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As the US-Israel war with Iran enters its fourth week, the Trump administration granted a temporary license for Iran to sell around 140 million barrels of crude oil to calm jittery markets.

US President Donald Trump said the US is considering "winding down" its military efforts. A senior Iranian source told CNN that Tehran doesn't believe the claim.

In the Middle East, US embassies remain under threat while some Gulf states continue to intercept missiles and drones. Iran unsuccessfully targeted a joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean with ballistic missiles, a source told CNN. Israel on Saturday launched a fresh wave of strikes on Beirut and "regime targets" in Tehran.

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As fighting continues across multiple fronts in the region, the human toll of the conflict continues to rise, with Iran and Lebanon marking mass casualties and displacement.

What are the main headlines?

• Sanctions removed: The Trump administration granted a temporary license on Friday night allowing Iran to sell 140 million barrels of oil sitting on tankers - enough to satisfy global demand for roughly a day and a half, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

• Military efforts: Trump said the US is considering "winding down" military efforts in the Middle East in a social media post Friday, though a senior Iranian source told CNN there has been no "reduction in military activity" in the region. Earlier that day, Trump told reporters that he believes the US has "won" its war with Iran. But thousands more US Marines and sailors are heading towards the Middle East.

• Strait of Hormuz: Bahrain has become the first regional country to signal willingness to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, joining EU nations, Japan and Canada, its state media reported Friday. Meanwhile, US officials are furiously trying to avert a potential monthslong closure of the strait, administration and intelligence officials told CNN.

• Casualties rise: In Iran, more than 18,000 civilians have been injured and more than 1,330 people – including at least 200 children – have been killed since the start of the war, according to the latest figures from the Iranian Red Crescent and Iran's UN Ambassador. In Lebanon, more than 1,000 people have lost their lives, according to the country's health ministry, and more than 1 million have been displaced.

What's happening on the ground?

• Indian Ocean: Iran launched intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK military base, Friday morning local time, according to a US official. The missiles were fired at the facility – a key airfield for the US' heavy bomber fleet in the Indian Ocean, and around 2,370 miles from Iran's coast - but neither of them struck the base, the official said.

• In Iraq: Iran claimed it targeted the United States Embassy's logistics base in Baghdad three times on Friday, according to state broadcaster IRIB. The embassy has faced multiple rocket and drone attacks since the war began.

• UAE warned: Tehran has issued a warning to the United Arab Emirates that it will strike the port city Ras al-Khaimah if Iranian islands in the Gulf continue to come under attack.

• More from the Gulf: Countries including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continued to intercept missile and drone strikes overnight into Saturday, according to local defense officials.

• Israel and Lebanon: The Israeli military said early Saturday that Iran launched more missiles towards its territory. It also reported striking the Iran-backed Hezbollah targets in Beirut overnight.

• Russian support: Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Iran that Moscow remains "a loyal friend and reliable partner to Iran during this difficult period." CNN reported earlier this month that Russia is helping Iran with advanced drone tactics to hit US and Gulf nation targets in the Middle East, according to a Western intelligence official.

• Natanz nuclear facility targeted: Iran state media Tasnim reported that the US and Israel struck the Natanz uranium-enrichment facility on Saturday, adding that no radioactive leaks occurred and that residents near the site were not at risk. The Israeli military told CNN it was "not familiar" with any attack on that facility.

Zachary Cohen, Elise Hammond contributed to this report.

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A horror midair death turned a long-haul flight into what some are calling a nightmare at 35,000 feet.

A female passenger in her 60s died during the first hour of a British Airways flight from Hong Kong to London — but the plane kept going, leaving her body stored in a heated galley for more than 13 hours, according to reports.

The doomed journey, Flight BA32, pressed on to Heathrow rather than turning back — a decision sources say reflects the grim reality that once a passenger has already passed, it's "not viewed as an emergency."

Crew members were left scrambling over what to do with the body mid-flight.

A sourcetold The Sun, "Obviously, the family with the woman were distraught, and so were the crew.

"Many wanted to return to Hong Kong. But, to put it bluntly, if a passenger has already died, that is not viewed as an emergency."

A suggestion to place the deceased in a lavatory was shot down, forcing staff to wrap the body and move it to a rear galley — not realizing the area had a heated floor, which allegedly worsened conditions as the hours dragged on.

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By the time the Airbus A350-1000 began its descent, passengers and crew reportedly noticed a foul odor wafting through the back of the aircraft, adding to the distress onboard.

The situation didn't end on landing.

