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MEDLEY, Fla. — Since Unrivaled began two months ago, the Rose basketball club has stewed over a square piece of paper, clipped by a magnet, on their whiteboard.

It was a social media post of ESPN’s preseason rankings for the inaugural season of the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league. The Rose were predicted to finish in last place behind the Lunar Owls, Phantom, Vinyl, Mist and Laces.

Rose standout Kahleah Copper sent the post to coach Nola Henry before the season, knowing it would add fuel to the team’s fire. Rose stars Angel Reese and Brittney Sykes even discussed the sore subject in postgame interviews during Turner Sports broadcasts.

Two months later, the first Unrivaled season ended with the Rose having the last laugh.

Chelsea Gray scored 18 points with eight assists to win Unrivaled Playoff MVP, Sykes scored a driving layup and the game-winning free throw, and the Rose beat the Vinyl 62-54 to win the first Unrivaled championship on Monday night.

The Rose players – led by Sykes’ 21 points and Azurá Stevens’ 19 points and 18 rebounds – each won $50,000 in bonus money for their championship win.

“Everybody in our locker room knew what we were capable of, and what did we do?” Copper said while she was “off the champagne” during the Rose’s postgame press conference.

The Rose players strolled onto the Unrivaled practice court to speak after the game, wearing Unrivaled champion T-shirts and snowboarding goggles and holding bottles of Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label as the celebration continued into the Miami night.

Gray wore a black T-shirt with the ESPN rankings.

“They counted us as six coming into this thing,” Gray said. ‘It’s a testament to my team, and I couldn’t win MVP without them.”

Gray set the Unrivaled record with 39 points in the Rose’s semifinal win over the Laces on Sunday night to help them advance to the title game, while the No. 4 seed Vinyl eliminated the top-seeded Lunar Owls.

She helped the Rose overcome a 1-4 start to win the league’s first title. And she’s been fully healthy again, after struggling at times last season after returning from a broken foot she suffered during the 2023 WNBA Finals.

“Hell yeah, there was motivation,” said Gray, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time WNBA champion.

“Last year was hard. It was rough. When I came back, I still wasn’t 100 percent. Some people thought I was,” Gray added. “I just put the work in, do my job, and talk after winning.”

Reese, the Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year and All-Unrivaled second-team standout, did not play for the Rose in the two-game playoffs. She re-injured her surgically repaired left hand during the regular-season finale last Monday. It’s unclear the severity of her injury and how it could affect her upcoming season with the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.

Reese cheered from the Rose bench one day earlier, but was not in attendance for Monday’s title game – until she joined the Rose title celebration via FaceTime call.

Copper also did not play due to a right leg injury, while Stevens missed some time with a leg injury after the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament last month.

The Rose player injuries were also a source of motivation during the championship run.

“Angel is not here, but we knew we had to step up. I knew I had to bring my ‘A’ game, and I’m so happy and proud of my team. They’ve just meant everything to me,” Stevens said.

“Obviously, I had a little injury during the season, and it was a little tough. But every day, I had encouragement from everyone, from the coaches, my teammates, just to keep going and stay locked in. We were all locked in today, and I’m just so proud of us.”

The Vinyl were led by Rhyne Howard’s 22 points, while Dearica Hamby and Aliyah Boston each scored 10 points in the loss. Howard scored a midrange jumper to help the Vinyl take a 49-48 lead with three seconds left in the third quarter, before Gray sank a shot from beyond halfcourt as the buzzer sounded.

The Vinyl – which entered the postseason with a 5-9 record and via a tiebreaker with the Mist on the final day of the regular season – never led again after that point.

“As hard as you work and you don’t want it to end like this, so of course, you can only imagine how they feel,” Vinyl coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “I feel for them. They’ve been absolutely outstanding.”

Added Vinyl guard Jordin Canada: “Nobody thought we could get here, and so we’re just proud of that.”

The first Unrivaled season saw more than 40 of the best WNBA players in the world compete in a 3-on-3 format over the course of two months. They’ve created an offseason alternative in which they earn equity, not paychecks. They’ve strived to make improvements to their games they believe will translate into the next WNBA season.

And they may have changed the landscape of women’s basketball.

