Iran player Sara Didar holds back tears responding to a war-related question at Women's Asian Cup

GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) — Sara Didar choked back tears as she shared the concerns of the Iranian soccer team for their families and loved ones at home amid thewarwhile they're in Australia contesting theWomen's Asian Cup.

Iran South Korea AFC Asia Cup Women's Soccer

"Obviously we're all concerned and we're sad at what has happened to Iran and our families in Iran," Didar said in comments translated into English during a news conference Wednesday on the eve of a Group A game against Australia.

"I really hope for our country to have good news ahead. And I hope that my country will be strongly alive."

The 21-year-old striker was part of the squad that stood in silence as the Iran anthem played at the Gold Coast Stadium before theiropening loss to South Korea on Monday.

The squad and management arrived in Australia well before the strikes by Israel and the U.S. on Saturday that led to the broader conflict.

Head coach Marziyeh Jafari and playersdeclined to commenton the war or the death of the country's Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khameneiduring their first official news conference of the tournament on Sunday.

On Wednesday, an Asian Football Confederation moderator asked reporters before the scheduled pre-match news conference to stick with football questions and refrain from asking about the war.

When a question was posed, Didar and Jafari each expressed concerns about the people in Iran.

"Obviously we have so much concern regarding the health of our families and our loved ones and all other Iranian people inside our country, which we are fully disconnected with," Jafari said, highlighting the limited contact because of blackouts in Iran.

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"But, here, we are coming to play football professionally and we will do our best to concentrate on our football and match ahead."

A pocket of Iranian fans at Monday's game waved the red, green and white national colors and some pre-Islamic revolution flags, and chanted support for the team.

Jafari andDidar said the team was happy to have the supportof Iranian-Australians.

"We feel very good that we see many Iranians supporting us, it really encourages us and we really appreciate it," Didar said. "I know the stadium will be full tomorrow, and hope that we have a great atmosphere."

Australia coach Joe Montemurro said he wanted his team and supporters to greet the Iranian squad with compassion. Thursday's game is expected to draw a capacity crowd at Gold Coast Stadium. It'll be only the second meeting between the two women's national teams, with Australia winning the previous match at Perth in 2023.

"We want to give them the best tournament possible in terms of giving them the experience of a lifetime," Montemurro said. "For us, it's about just showing our human compassion, our respect and show them how beautiful we are as a country, and how beautiful we are as Australians."

Australia, the 2010 Asian Cup champions and semifinalist at the 2023 World Cup it co-hosted with New Zealand,opened with a 1-0 winover Philippines and can secure a quarterfinal spot with a win over Iran. The Iranians are in Australia hoping to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, which means they have to finish in the top eight in the Asian Cup.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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March 04, 2026

Iran player Sara Didar holds back tears responding to a war-related question at Women's Asian Cup

GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) — Sara Didar choked back tears as she shared the concerns of the Iranian soccer team for their...

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James Talarico projected to win Texas Democratic Senate primary

Texas Rep. James Talarico will win the U.S. Senate Democratic primary in Texas, CBS News projects, defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett and securing enough votes to avoid a runoff in what could be one of the most closely watched races in this year's midterms.

He will face either incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn or conservative Attorney General Ken Paxton, who will face off in a May 26 Republican primary runoff.

The state's Senate primary is already the most expensive primary in history. For both Republicans and Democrats, the races are highlighting deep divisions within the party.

For Democrats, Crockett, a former public defender, has made national headlines for taking on President Trump and other Republicans, branding herself a fighter and appealing to the party's base. Talarico, a former middle school teacher and a Presbyterian minister-in-training, has focused his message on "politics of love" and inclusivity.

Democrats have not won a statewide race in Texas since 1994, but the party has been eyeing flipping the Senate seat since Beto O'Rourke came within three points of defeating GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. Democrats feel Republicans this year are even more vulnerable in Texas given the expensive and nasty GOP primary between longtime Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

But Democrats have struggled to unify behind a single candidate. Several high-profile Democrats were rumored to be considering a bid, including O'Rourke, Rep. Joaquin Castro and former Rep. Colin Allred. Allred, who challenged Cruz in 2024, jumped in the race in July, followed by Talarico in September.

