today’. And then, for no reason at all, come half past eight, you’re on your knees again.”

He said that he has accepted he doesn’t have control over how he feels, admitting that he feels “a strength in the surrender” but he is “still exploring” how to navigate it. John added: “You develop a confidence that you can cope, even though nothing changes.”

John and his daughter Amy have co-founded The Hunt Family Fund, which was set up in memory of their loved ones. The pair took part in a moving interview last year, with the pair discussing the grieving process and how they keep the memory of the family alive.

John said that Carol, Louise and Hannah remained a constant presence in their lives, and that he still talks to them every day. He said: “From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them.

“Sometimes I say out loud to Hannah and Louise, ‘girls, sorry I can’t be with you, I’m with your mum at the moment’. As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. They’re very close to me all the time.”

John and Amy say they took the decision to talk because they did not want their loved ones to be defined by their deaths. Amy says the minute Clifford left their home on the day of the incident, “my mum, Hannah and Louise became a statistic. They became victims of Kyle Clifford”. She added: “I want to breathe life back into my mum, Hannah and Louise as fully-rounded people.”

They also firmly rejected claims that Clifford showed signs of abuse during his relationship with Louise. Amy said: “Did we have any indication that this man was capable of stabbing my mother, of tying Louise up, of raping Louise, of shooting Louise and shooting Hannah? Absolutely not.”

The Hunt family were always extremely close and supportive. John’s wife Carol encouraged him to leave his job as a police officer to follow his dream of becoming a racing commentator. John, Carol, Hannah and Louise lived together.

Louise ran a dog-grooming business from a pod in the garden, while Hannah worked in aesthetics. Their life, John said, was “one of complete happiness – awash with it, really”.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Lynette Pino watched in February as news about the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie seemed endless. But she decided she didn’t want to get consumed by it.

Pino has something in common with NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie’s family: Her son, Darian Nevayaktewa, remains missing, too, nearly 18 years after leaving home before a new school year to see his father in Arizona.

“I could see in their faces that they want answers,” said Pino, 58, from Tesuque Pueblo in New Mexico. “What’s the next step? What can we do? It’s how I feel. There are no answers. I just pray for them and the other people who are missing.”

“Why,” she added, “would someone take an elderly lady?”

Pino and the Guthries are experiencing what experts call ambiguous loss. A loved one has disappeared, making it maddeningly mysterious and possibly permanent. Abductions, runaways, certain natural disasters and war can fit the category. So, too, can dementia when family members become strangers.

“They’re frozen in their grief. They have a real sense of helplessness,” said Tai Mendenhall, a medical family therapist at the University of Minnesota and director of a mental health disaster team. “There’s no clear resolution from it. We know from research that ambiguous loss is the most psychologically painful kind of loss because of that.”

Pauline Boss is a pioneer in the field and is credited with coming up with the term. In the 1970s, she interviewed women in California whose husbands were missing in action in the Vietnam War. Boss and Mendenhall worked with families after the 9/11 terrorist attack at New York’s World Trade Center.

Guthries cope with prayer

Nancy Guthrie, 84, who lived alone, was reported missing from her Tucson-area home Feb. 1. Savannah Guthrie says her mother was “taken in the dark of night from her bed.” The FBI released video more than a week later from a camera outside Nancy Guthrie’s front door showing a masked stranger. Her blood was found on the porch, but the case remains unsolved.

The odd circumstances and Savannah Guthrie’s celebrity as a TV personality have turned the investigation into a major news story. Guthrie has made videos, some with siblings Annie and Camron, in which she repeatedly appealed for her mother’s release and lately offered a $1 million reward for information.

“As my sister says, ‘We are blowing on the embers of hope,’ ” Guthrie said on Feb. 24, her eyes red.

Guthrie, Annie and brother-in-law Tommaso Cioni recently placed flowers at a roadside memorial at the home. They reached down to read handwritten notes and consoled each other with deep hugs. Guthrie also returned Thursday for an emotional reunion with her NBC colleagues in New York.

She has referred to her Christian faith during the ordeal, asking people earlier on Instagram to “raise your prayers with us” and acknowledging recently that Nancy Guthrie might already be in heaven dancing “with our daddy.” It’s something that can help people cope with ambiguous loss, experts say.

“When people turn toward their faith, that is where they find solace,” Mendenhall said. “Oftentimes the power of faith comes from the communities that inhabit it. Sometimes the best treatment for ambiguous loss is a community group, people who have had this shared experience.”

Son’s trip turns into mystery

Pino said she regularly turns to prayer as she copes with the plight of her missing son, who was 19 when he vanished in June 2008. Nevayaktewa’s disappearance is among many unsolved cases of violent crime in Native American communities. The FBI last year said it was sending extra agents, analysts and other personnel to 10 states to try to make a difference.

“He wanted to go see his dad on the Hopi reservation in Arizona,” Pino said of her son. “I just remember that day hugging him, telling him he only needed a half-semester to graduate from high school. He wasn’t there long, maybe a week, before he disappeared. Someone took him somewhere — I don’t know. Hard to say.”

Savannah Guthrie said her family is donating $500,000 to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, citing “millions of families that have suffered” with similar uncertainty.

Pino said she prayed and lit candles for Nevayaktewa during a trip to Arizona last summer around the anniversary of his disappearance.

“Do not give up hope,” Pino said she would tell the Guthries. “Don’t let law enforcement put it aside.”