“Oh, what a night, and what a few months this has been,” Unrivaled commissioner Micky Lawler said before the trophy presentation.

“Thank you to the best fans in the world, night in and night out, for being so loud and so supportive. Thank you to the best players in the world. Thank you to the best partners, and thank you to the Unrivaled staff. This is not easy, but it sure as hell has been extremely fulfilling. We just collectively made history,” Lawler said.

Unrivaled highlights: Rose vs. Vinyl

Watch: Rose celebrate championship

Unrivaled third quarter score: Rose 51, Vinyl 49

Target winning score: 62

It’s a race to 62 points for the first Unrivaled championship, heading into the fourth quarter.

Chelsea Gray scored a buzzer-beating three beyond half court, and the Rose lead 51-49 over the Vinyl after the third quarter.

Gray has 12 points and eight assists, while Azurá Stevens leads the Rose with 19 points. Rhyne Howard leads the Vinyl with 19 points.

Unrivaled halftime score: Vinyl 37, Rose 32

Rhyne Howard scored a three-pointer to close out the second quarter, and the Vinyl rebounded from a first-quarter deficit to take a 37-32 lead over the Rose at halftime.

Howard leads the Vinyl with 13 points, while Dearica Hamby has eight points and five rebounds in the first half.

Chelsea Gray, who scored an Unrivaled record 39 points in Sunday’s semifinal against the Laces, has just three points in the first half. But she is fueling the Rose with six assists.

Brittney Sykes has 14 points, while Azurá Stevens has 13 points and nine rebounds for the Rose.

Unrivaled first quarter score: Rose 19, Vinyl 16

Chelsea Gray showed some flair with a no-look pass to Azurá Stevens as the Rose jumped out to a 19-16 lead over the Vinyl at the end of the first quarter.

Stevens leads the Rose with eight points and five rebounds, while Gray has three points and three assists.

Dearica Hamby has six points, a rebound and two steals in the first quarter for the Vinyl.

What time does Unrivaled playoff game begin Monday?

The Rose and Vinyl will begin at 7:30 p.m ET.

How to watch Unrivaled championship game?

The Unrivaled title game is available on TNT and TruTV on cable television, and to live stream on Max in the United States.

Angel Reese unlikely to play in Unrivaled championship due to injury

Reese, of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, is unlikely to play in Monday’s game for the Rose club after injuring her surgically repaired left hand during the Unrivaled regular-season finale last week. Reese watched from the sidelines as the Rose beat the Lunar Owls on Sunday, wearing a brace on her left hand.

How the Rose reached Unrivaled final game

Chelsea Gray scored an Unrivaled high 39 points, including a game-winning three pointer, to help the Rose beat the No. 3 Laces 73-67 in the first semifinal Sunday. The Rose used a 23-12 third quarter to overcome a 40-27 at halftime, and outscored the Vinyl 13-5 in the fourth quarter to win despite having no other player score in double figures.

How the Vinyl reached Unrivaled final game

Dearica Hamby scored a driving layup over league MVP Napheesa Collier to help the Vinyl upset the No. 1 seed Lunar Owls 73-70 during the second semifinal game Sunday. Rhyne Howard led the Vinyl with 23 points, while Jordin Canada scored 10 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 62-52 deficit after the third quarter. Hamby finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds in the win. Collier scored 36 points with eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the loss.

Rose-Vinyl final features Unrivaled women coaches

It’s almost fitting Unrivaled’s first final will feature Rose coach Nola Henry and Vinyl coach Teresa Witherspoon — the only two women coaches in the league. Henry led the Rose to the No. 2 seed after a 1-4 start, while Witherspoon led the Vinyl to the title game as the lowest playoff seed in the four-team field.

Rose-Vinyl season series

The Rose leads the season-series over the Vinyl 2-1, heading into the Unrivaled championship game.  

The Vinyl beat the Rose 79-73 on opening night (Jan. 18) behind Rhyne Howard’s 33 points with Dearica Hamby’s 17 points and 13 rebounds.

The Rose beat the Vinyl 61-55 behind Chelsea Gray’s 26 points on Feb. 18. And in the March 10 regular season finale, the Rose dominated the Vinyl 74-46.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George will be out at least six weeks after receiving injections in his left adductor muscle and left knee, the team announced Monday.