The race in Texas is coming just months after Republicans in the state legislatureredraw the state's 38 House districtsunder President Trump's encouragement, leading Democrats to flee the state to deny them a quorum to vote on the new map. The Democrats' efforts garnered national attention and they raised millions, putting an extra spotlight on the Senate race.

The Dallas-area district Crockett represented in the House, the 30th, was one of the ones that was redrawn. On the December filing deadline, Allred dropped out of the Senate race, opting to run in the newly-redrawn House District 33, and Crockett entered the Senate race, setting up a showdown with Talarico. Republicans cheered Crockett's entry in the race, believing her to be the more beatable candidate in November.

With Talarico and Crockett agreeing on many of the issues, the race had come down to a personality clash. They have both been barnstorming the state, although with very different styles, and both have run combative ads against the other.

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Talarico made national headlines in February when he wasscheduled to appearon CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," but the interview didn't air on the CBS broadcast network due to new FCC guidance. Colbert slammed the decision and instead ran the interview in full on the show's YouTube channel, which does not have to follow the same FCC guidance. Following the Colbert controversy, Talarico raised $2.5 million in the 24 hours afterward.

According toVoteHub, 1.5 million votes had been cast in the Democratic primary during the 11-day early voting period, more than double the number that were tallied four years ago.

The race faced some last-minute disruptions on Tuesday. A judge in Dallas County ordered the polls to stay open for an extra two hours due to mass confusion over new precinct voting rules, but thestate Supreme Courtstayed that decision and said ballots that were cast after the usual 7 p.m. CT closing time should be separated out. It's not clear how many ballots were cast after the deadline or what will happen to them.

Crockett — a Dallas-area resident who is leading in Dallas County by a sizable margin — said late Tuesday she didn't believe the election results could be known that evening due to the issues in Dallas.

"Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do. And so they specifically targeted Dallas County. And I think we all know why," she told her supporters.

Talarico did not declare victory in remarks to supporters in Austin, but said "we are confident in this movement we've built together." He also referred to the situation in Dallas as "voter suppression."

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March 04, 2026

James Talarico projected to win Texas Democratic Senate primary

Texas Rep. James Talarico will win the U.S. Senate Democratic primary in Texas, CBS News projects, defeating Rep. Jasmine...

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Spain's Sanchez to Trump: 'You cannot play Russian roulette with the destiny of millions'

MADRID, March 4 (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday doubled down on his opposition to the ‌attack on Iran by the U.S. and Israel, warning ‌that the conflict risked playing "Russian roulette" with the lives of millions.

Sanchez was responding ​after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut trade with Madrid over its position on the conflict.

"This is how humanity's great disasters start ... You cannot play Russian roulette with destiny of millions," ‌Sanchez said in a ⁠televised address to the nation.

Tensions between the two NATO allies increased after Sanchez denounced the U.S. and ⁠Israeli bombings of Iran as reckless and illegal, and later banned U.S. aircraft from using naval and air bases in southern ​Spain for ​the offensive against Tehran.

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Sanchez said ​the world could not solve ‌its problems with conflicts and bombs.

"The position of the Spanish government can be summarised in four words: 'No to the war,'" he said, adding the stance was not disingenuous but coherent.

"We're not going to be complicit in something that's bad for the world ‌nor contrary to our values and ​interests simply to avoid reprisals from ​someone," Sanchez said, appearing ​to reference Trump's trade threats.

Sanchez highlighted the negative ‌knock-on effects of the Iraq ​war, from a ​rise in jihadist terrorism to soaring energy prices, to argue that the consequences of this attack on Iran were ​just as nebulous and ‌that it would not lead to a more just ​international order.

