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An organization that tracks ship movements said the vessel was the only tanker left to pursue after more than a dozen fled the coast of Venezuela following the capture of the South American country's authoritarian then-president,Nicolás Maduro.

U.S. Southern Command said in a post on X that U.S. forces boarded the Bertha overnight, conducting "a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding."

The boarding is the tenth interdiction of an oil tanker conducted by the Trump administration since they began the practice in early December. It is also the third tanker to be seized in the Indian Ocean instead of the Caribbean or North Atlantic.

"The vessel was operating in defiance of President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean and attempted to evade," Southern Command's post said. "From the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, we tracked it and stopped it."

A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss an ongoing operation noted that like the previous two boardings conducted in the Indian Ocean, the Bertha was not formally seized but rather placed under U.S. control. The official said that the Bertha's fate will be determined by agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.

Video posted by the Pentagon shows U.S. Navy military helicopters taking off from an identified ship and flying toward the tanker.

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Venezuela had faced U.S. sanctions on its oil for several years, relying on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers tosmuggle crude into global supply chains. President Donald Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers in December to pressure Maduro before he was apprehended in January during an American military operation.

The Bertha is a vessel that was flagged to the Cook Islands when it was placed under U.S. sanctions related to Iran, according to the website of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. However, the vessel was more recently listed under a false flag of the Caribbean island of Curacao and managed by a company in China, according to Equasis, a shipping information system.

Following Maduro's capture, at least 16 tankers fled the Venezuelan coast, according to Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, who said his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document the ships' movements.

The Bertha was the only tanker left to pursue from the original 16, TankerTrackers.com said in a Feb. 15 post on X. Madani said in a message to The Associated Press on Tuesday that the Bertha was laden with 1.9 million barrels of crude oil.

Over the past few years, the ship has received Iranian crude from other vessels via hoses for deliveries to China, Madani said.

Trump's Republican administration has beenseizing tankersas part of its broader efforts totake control of Venezuela's oil. The Pentagon's post did not state whether the Bertha was formally seized and placed under U.S. control. The Pentagon said in an email that it didn't have more to add beyond Southern Command's post on X.

Maduro wasbrought to the U.S. to face chargesof working with drug cartels to facilitate the shipment ofthousands of tons of cocaineinto the U.S. and has pleaded not guilty.

Kushner had been summoned over comments made about the death ofFrench far-right activistQuentin Deranque earlier this month, but "did not appear" on Monday, a statement from France's foreign affairs ministry, the Quai d'Orsay, said.

"Faced with this apparent misunderstanding of the basic expectations of an ambassador's mission, the Minister has requested that he no longer have direct access to members of the French government," the statement said.

Kushner will still be permitted to carry out his duties and have "diplomatic exchanges" with officials.

The spat deepened further on Tuesday when Barrot said the US ambassador's failure to appear on Monday will "naturally affect his ability to carry out his mission in our country."

The French foreign minister insisted that while Kushner's actions will not "affect the relationship between the United States and France in any way," they demand "an explanation."

"We do not accept that a country can interfere in our national political debate, whatever the circumstances. This is the explanation we need," Barrot told French public broadcaster FranceInfo.

"The tragedy of Quentin Deranque's death has deeply affected the nation and bereaved a French family. What we have said is that we reject any political exploitation of this tragedy," added Barrot.

CNN has reached out to the US embassy in France and the US State Department for comment.

Quentin Deranque, 23, died two days after suffering severe head injuries in a brawl in the city of Lyon on February 12, drawing comment from the Trump administration which described the death as the result of left-wing violence.

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On Friday, the US embassy in France shared an X post from the US State Department's Counterterrorism Bureau which said reports that Deranque "was killed by left-wing militants, should concern us all."

"Violent radical leftism is on the rise and its role in Quentin Deranque's death demonstrates the threat it poses to public safety," the X post said.

The fatal brawl was caught on video, which showed several masked people kicking and punching a man on the ground, causing widespread shock and anger in France.

Authorities have charged two people with murder in connection with Deranque's death, and altogether 11 have been arrested.

The French foreign minister previously said he would summon Kushner after he labeled his comments about the incident as "interference," in an interview with radio station France Inter.

The incident has also sparked a diplomatic spat between France and Italy, after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Deranque's death was caused "by groups linked to left-wing extremism" and condemned "a climate of ideological hatred sweeping several nations."

This is not the first time that Kushner, father of President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, has failed to appear after being summoned amid criticism from the French authorities.

In August 2025, the Foreign Ministrysummoned Kushnerafter he accused the French government of a "lack of sufficient action" in confronting antisemitism.