George’s campaign is effectively over with just four weeks remaining in the regular season.

George, 34, signed with the 76ers last offseason and was expected to make a big impact for a team that had underperformed in recent years. However, George has battled through injuries all season long, including reportedly taking painkillers for five straight games leading up to the All-Star break in February.

George finishes the 2024-25 season having played his fewest games since 2021-22. He has played less than 60 games five times in the last six seasons.

Could Paul George return for the playoffs?

Yes, technically. George is expected to miss six weeks, which will keep him out for the rest of the regular season, but could see him return to the court if the Sixers make the play-in tournament and then go on a run.

As it stands, though, Philadelphia is five games out of the final play-in spot, currently held by the Chicago Bulls. Even if the Sixers reach the play-in tournament and win, the first round of the postseason begins on April 19. At the absolute earliest, George could be back around April 28, meaning he’d likely miss the first few games of any first-round matchup.

Paul George stats:

PPG: 16.2
RPG: 5.3
APG: 4.3
FG%: 43.0%
3PT%: 35.8%
STL: 1.8

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

John Cena has been one of wrestling’s most beloved babyfaces for more than two decades now. Ever since he did away with his ‘Doctor of Thuganomics’ persona in 2003, he has never looked back. He has never turned heel, always playing the role of the good guy, even helping arguably the biggest star in WWE at the moment, Cody Rhodes, defeat Roman Reigns for the Universal title at WrestleMania XL.

However, Cena’s run as a face came to an end recently, when he aligned himself with The Rock and turned against his former ally Rhodes.

Cena had been such a big face that the turn came as a complete shock to everyone watching. Furthermore, Cena had claimed that 2025 would be his final year with WWE, so nobody was expecting such a massive shift for his character. Thusly, Cena’s first entrance as a heel on WWE Raw March 17 was met with a flurry of boos as the crowd in Brussels, Belgium erupted upon hearing his iconic ‘The Time is Now’ theme song.

WATCH: Cena’s first heel entrance at WWE Raw

In a moment, the crowd went from dead silent to absolutely bananas at the sound of Cena’s music.

What did Cena say?

Cena took the mic shortly after his entrance, but the crowd still needed several minutes to calm down before Cena could speak. Every time he’d try to start his segment, he was met with a flurry of boos.

Once Cena finally got going, he took aim at the fans, claiming that he’d been a puppet his entire career, only ever serving to entertain his fans, while none of them ever gave back to him.

‘No matter what I do, it’s never enough and you should all be ashamed of yourself. All you ever do is take,’ Cena said. ‘Not one of you sons of (expletive) asked how I feel.’

Even Cena’s supporters weren’t safe. Cena claimed they were just as bad as the people booing him, because when he started his farewell tour, he wanted to give back to the fans, but nobody bothered to give him the respect or attention he thought he deserved.

‘I don’t care about you. You don’t matter to me,’ said Cena.

Cody Rhodes responds at WWE Raw

After interrupting Cena’s rant, Rhodes gave Cena an opportunity to explain himself, but Cena’s reasoning wasn’t very persuasive. Fans were strongly in support of Cody Rhodes.

Rhodes finished the segment by challenging Cena to find himself, claiming that if this version of Cena challenged him at WrestleMania, Rhodes would make him ‘retire early.’ Rhodes then called Cena a ‘whiny (expletive),’ and walked off stage while Cena looked on.

When is WrestleMania 41?

WrestleMania 41 is set for Saturday, April 19 – Sunday, April 20. The two-night event will take place at Allegiant Stadium near Las Vegas, Nevada.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Flagging global sales and Elon Musk’s increasingly outspoken political activities are combining to rock the value of Tesla.

Shares in the once-trillion-dollar company saw their worst day in five years this week. Year to date, Tesla’s stock has plunged 41% — though it is still up by about 36% over the past 12 months.

On Monday, the stock was down another 5%.

For Musk, Tesla’s shares remain his primary source of paper wealth, though he has also turned his stake in SpaceX into a personal lending tool. But it was proceeds from selling Tesla shares that helped Musk complete his acquisition of Twitter, now known as X.