(Reporting by David Latona, Victoria Waldersee and Emma ​Pinedo; Editing by Charlie Devereux)

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Spain's Sanchez to Trump: 'You cannot play Russian roulette with the destiny of millions'

MADRID, March 4 (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday doubled down on his opposition to the ‌atta...

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South Africa's anti-apartheid veteran and ex-defense minister Mosiuoa 'Terror' Lekota dies at 77

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African anti-apartheid veteran and former defense minister Mosiuoa "Terror" Lekota has died at the age of 77 after a long illness, his political party said on Wednesday.

Lekota was a prominent activist against white minority rulein South Africaand served eight years in prison on Robben Island alongside other jailed anti-apartheid figures, including Nelson Mandela, from 1974 to 1982.

Lekota was a fiery member of various political youth organizations duringapartheidand was jailed even after he was released from Robben Island for his continued anti-apartheid activism.

He served as South Africa's minister of defense from 1999 to 2008 and was also the national chairperson of theAfrican National Congress, which governed the country after the first democratic election in 1994.

However, Lekota's relationship with the ANC soured afterformer President Thabo Mbekiwas removed as the country's president in 2008, having lost the presidency of the ANC to formerPresident Jacob Zumain 2007.

He formed a breakaway party, the Congress of the People (COPE), which contested the 2009 elections. It became the third biggest opposition party with just over 7% of the national vote and 30 seats in South Africa's 400-member parliament.

The breakaway led to a significant decline in the ANC's electoral support in 2009, with many former ANC members and leaders leaving the party to join Lekota's new political outfit.

In 2024, the ANClost its outright majorityfor the first time and is now the biggest party in a coalition government.

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In addition to his accolades as a political activist, Lekota was well respected as a long-serving lawmaker and political leader who strengthened the voice of opposition parties.

However, factional struggles within COPE led to its gradual decline and its failure to win any parliamentary seats during the 2024 general elections, ending Lekota's career as a lawmaker.

In 2025 he stepped away from politics for health reasons, with his party appointing an acting leader after his departure.

Tributes have poured in from across South Africa's political landscape.

"He decided to leave the ANC and formed COPE with other South Africans, by doing so he literally strengthened the opposition parties," said Bantu Holomisa, South Africa's deputy minister of defense and leader of the opposition United Democratic Movement party.

"His role was not doubted, because he and others from the ANC did understand the passage of the struggle. And they knew very well what was the original agenda, which seemed to have been hijacked," Holomisa said.

More AP Africa news:https://apnews.com/hub/africa

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South Africa's anti-apartheid veteran and ex-defense minister Mosiuoa 'Terror' Lekota dies at 77

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African anti-apartheid veteran and former defense minister Mosiuoa "Terror" Lekota ha...

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A son of Iran's late supreme leader is a possible candidate to replace his father as war rages

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's late Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khameneihas long been considered a contender to the post of the country's next paramount ruler — even before an Israeli strike killed his father at thestart of the war last weekand despite the fact he's has never been elected or appointed to a government position.

Iran US Mojtaba Khamenei Profile

A secretive figure within the Islamic Republic, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen publicly since Saturday, when the Israeli airstrike targeting the supreme leader's offices killed his 86-year-old father. Also killed were the younger Khamenei's wife, Zahra Haddad Adel, who came from a family long associated with the country's theocracy.

Khamenei is believed to still be alive and has likely has gone into hiding asAmerican and Israeli airstrikes continue to pound Iran, though state-run Iranian media have not reported on his whereabouts.

Profile of Khamenei's son rises after airstrike

Mojtaba Khamenei's name continues to circulate as a possible candidate to replace his father, something that had been criticized in the past as potentially creating a theocratic version of Iran's former hereditary monarchy.

But now with his father and wife considered by hard-liners as martyrs in the war against America and Israel, Khamenei's stock likely has risen with the aging clerics of the 88-seat Assembly of Experts who will select the country's next supreme leader.

Whoever becomes the leader will gain control of an Iranian military now at war and a stockpile of highly enriched uranium that could be used to build a nuclear weapon — should he choose to decree it.