Police met the aircraft at Heathrow and ordered all 331 passengers to remain seated for roughly 45 minutes while authorities investigated the onboard death.

While no formal complaints were filed, the ordeal reportedly rattled crew members — some of whom took time off to recover from the trauma.

In a statement, British Airways reportedly told The Sun that "all procedures were correctly followed," noting there is no one-size-fits-all protocol for handling deaths in the air.

"Our thoughts are with the woman's friends and family."

Still, for those onboard, it was a flight they won't soon forget.

Nearly 600 immigrant children were held in a Texas family detention center in recent months without enough food, medical care or mental health services, with dozens languishing inside far beyond court-mandated limits, according to court documents filed Friday.

Detained-Migrant-Children

Children and families held in the Dilley detention facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were sent earlier this year faced virus outbreaks and lasting lockdowns in December and January, even as the total number of children held at Dilley has fallen in recent weeks, according to the attorney's reports and site visits.

The case of Ramos, a preschooler who was wearing a blue bunny hat when he was picked up in Minnesota by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stirred protest over the Trump administration'simmigration crackdown, including among detainees who gathered and held up signs in the yard inside Dilley's chain-link fences.

Last week about 85 children remained detained at Dilley, but concerning conditions continued, said Mishan Wroe, directing attorney at the National Center for Youth Law, who visited in mid-March. In early February, a legal advocate for the children observed about 280 children.

The filings cited numerous poignant cases, including that of a13-year-old girl held at Dilleywho tried to take her own life after staff withheld prescribed antidepressants and denied her request to join her mother, as reported by The Associated Press. The government reported there had been "no placements on suicide watch," according to the filing. The AP obtained the girl's Dilley discharge documents that described a "suicide attempt by cutting of wrist" and "self-harm."

The filings were submitted in a lawsuit launched in 1985 that led to the creation in 1997 of court-ordered supervision of standards and eventually established a 20-day limit in custody. The Trump administration seeksto endthe Flores settlement.

"For years, the Flores consent decree has been a tool of the left that is antithetical to the law and wastes valuable U.S. taxpayer funded resources," the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. "Being in detention is a choice."

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Attorneys for detainees highlighted the government's data showing longer custody times for immigrant children, and also cited worms in food, and poor access to medical care or sufficient legal counsel as reported by families and monitors at federal facilities.

"Dilley remains a hellhole," said Leecia Welch, the chief legal director at Children's Rights, who visits Dilley regularly to ensure compliance. "Although the number of children has decreased, the suffering remains the same."

Dilley is retrofitted for families, who receive basic necessities including adequate food and water while in detention, and the Trump administration is working to quickly deport detainees, the DHS spokesperson added.

A report from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement showed that about 595 immigrant children were held in custody for more than the 20-day limit in December and January, with some stretching into months, per the filing.

"Approximately 265 of these children were detained for more than 50 days and a shocking 55 children were detained more than 100 days," the filing stated.

That is up from a previous government disclosure late last year that showed from August to September, 400 children had been held at Dilley beyond the 20-day limit. DHS did not respond to questions seeking comment on the data.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee of the Central District of California is scheduled to have a hearing on the case later this month.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Joyce Edwards had 27 points and eight rebounds and No. 1 seed South Carolina won its 17th straight homewomen's NCAA Tournament gamewith a 103-34 defeat of 16th-seeded Southern on Saturday.

APTOPIX NCAA Southern U South Carolina Basketball

Edwards and the Gamecocks (32-3) opened with a 15-0 burst and never let up against the Jaguars (20-14), the Southwestern Athletic Conference champions.

"I just thought they got out-talented tonight," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said of her opponent.

And there was plenty of talent on display for a program seeking its sixth straight Final Four.

Edwards was relentless down low, making 11 of 14 shots and being seemingly free on most possessions. In the second half, she and teammate Ta'Niya Latson forced a turnover near midcourt and after Latson gained control, she flipped the ball behind her back to an all-alone Edwards for an easy bucket as the home crowded roared.

"We missed being here. We hadn't been here in a while," said Staley, whose team improved to 83-1 at Colonial Life Arena the past five seasons. "I want our players to play with joy."

South Carolina, already up 25 at the break, outscored Southern 32-2 in the third quarter.

Edwards said the team needed to get its timing after not playing since the Southeastern Conference Tournament two weeks ago.

"You could tell we were a little rusty initially," she said. "As a team, we got together and started hitting shots."