Musk’s wealth also allowed him to help vault Donald Trump into a second presidential term. Even as Musk’s net worth has diminished as a result of Tesla’s recent share-price declines, data suggests he is in no danger of losing his title as the world’s wealthiest person.

Musk has said on X that he is not concerned about Tesla’s recent drop in value. Still, evidence suggests the company is entering a period of transition.

A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Musk’s wealth has propelled him to a global presence that lacks precedent — and has polarized world opinion about the tech entrepreneur in the process. Any weakening of his financial position, therefore, could undercut his influence in the political and tech spaces where he now commands outsize attention.According to Bank of America, Tesla’s European sales plummeted by about 50% in January compared with the same month a year prior.

Some say this is attributable to a growing distaste for Musk, who has begun dabbling in the continent’s politics in the wake of his successful support of Trump’s candidacy last year.

Others note Tesla’s European market is facing increased competition from the Chinese electric-vehicle maker BYD, which has telegraphed ambitious plans for expansion on the continent.  

A more decisive blow to Tesla’s near-term fortunes may be emanating from China itself. There, Tesla’s shipments plunged 49% in February from a year earlier, to just 30,688 vehicles, according to official data cited by Bloomberg News. That’s the lowest monthly figure registered since July 2022 — amid the throes of Covid-19 — when it shipped just 28,217 EVs, Bloomberg said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

MEDLEY, Fla. — Since Unrivaled began two months ago, the Rose basketball club has stewed over a square piece of paper, clipped by a magnet, on their whiteboard.

The paper listed ESPN’s preseason rankings for the inaugural season of the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league. The Rose were predicted to finish in last place behind the Lunar Owls, Phantom, Vinyl, Mist and Laces. It’s been a sore subject Rose stars Angel Reese and Brittney Sykes discussed in postgame interviews – even with the games broadcast by Turner Sports.

The first Unrivaled season will end with the Rose having the last laugh.

Sykes scored a driving layup and the game-winning free throw to finish with 21 points, and the Rose beat the Vinyl 62-54 to win Unrivaled’s first championship on Monday night.

Azurá Stevens had 19 points and 18 rebounds, while Chelsea Gray scored 18 points with eight assists for the Rose.

Gray was voted Unrivaled Playoff MVP after helping the Rose overcome a 1-4 start to win the league’s first title. Gray set the Unrivaled record with 39 points in the Rose’s semifinal win over the Laces to help them advance to the title game. 

Reese, the Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year and All-Unrivaled second-team standout, did not play for the Rose in the two-game playoffs. She was not in attendance for Monday’s title game, but cheered from the sidelines one day earlier.

Each player on the championship club will earn a $50,000 bonus.

The Vinyl were led by Rhyne Howard’s 22 points, while Dearica Hamby and Aliyah Boston each scored 10 points in the loss.

Follow along here for live updates from the Unrivaled championship game on Monday night:

Unrivaled third quarter score: Rose 51, Vinyl 49

Target winning score: 62

It’s a race to 62 points for the first Unrivaled championship, heading into the fourth quarter.

Chelsea Gray scored a buzzer-beating three beyond half court, and the Rose lead 51-49 over the Vinyl after the third quarter.

Gray has 12 points and eight assists, while Azurá Stevens leads the Rose with 19 points. Rhyne Howard leads the Vinyl with 19 points.

Unrivaled halftime score: Vinyl 37, Rose 32

Rhyne Howard scored a three-pointer to close out the second quarter, and the Vinyl rebounded from a first-quarter deficit to take a 37-32 lead over the Rose at halftime.

Howard leads the Vinyl with 13 points, while Dearica Hamby has eight points and five rebounds in the first half.

Chelsea Gray, who scored an Unrivaled record 39 points in Sunday’s semifinal against the Laces, has just three points in the first half. But she is fueling the Rose with six assists.

Brittney Sykes has 14 points, while Azurá Stevens has 13 points and nine rebounds for the Rose.

Unrivaled first quarter score: Rose 19, Vinyl 16

Chelsea Gray showed some flair with a no-look pass to Azurá Stevens as the Rose jumped out to a 19-16 lead over the Vinyl at the end of the first quarter.