Khamenei had occupied a similar role to that of Ahmad Khomeini, a son of Iran's first Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini — "a combination of aide-de-camp, confidant, gatekeeper and power broker," according to United Against Nuclear Iran, a U.S.-based pressure group.

Born into dissent

Born in 1969 in the city of Mashhad, some 10 years before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that would sweep Iran, Khamenei grew up as his father agitated against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran.

An official biography on Ali Khamenei's life recounts one moment when the shah's secret police, the SAVAK, broke into their home and beat the cleric. Woken up after, Mojtaba and the rest of Khamenei's children were told their father was going on vacation.

"But I told them, 'There is no need to lie.' I told them the truth," the elder Khamenei was quoted as saying.

After the fall of the shah, Khamenei's family moved to Tehran, Iran's capital. Khamenei would go on to fight in the Iran-Iraq war with the Habib ibn Mazahir Battalion, a division of Iran's paramilitaryRevolutionary Guardthat would see several of its members ascend to powerful intelligence positions within the force — likely with the backing of the Khamenei family.

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His father became supreme leader in 1989 — and soon Mojtaba Khamenei and his family had access to the billions of dollars and business assets spread across Iran's many bonyads, or foundations founded from state industries and other wealth once held by the shah.

Power rises with his father's

His own power rose alongside his father's, working within his offices in downtown Tehran. U.S. diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks in the late 2000s began referring to the younger Khamenei as "the power behind the robes." One recounted an allegation that Khamenei actually tapped his own father's phone, served as his "principal gatekeeper" and had been forming his own power base within the country.

Khamenei "is widely viewed within the regime as a capable and forceful leader and manager who may someday succeed to at least a share of national leadership; his father may also see him in that light," a 2008 cable read, also noting his lack of theological qualifications and age.

"Mojtaba is, however, due to his skills, wealth, and unmatched alliances, reportedly seen by a number of regime insiders as a plausible candidate for shared leadership of Iran upon his father's demise, whether that demise is soon or years in the future," it said.

Khamenei has worked closely with Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, both with commanders of its expeditionary Quds Force and its all-volunteer Basij that violently suppressed nationwide protests in January, the U.S. Treasury has said.

The United States sanctioned him in 2019 during the first term of U.S President Donald Trump over working to "advance his father's destabilizing regional ambitions and oppressive domestic objectives."

That includes allegations that Khamenei from behind the scenes supported the election of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005 and his disputed re-election in 2009 that sparked the Green Movement protests.

Mahdi Karroubi, who was a presidential candidate in 2005 and 2009, denounced Khamenei as "a master's son" and alleged he interfered in both votes. His father reportedly at the time said Khamenei was "a master himself, not a master's son."

Powers of supreme leader at stake

There has been only one other transfer of power in the office of supreme leader of Iran, the paramount decision-maker since the country's1979 Islamic Revolution. AyatollahRuhollah Khomeinidied at age 86 after being the figurehead of the revolution and leading Iran through itseight-year war with Iraq.

Now the new leader will come on board after the 12-day war with Israel and as a U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is seeking to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat and military power, hoping also the Iranian people will rise up against the Iranian theocracy.

The supreme leader is at the heart of Iran's complex power-sharing Shiite theocracy and has final say over all matters of state. He also serves as the commander-in-chief of the country's military and the Guard, a paramilitary force that the United Statesdesignated a terrorist organization in 2019, and which his father empowered during his rule.

The Guard, which has led the self-described "Axis of Resistance," a series of militant groups and allies across the Middle East meant to counter the U.S. and Israel, also has extensive wealth and holdings in Iran. It also controls the country's ballistic missile arsenal.

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March 04, 2026

A son of Iran's late supreme leader is a possible candidate to replace his father as war rages

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's late Supreme LeaderAyatollah Ali Khameneihas lon...

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Suns beat the NBA-worst Kings 114-103 to sweep season series

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jalen Green scored 20 points, Grayson Allen had 18 and the Phoenix Suns beat the NBA-worst Sacramento Kings 114-103 on Tuesday night to sweep the four-game season series.