A French diplomatic source told CNN at the time that the US chargé d'affaires was summoned to the ministry's headquarters in Paris in Kushner's absence, as he was not in Paris.

CNN's Lisa Courbebaisse contributed reporting.

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The approval came in a voice vote. It was unclear when the release could occur, as the former prince was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The government has made clear it does not want to interfere in the inquiry.

Ed Davey, the leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats and the lawmaker who introduced the motion, argued that it was time for transparency. "In many ways, this is the first truly global scandal from the White House and Silicon Valley to Oslo and Paris, but it's also a deeply British scandal reaching right to the top of the British Establishment,'' Davey said in opening the debate.

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King Charles III'syounger brother, who was stripped of his princely title last year due to revelations about his relationship with Epstein,was arrested last weekon suspicion of misconduct in public office amid allegations that he shared confidential documents with Epstein during his time as trade envoy.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as he is now known, was released without charge and the investigation continues.

The debate in Britain's Parliament came as the U.S. Justice Department's release of millions of pages of documents related to Epstein exposes how the wealthy financier used an international web of rich, powerful friends to gain influence and sexually exploit young women.

Nowhere has the fallout been felt more strongly than in the U.K., where the scandal has raised questions about the way power is wielded by the aristocracy, senior politicians and influential businessmen, known collectively as "the Establishment."

Duringthe locker room callwith the team,President Trumpinvited the players to the State of the Union address. He briefly mentioned the U.S. women's hockey team, who alsowon gold during the Olympics, beating Canada in an overtime thriller, saying he had to invite them too, or he would be "impeached." The men's hockey team laughed at the president's remark.

"People are so negative out there, and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing,"Jack Hughes told the Daily Mail.

"People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them, and we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us."

During an appearance on the Today Show,Ellen Hughes, Jack's mom,also addressed the backlash. Ellen Hughes is also the mother ofTeam USA's Quinn Hughesand is on the U.S. women's hockey team as a consultant.

"These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country,"Hughes' mom said. "People that cheered on that don't watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side, and that's all both the men's team and the women's team care about."

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Jack Hughes #86 of Team United States celebrates after their gold-medal win during the Men's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. It seemed only fitting that the player who gave his two front teeth to Team USA's quest for Olympic hockey gold would score the game-winning goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada.

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Jack Hughes' gritty smile tells the story of USA's OT win over Canada

Jack Hughes#86 of Team United States celebrates after their gold-medal win during the Men's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. It seemed only fitting that the player who gave his two front teeth to Team USA's quest for Olympic hockey gold would score the game-winning goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada.

A USA Hockey spokesperson said while the women's team received an invitation, it wouldn't be able to attend. Theydeclined the President's invitation.

"Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate," the spokesperson said. "They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment."

Jack Hughes seemed to confirm that he and his teammates will be in Washington forPresident Trump's address. "We're so proud to represent the U.S., and when you get the chance to go to White House and meet the president, we're proud to be Americans, and that's so patriotic," Hughes said.

Despite the backlash to the phone call with Trump, Hughes' mom says both rosters support one another.

"If you could see what we see from the inside, and the men and women sharing, you know, dorm rooms and halls and flex floors and the camaraderie and the synergy and the way the women cheered on the men and the way the men cheered on the women — that's what it's all about," Hughes' mom said.

"And the other things they cannot control. They care about humanity. They care about unity, and they care about the country."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Jack Hughes, mom address U.S. men's hockey fallout from Trump call

This time around, the United States is the heavy favorite, opening at +140 to win the title at BetMGM sportsbooks, and currently the odds-on favorite at -105. Not surprisingly, the U.S. has generated the most bets (35.5%) and total dollars wagered (38.7%) among the 20 teams. The U.S. is the sportsbook's biggest liability as well.

The United States will begin its World Baseball Classic campaign in Pool B, with Mexico, Italy, Great Britain and Brazil.

Team Japan, led by Ohtani, has the next-best odds at +350 as it looks to defend its title, followed by the Dominican Republic at +400. Venezuela has 10-1 odds, but then no other team has better than 25-1 odds.

Puerto Rico opened with 12-1 odds, but currently has 25-1 odds, in large part due to New York Mets star Francisco Lindor announcing hewouldn't be participatingin the tournament after he was unable to get the mandatory insurance required for international competition.

Six teams — Brazil, Israel, Great Britain, Australia, Nicaragua and Czechia — share the longest odds to win the 2026 World Baseball Classic at 500-1.

For everything you need to know about the event — which runs from March 5-17 — be sure to check outYahoo Sports' preview.