Stevens leads the Rose with eight points and five rebounds, while Gray has three points and three assists.

Dearica Hamby has six points, a rebound and two steals in the first quarter for the Vinyl.

What time does Unrivaled playoff game begin Monday?

The Rose and Vinyl will begin at 7:30 p.m ET.

How to watch Unrivaled championship game?

The Unrivaled title game is available on TNT and TruTV on cable television, and to live stream on Max in the United States.

Angel Reese unlikely to play in Unrivaled championship due to injury

Reese, of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, is unlikely to play in Monday’s game for the Rose club after injuring her surgically repaired left hand during the Unrivaled regular-season finale last week. Reese watched from the sidelines as the Rose beat the Lunar Owls on Sunday, wearing a brace on her left hand.

How the Rose reached Unrivaled final game

Chelsea Gray scored an Unrivaled high 39 points, including a game-winning three pointer, to help the Rose beat the No. 3 Laces 73-67 in the first semifinal Sunday. The Rose used a 23-12 third quarter to overcome a 40-27 at halftime, and outscored the Vinyl 13-5 in the fourth quarter to win despite having no other player score in double figures.

How the Vinyl reached Unrivaled final game

Dearica Hamby scored a driving layup over league MVP Napheesa Collier to help the Vinyl upset the No. 1 seed Lunar Owls 73-70 during the second semifinal game Sunday. Rhyne Howard led the Vinyl with 23 points, while Jordin Canada scored 10 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 62-52 deficit after the third quarter. Hamby finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds in the win. Collier scored 36 points with eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the loss.

Rose-Vinyl final features Unrivaled women coaches

It’s almost fitting Unrivaled’s first final will feature Rose coach Nola Henry and Vinyl coach Teresa Witherspoon — the only two women coaches in the league. Henry led the Rose to the No. 2 seed after a 1-4 start, while Witherspoon led the Vinyl to the title game as the lowest playoff seed in the four-team field.

Rose-Vinyl season series

The Rose leads the season-series over the Vinyl 2-1, heading into the Unrivaled championship game.  

The Vinyl beat the Rose 79-73 on opening night (Jan. 18) behind Rhyne Howard’s 33 points with Dearica Hamby’s 17 points and 13 rebounds.

The Rose beat the Vinyl 61-55 behind Chelsea Gray’s 26 points on Feb. 18. And in the March 10 regular season finale, the Rose dominated the Vinyl 74-46.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Are you ready for the Madness?

March Madness typically refers to the chaos on the courts of both the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments. But we know the real madness is filling out your brackets while pretending you even know a little bit about what you’re doing.

BRACKET BREAKDOWN: Best games, regions and players to watch for women’s March Madness

That’s right. Your secret is safe here. Whether you’ve watched an embarrassingly large number of college basketball games this season or were too preoccupied trying to figure out how TGL works to tune in even once, there is only one certainty when it comes to filling out brackets: Anything is possible.

Here are some tips to help you expect the unexpected while filling out your 2025 women’s bracket.

Embrace the madness — to an extent

Upsets happen. Cinderella runs to the Elite Eight and beyond, however, are extremely rare.

Just one No. 16 seed has advanced past the first round (Harvard, 1998) and all other seeds 14-16 are a combined 0-360 in the first round. It likely wouldn’t be wise to swing for a big upset with these high seeds.

Still, that doesn’t mean there won’t be smaller upsets to find. No. 11 Middle Tennessee took down 6-seeded Louisville in the first round last season, and 7-seeded Duke toppled No. 2 Ohio State one round later. Exercise caution on these middle seeds, too, as only four teams seeded sixth or lower have ever made it to the Final Four — and none lower than 11.

Don’t be odd; watch the odds!

Favorites are favorites for a reason. Public odds set by sportsbooks can be a helpful asset when assessing teams with the best chance to win it all. The usual suspects such as UConn, South Carolina, Texas, UCLA and Notre Dame will undoubtedly be topping those charts.

It isn’t difficult to figure out why. These programs have long been dominant and this season was no exception. Siding with one of these blue bloods could yield some positive results.