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Seventh in the West at 35-26, the Suns won their second straight and got back Devin Booker after the star guard missed four games because of a right hip injury. He scored 14 of his 17 points in the first half.

Collin Gillespie scored 17 points — hitting 5 of 8 3-pointers — and had nine assists and six rebounds. Oso Ighodaro added 14 points and 14 rebounds. Phoenix is without Dillon Brooks because of a fractured left hand.

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The Suns used a 14-0 run in the third quarter to turn a 63-62 deficit into a 76-63 lead. Royce O'Neale capped the run with consecutive 3-pointers.

Maxime Raynaud had 22 points — on 10-of-12 shooting — and 10 rebounds for Sacramento in the opener of a five-game homestand. The Kings dropped to 14-49. They are 2-3 following a franchise-worst 16-game losing streak.

Precious Achiuwa added 18 points, DeMar DeRozan had 17 and Russell Westbrook 16. Kings forward Keegan Murray missed his third straight game because of ankle injury.

Phoenix led 59-55 at the half. Ighodaro had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the half, and Achiuwa had 16 points for Sacramento.

Up next

Suns: Host Chicago on Thursday night.Kings: Host New Orleans on Thursday night.___AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Suns: Host Chicago on Thursday night.

Kings: Host New Orleans on Thursday night.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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March 04, 2026

Suns beat the NBA-worst Kings 114-103 to sweep season series

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jalen Green scored 20 points, Grayson Allen had 18 and the Phoenix Suns beat the NBA-worst Sacr...

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Trent Perry leads UCLA to one-sided upset of No. 9 Nebraska

Trent Perry scored 20 points and UCLA earned its third home win over a Top 10 team, beating No. 9 Nebraska 72-52 in a Big Ten Conference game on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

The Bruins (20-10, 12-7 Big Ten) finished with a 16-1 record at Pauley Pavilion, their only loss in double overtime to Indiana. They also beat then-No. 4 Purdue and then-No. 10 Illinois at home.

Perry was 8 of 15 from the field and hit three of UCLA's 10 3-pointers, adding seven rebounds and four assists. Eric Dailey Jr. logged 14 points and eight rebounds for the Bruins, who are a half-game behind Purdue and Wisconsin for fifth place in the Big Ten.

Nebraska (25-5, 14-5) missed out on a chance to lock up a triple bye given to the top four teams in next week's Big Ten conference tournament. The Cornhuskers shot 38.8%, making only 5 of 24 3-point attempts, with Pryce Sandfort going 2-for-7 from outside.

Sam Hoiberg led Nebraska with 12 points but had only two assists and was 2-for-4 from the line, as the Cornhuskers were 9 of 18 on foul shots.

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The Bruins led 37-24 at halftime and built the margin to 18 with 15:18 left on consecutive baskets by Dailey. Nebraska started to find its stroke, making seven consecutive shots including a 3-pointer by Sandfort to get within 57-45 with 8:02 to go.

UCLA made only one field goal over a five-minute stretch, its lead down to 10, before getting five points on one possession. Perry hit a jumper, with Nebraska committing a foul away from the ball, giving the Bruins another chance that was cashed in by a Tyler Bilodeau 3-pointer for a 62-47 edge with 6:17 remaining.

UCLA built a nine-point lead in the first six minutes, and a pair of Xavier Booker 3-pointers put it up to 22-11 with 11:16 left in the first half. The Bruins made 10 of their first 15 shots while Nebraska didn't get its 10th field goal until more than two minutes after halftime.

The Cornhuskers got within 29-22 with 5:41 left in the first half and then made only one more basket, missing 16 of 17 shots, including the first six of the second half.

--Field Level Media

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March 04, 2026

Trent Perry leads UCLA to one-sided upset of No. 9 Nebraska

Trent Perry scored 20 points and UCLA earned its third home win over a Top 10 team, beating No. 9 Nebraska 72-52 in a ...

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