The Gamecocks ended with their second-most points in an NCAA Tournament game (after scoring 108 last year to open against Tennessee Tech) and put up their biggest margin of victory in their NCAA tourney history.

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Edwards started the game-opening run with two baskets. Latson added five points in the opening run as Southern started 0-for-7 shooting with six turnovers.

Latson finished with 17 points while Madina Okot and Agot Makeer had 15 points each. Tessa Johnson had 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.

Southern had won its second NCAA Tournament game in the First Four, defeating Samford 65-53. The Jaguars beat UC San Diego in that round last year before getting drubbed by Final Four team UCLA 84-46.

This time, the Jaguars ran into a South Carolina team anxious to get the tournament started after a disappointing defeat by Texas, 78-61, in the Southeastern Conference Tournament title game on March 8.

Jocelyn Tate had 10 points to lead Southern.

Southern coach Carlos Funchess understood the huge task his team faced. "They're preparing to win win a national championship," he said of the Gamecocks. "I'd do the same."

Parting gift

Southern left with a small gift from Staley, a sample bottle of her Louis Vuitton perfume. Staley spoke to the team Wednesday at their hotel and when they hugged and thanked her, more than one player commented on how nice the coach smelled. So that led Staley to arrange to have some samples sent to the Jaguars.

"It was just a small gesture. I had them, I probably wouldn't use them, they could utilize them and I just did it," Staley said.

Up next

South Carolina will play either No. 8 seed Clemson or No. 9 seed Southern California in the second round on Monday.

AP March Madness bracket:https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracketand coverage:https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

North Carolina is picking up the pieces after a heartbreakingMarch Madnessloss to VCU. The Tar Heelsblew a 19-point lead, allowing the sixth-largest comeback in NCAA tournament history, including the largest the first round has ever seen.

They've now bowed out of the tournament's Round of 64 in back-to-back years, andquestions are swirling about the job security of head coach Hubert Davis.

Those won't be answered until early next week, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

"The future of Hubert Davis at North Carolina right now is squarely in flux in the wake of these back-to-back, first-round NCAA tournament exits,"Thamel reported on Saturday. "The sides are expected to talk in the upcoming days, and no decision on Davis' future is expected until early next week.

"Do not expect Davis to be fired outright. Any kind of departure would be synchronized, likely between he and the school. Hubert Davis is a legend at North Carolina and will be treated with that type of respect."

Thamel added: "The options here are simple: Keep Davis with significant changes to the staff and program or orchestrate some type of wholesale change to the coaching staff and bring in a whole new regime."

In other words, even if Davis stays, staff changes are expected.

Outgoing UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham, who will be replaced by Steve Newmark when Cunningham steps down from his role this summer,reportedly told Field of 68's Jeff Goodmanthat he and other administrators are in the process of evaluating the men's basketball program.

"Every year at the end of the season, it's important to evaluate all facets of the program and look for ways to improve," Cunningham said, per Goodman. "The Chancellor, Steve and I are doing that together now and will continue to have discussions over the coming days."

UNC has historically hired within Tar Heels family

Davis has led the UNC program since April 2021,when he took over for Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams, who guided the Tar Heels to three national championships and five Final Fours over an 18-season tenure.

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In hiring Davis as Williams' replacement, the school stayed within the Carolina basketball family. Davis played under program legend Dean Smith, another Hall of Fame coach, at UNC from 1988-92 and worked under Williams as an assistant coach from 2012-21.

Davis took the baton and ran with it initially, especially down the stretch of his first season at the helm. The Tar Heels took down rival Duke twice: first in the regular-season finale, spoiling the final home game for retiring Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski,and then again in the Final Four.

Although UNC fell to Kansas in the national title game, its journey back to that stage inspired confidence in Davis.

Tournament struggles under Davis

Since, however, the Tar Heels have won just two NCAA tournament games, and both of those victories came in 2024, when they were a No. 1 seed after winning the ACC regular-season crown. That year, they lost in the Sweet 16 to Alabama.

Following UNC's national runner-up finish in 2022, it began the 2022-23 season as the No. 1 team in the AP preseason poll but went on to miss out on the NCAA tournament entirely.

This season, the Tar Heels beat Duke in the first of the teams' two meetings. But their leading scorer and rebounder, top NBA Draft prospect Caleb Wilson, eventually suffered two injuries,the second of which was a thumb injury that the freshman forward picked up in practice and that required season-ending surgery.

UNC missed Wilson sorely when VCU was mounting its first-round comeback on Thursday. And now Davis' future, as Thamel reported, is "squarely in flux."