OK, but which should you choose? Look at the odds and examine the bracket in sections. Which teams have head-hunters nearby? We mentioned Duke earlier. LSU, while unlikely to earn a top seed, could still make some noise. Chart a path for each team favored high in the odds and see which looks friendliest.

It’s important to remember none of this is an exact science and outcomes can at times feel totally random. All we can really do is have fun and act like we know what we’re doing.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

President Donald Trump said he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday about the final points of a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said many ‘elements’ of the Final Agreement’ have been agreed to ‘but much remains.’

‘Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths, from both sides, and it must end NOW,’ Trump wrote. ‘I look very much forward to the call with President Putin.’

Some points of discussion could involed territorial concessions by Kyiv and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The Trump administration has been working on a deal to end the three-year war. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko reportedly said that the Kremlin wants an ‘ironclad’ guarantee that Ukraine will be prohibited from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Last week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that ‘we have never been closer to peace,’ as the U.S. waits for Russia’s answer on a 30-day ceasefire agreement. 

Ukraine accepted the deal earlier in the week after a meeting with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia, on the condition that Moscow commits to the plan.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for tougher sanctions on Russia and accused Putin of trying to drag out the peace talks to prolong the war.

‘It’s clear to everyone in the world—even to those who refused to acknowledge the truth for the past three years—that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war,’ the Ukrainian leader wrote Monday on X. ‘For a week now, Putin has been unable to squeeze out ‘yes’ to the ceasefire proposal. He’s saying whatever he wants, but not what the whole world wants to hear.’

He called for world leaders to pressure Moscow into ending the conflict.

‘The unconditional ceasefire proposal is essentially about saving lives, allowing diplomats to work on ensuring security and a lasting peace—the proposal that Russia is ignoring,’ he said. ‘Pressure is needed to finally make Moscow accept that their war must be brought to an end.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is over as Israeli fighter jets began striking the Gaza Strip after Hamas refused repeated hostage deal offers, officials said. 

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began striking Hamas terrorist targets across Gaza ‘in order to achieve the war objectives set by the political leadership, including the release of all our hostages—both the living and the fallen,’ the office of Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a letter. 

‘This decision comes after Hamas repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all proposals presented by U.S. President’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, as well as the mediators,’ the letter states. 

Israel will intensify its military actions against Hamas moving forward, authorities said.

‘Under the direction of the political echelon, the IDF and Shin Bet are widely attacking terrorist targets of the Hamas terrorist organization throughout the Gaza Strip, more details below,’ the IDF and Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, said in a joint statement. 

Netanyahu’s office said Hamas ‘rejected all offers it received’ from the Trump administration’s special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff and the other mediators, the Times of Israel reported. 

‘Tonight, we returned to fighting in Gaza due to Hamas’ refusal to release the hostages and threats to harm IDF soldiers and Israeli communities,’ Katz said. ‘If Hamas does not release all the hostages, the gates of hell will open in Gaza, and Hamas’ murderers and rapists will meet the IDF with forces they have never known before.’

He noted that Israel ‘will not stop fighting until all the hostages return home and all the war’s goals are achieved.’

In a statement, Hamas blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘and the Nazi Zionist occupation fully responsible for the repercussions of the treacherous aggression on Gaza, and for the defenseless civilians and our besieged Palestinian people, who are subjected to a brutal war and a systematic policy of starvation.’

The terror group called for the United Nations and the U.N. Security Council to urgently convene to adopt a resolution demanding Israel halt military operations and fully withdraw from Gaza. 

Hamas has insisted on sticking with the original terms of the deal, with Israel fully withdrawing from Gaza and agreeing to permanently end the war in exchange for the release of the remaining living hostages. 

Netanyahu has long insisted that Israel will not end the war until Hamas’s governing and military capabilities have been destroyed.

The strikes come after nearly two months of a ceasefire to pause the 17-month-long war where dozens of hostages were released for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

On Monday, Israeli forces launched airstrikes in Gaza, southern Lebanon and southern Syria. The IDF said it was targeting terrorists plotting attacks. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The showdown happened, and the anticipation for WrestleMania 41 is heating up.

After the shocking events of the 2025 Elimination Chamber − when John Cena turned heel and joined forces with The Rock to go on a brutal assault of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes − the two stars in the main event WrestleMania met for the first time since that unforgettable night.