Title odds for every team

Japan, +350

Dominican Republic, +400

Venezuela, 10-1

Puerto Rico, 25-1

Mexico, 25-1

Canada, 50-1

Korea, 66-1

Cuba, 100-1

Netherlands, 100-1

Colombia, 100-1

Italy, 100-1

Chinese Taipei, 250-1

Panama, 250-1

Brazil, 500-1

Israel, 500-1

Great Britain, 500-1

Australia, 500-1

Nicaragua, 500-1

Czechia, 500-1

Speaking at the Steve Spurrier Awards in Gainesville, Florida, the two coachestraded verbal jabs fit for any celebrity roast.

Smart was on the mic talking aboutGeorgiadefensive back Ellis Robinson IV, who was being honored as Freshmen Defensive Player of the Year. Talking about Robinson IV's parents, Smart got to work on his comedy routine.

Way-too-early top 25:Where do Miami, Georgia land in first look at 2026 rankings

"He was a joy to recruit. We had a great time with the family," Smart said. "They were going back and forth about the 50th birthday party (dad) got, and the 50th party (mom) got, and it wasn't quite the same. Mama wins out when it comes to that. We probably sponsored that trip with all the NIL money we spent... that's alright, they deserve it.

"Mario is right behind them and if it would have been up to him they would have paid a lot more NIL money because it came down to us two, so I don't like you being real close to Mario right now, you know what I'm saying. (Robinson's) still got another year left. You gotta be careful around Mario, sometimes he'll take your players, you know what I mean. No, I'm just kidding."

Quarterback Carson Beck transferred toMiamifromGeorgiaafter the 2024 season and led theHurricanesto the national championship game this winter.

"I was talking to Mario earlier and he came up to me and gave me a Lane Kiffin joke. And he and Lane are very similar in a lot of ways," Smart said. "They're like best friends, and he came up to me, and he said, 'You have to start getting on some protein shakes, you've had too many carbs.' And I said well you probably need to spend some time with Steve Spurrier because he won more title conferences at Duke than you have at Miami."

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In his closing, Smart said, "I gotta get out of here before Mario goes because I don't want to hear any (expletive) from him."

It didn't take long for the (expletive) to come Smart's way as Cristobal then got his chance for payback.

"It's great to watch what a player like Carson Beck can do with great coaching, you know what I mean," Cristobal joked.

"Let's give it up for Kirby Smart. If it wasn't for all his years of pre-NIL, we wouldn't have NIL right now anyways."

"Robinson family," Cristobal continued, "nice to see you. We leave at 9:30 on the real jet. We have more than one restaurant in Miami as opposed to Athens."

"You gotta give a guy like Kirby credit. When you have all that time to sit at home watching us play on TV throughout the playoffs, when you don't take care of business... You know, congratulations on the SEC, the championship, that's awesome. We were 5-0 against the SEC, I don't know what you were."

Unfortunately, Miami and Georgia don't play in the regular season in 2026. But maybe they'll get to meet each other in the CFP to see who gets the last laugh.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kirby Smart, Mario Cristobal trade jokes about NIL, Carson Beck

"For more than 153 years, the press workers of The Boston Globe have overcome the elements, technical snafus, and global pandemics to print a daily newspaper," the paper said inan article on its website. "But in an unprecedented decision, executives determined that the conditions during Monday's blizzard made it impossible to print and deliver a paper Tuesday morning."

The Globe said print subscribers will get Tuesday's paper delivered on Wednesday along with Wednesday's edition.

"We don't take the decision lightly," the article quotes Boston Globe Media Vice President of Print Operations Josh Russell as saying. "We're not confident that even if we got a crew in tonight, that we could get the papers on our trucks safely. We weren't confident that that last mile would be doable."

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The storm also cut deeply into Monday's deliveries: Only 25 percent of papers reached subscribers, the Globe said.

Snow and winds prevented staff from safely getting to the Globe printing plant to print Tuesday's paper, the newspaper said in the article. Parts of Massachusetts' Bristol County, where the Globe's printing press in Taunton is located, had recorded 32 inches of snow by Monday night, the National Weather Service said.Readers are much less reliant on newsprint for their news in today's internet age. A 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center found that only 7% of U.S. adults often got their news from printed newspapers or magazines. That's compared to 56% who said they often got their news from a smartphone, computer or tablet.Tuesday marks the first time Globe management has called off the newspaper's daily production since its 1872 founding. Labor strikes halted printing a few times in the 1950s and '60s.The Globe said it went to press during another record-setting blizzard nearly five decades ago, when it printed a few thousands copies of a Feb. 7, 1978, edition. Few papers actually made it to readers, however, because piles of snow prevented delivery trucks from getting farther than a mile or two from its building.Monday's blizzard set snowfall records in nearby Rhode Island, where the T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick received nearly 38 inches, breaking a 1978 record.

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