The Seattle Seahawks exercised the fifth-year options of star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and standout cornerback Devon Witherspoon.

Both players were first-round picks in 2023. Using the option keeps both players under contract through the 2027 season.

Smith-Njigba is slated to receive $23.9 million in 2027, while Witherspoon is expected to earn $21.2 million.

The move doesn't prevent the Super Bowl champions from signing either player to a long-term extension.

Smith-Njigba recently said he expects to be the highest-paid player at his position. Cincinnati Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase currently holds that distinction with a $40.25 million annual average per his four-year, $161 million deal.

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Smith-Njigba was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 when he set franchise records of 119 receptions and 1,793 receiving yards. He also caught 10 scoring passes.

Smith-Njigba, who turned 24 last month, has 282 receptions for 3,551 yards and 20 touchdown catches in 51 NFL games (36 starts). The 20th overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State is a two-time Pro Bowl selection.

Witherspoon, 25, was the fifth overall pick from Illinois in 2023 and has made the Pro Bowl in all three of his seasons. He has 249 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two interceptions in 43 games (42 starts) for Seattle.

Witherspoon returned an interception 97 yards for a touchdown against the New York Giants during his 2023 rookie campaign.

--Field Level Media

Steven Spielberg has maintained a close relationship with Drew Barrymore since she starred in E.T in 1982

NEED TO KNOW

• He joked that he "kind of adopted" the actress, who is his goddaughter

• "I remember after making E.T., there was something about that, for me, I didn't want those kids to go home," the director said at SXSW's The Big Picture keynote on Friday, March 13

Steven Spielberghas been the driving force behind some of the biggest films. Now, he's reflecting on how his work has influenced his personal life.

During the Keynote: The Big Picture with Steven Spielberg event at the Hilton Austin Downtown Grand Ballroom on Friday, March 13, the acclaimed director told the SXSW crowd about howE.T.specifically brought him a major revelation.

"E.T.made me want to have kids," said Spielberg, 79. "And I remember after makingE.T., there was something about that, for me, I didn't want those kids to go home."

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"Drew Barrymorenever really went home," he joked. "I kind of adopted Drew, and helped co-parent her... right up until last week, when we were on a text together, you know? I'm still very much connected to Drew's life.  But I love those kids."

Barrymore, 51, famously launched her career after playing the younger sister, Gertie Taylor, in the 1982 film. Gertie, along with her brothers Elliott (Henry Thomas) and Michael (Robert MacNaughton), move the adorable alien E.T. into their family home — and do their best to protect the creature from the government that's hunting him.

While attending theTCM Classic Film Festival at 92NYin New York City on Jan. 25, Spielberg spoke about Barrymore improvising during filming. "The camera was rolling and Drew said, 'I don't like his feet.' We used it," he recalled, adding, "Drew made up a lot of her own dialogue because she was irrepressible."

Spielberg also spoke about parenting during his appearance at the N.Y.C. festival. "I didn't want to have kids because it was not a kind of equation that made sense for me as I was going from movie to movie to movie, script to script," he said.

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"And I started thinking, 'Well, maybe this could be my real life someday.' It was the first time that it occurred to me that maybe I could be a dad," he added. "And maybe in a way, a director is a dad, or a mom."

Based on the movie's success, Barrymore became the youngest person to guest-hostSaturday Night Liveat just 7 years old. She maintained a close relationship with Spielberg over the years, as he was her godfather.

During her turbulent period as a teenager and in her early twenties, she posed for the 1995 cover ofPlayboyaround her 20th birthday. After Spielberg saw the cover, he sent her a quilt with a message that said: "Cover up!"

She recounted the story onThe Drew Barrymore Showfor her 46th birthday in 2021. She told her guest,Savannah Guthrie, that he was "the first person I knew cared," and Spielberg then made a surprise appearance.

"Oh, Drewface, I still care about you," Spielberg told her. "I've always cared about you ever since the first time this little blonde hurricane walked into an audition in my office and took us by storm, and then took the entire world by storm. That was you then, and that is you today."

"I always thought every time I was doing something good or right, I would always think about how you would think or feel about it because I loved making you proud. I lived to make you proud," she emotionally replied.

Barrymore also honoredE.T.for the film's 40th anniversary in 2022 by bringing her former costars Thomas, 54, MacNaughton, 59, andDee Wallaceonto her talk show for a sweet reunion. "I believed E.T. was real," she told them.

"I really loved [E.T.] in such a profound way,"Barrymoreadded. "I would go and take lunch to him."

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