It was a must-see event. Cena spoke about why he did it and what’s caused his frustrations. Rhodes responded and called Cena out.

The faceoff was tense and the electricity in the arena was undeniable, but it wasn’t the only thing that took place Monday in Brussels. The Intercontinental Championship was on the line, a no holds barred match took place and a wrinkle was added to a championship match at WrestleMania. Raw took place earlier than normal since WWE is on its European tour, so here’s a recap of the action from Monday.

Intercontinental Championship match: Bron Breakker (c) vs. Finn Balor

No matter the experience, Breakker has been able to use his wicked athleticism to quickly get ahead of competition, but Balor’s quick thinking helped him avoid an early defeat. The champion tried one of his running spears but Balor not only got out of the way, he made sure Breakker hurt himself in the process.

Balor had control early in the match before Breakker started to gain some momentum. When that happened, The Judgement Day members Dominik Mysterio and Carlito came ringside to distract Breakker and get Balor back on offense. It worked momentarily as Breakker used his speed for a vicious clothesline then leaped outside of the ring for a brutal hit on Balor onto the announcer’s table.

Eventually the distractions came from Mysterio and Carlito and while they tried to help Balor, it inadvertently resulted in Balor taking a hit. Breakker dealt with Mysterio and Carlito and executed the Frankn’steiner and spear to get the win and retain his title.

Mysterio and Carlito attacked Breakker after the match, but Penta came out to stop it from escalating. Breakker and Penta then had a staredown, heavily implying the will be meeting for a championship match soon, possibly at WrestleMania.

Seth Rollins speaks

Following the surprise attack from Roman Reigns last week, Rollins took shots at both the Tribal Chief and CM Punk, who he technically beat in the cage match. Rollins pointed out Reigns and Punk would be at SmackDown on Friday, so he decided he will also be there to deal with his heated rivals.

Creed Brothers vs. Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee

Mysterio and Lee attacked the American Made members earlier in the night, so Julius Creed started the match with no regard for a brutal hit. The Creed Brothers were in control as they went to work on Lee, and Mysterio was later able to get in the fold and turn the tide. Julius Creed tried to fight back and got teed up for a 619. Mysterio hit it and then the frog splash to get the victory.

As Lee and Mysterio celebrated, the masked luchador in an American Made mask attacked the victors and did a diving headbutt onto Lee. He left the ring before security could catch him.

Rhea Ripley argues for WrestleMania match

She signed the contract, but Adam Pearce isn’t having any of it. Rhea Ripley argued she should be in the Women’s World Championship match but Pearce said it’s not the case. Belair then came back to attack her. Iyo Sky then came to assault both stars but Ripley got the last laugh.

Jey Uso vs. Austin Theory

Well that was quick. The Yeet lasted longer than the match as it took just one simply super kick from Uso to end Theory’s night. Uso delivered one to Grayson Waller and took a dive outside of the ring, but Gunther emerged to try a sneak attack on his WrestleMania opponent. It backfired as Uso was able to strip the title away from the champion, and he held it above Gunther. Uso threw it back to Gunther as the Yeet party continued.

Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair sign contract for Women’s World Championship match at WrestleMania 41

After the spat between Sky, Belair and Rhea Ripley last week, the champion declared she will not be disrespected again and plans to retain her title against the ‘EST.’ Sky and Belair signed the contract and just as they were wrapped up, Ripley emerged.

Ripley and Belair began to argue and as Sky tried to break it up again, Belair headbutted Belair and then landed a Riptide on Sky. Ripley then grabbed the contract, looked at Raw general manager Adam Pearce and signed it. Pearce was upset and Ripley left, but as of now, it’s technically going to be a triple threat match at WrestleMania 41.

Dakota Kai vs. Ivy Nile

Nile showed some fierce aggression to start the night, but it was what happened outside of the ring that led to her downfall. American Made leader Chad Gable came out to get a view of the action alongside the Creed Brothers, but the group were taken out by Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee. Mysterio and Lee chased out Gable and Nile was distracted. By the time she turned her attention back to the ring, Kai met her with a swift blow and a GTK to get a quick victory.

No holds barred match: Penta vs. Ludwig Kaiser

The action went out of the ring quickly and Kaiser dropped Penta off the announcer’s table. There were plenty of shifts of momentum and not many weapons were used, even though the crowd clearly wanted it. Kaiser later used a chair to corner Penta but it didn’t last long, as the luchador used the chair for some extra damage superkicks. Kaiser was rattled and Penta used the Penta Driver to get the victory.

Cathy Kelly came to interview Penta and asked him what’s next, and he said he will be going for the Intercontinental Championship next.

Cody Rhodes and John Cena meet in the ring

Rhodes admitted he and the fans were willing to hear Cena out, but his reasoning was pathetic. He asked what happened to the man he thought he was going to face at WrestleMania before he called Cena a ‘whiny (expletive).’ He left the ring while Cena stared him down. As Cena made his way out of the ring, the crowd sang, ‘Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.’

Cody Rhodes emerges to face John Cena

The Undisputed WWE champion didn’t let Cena talk much longer, emerging down the ramp as the crowd sung ‘Kingdom’ and made their presence known with the iconic ‘woah’ line.

John Cena takes the mic

After soaking in the moment, Cena finally spoke and said he was tired of being a puppet for the crowd for his entire career. He said he isn’t a babyface or heel, but a human being and fans have been ‘awful’ to him. The crowd had some expletive-filled chants for him in between words.

He added he wasn’t liked when his career started and by the time fans started to like him, it quickly became negative and the amount of times he won still didn’t satisfy people. When he started his farewell tour, he wanted to give back to the fans but he said they easily ruined it. Alluding to his entrance song, he said his time is now.

‘No matter what I do, it’s never enough and you should all be ashamed of yourself. All you ever do is take,’ Cena said. ‘Not one of you sons of (expletive) asked how I feel.’

Even though there were some fans still voicing their support for Cena, the 16-time WWE champion called them out. He said they were just as bad as the ones booing him since he believes he was just their toy, and even referenced the long running joke of Cena being invisible. He said you can’t buy hustle, loyalty and respect while he lives it.

‘I’m breaking up with you. I’m done,’ Cena said as he looked into the camera and crowd. ‘I don’t care about you. You don’t matter to me.’

John Cena makes entrance, gets heavily booed

He has arrived.

Cena kicked off the show and was met with heavy boos as his iconic entrance music played. The crowd re-ignited the ‘John Cena sucks’ chant as his song played.

When time is Monday Night Raw today?

Monday Night Raw on March 17 begins at 3 p.m. ET.

Where is Monday Night Raw today?

Monday Night Raw will be taking place at Forest National in Brussels, Belgium.

How to watch Monday Night Raw

Monday Night Raw is available only on Netflix. Viewers will need a Netflix subscription to watch the event, and it’s available at no additional cost. Fans with any Netflix subscription tier will be able to watch.

Monday Night Raw match card, scheduled events

Cody Rhodes and John Cena meet face-to-face
Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair sign contract for Women’s World Championship match at WrestleMania 41
Intercontinental Championship match: Bron Breakker (c) vs. Finn Balor
No holds barred match: Penta vs. Ludwig Kaiser
Jey Uso vs. Austin Theory
Dakota Kai vs. Ivy Nile

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Flagging global sales and Elon Musk’s increasingly outspoken political activities are combining to rock the value of Tesla.

Shares in the once-trillion-dollar company saw their worst day in five years this week. Year to date, Tesla’s stock has plunged 41% — though it is still up by about 36% over the past 12 months.

On Monday, the stock was down another 5%.

For Musk, Tesla’s shares remain his primary source of paper wealth, though he has also turned his stake in SpaceX into a personal lending tool. But it was proceeds from selling Tesla shares that helped Musk complete his acquisition of Twitter, now known as X.

Musk’s wealth also allowed him to help vault Donald Trump into a second presidential term. Even as Musk’s net worth has diminished as a result of Tesla’s recent share-price declines, data suggests he is in no danger of losing his title as the world’s wealthiest person.

Musk has said on X that he is not concerned about Tesla’s recent drop in value. Still, evidence suggests the company is entering a period of transition.

A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Musk’s wealth has propelled him to a global presence that lacks precedent — and has polarized world opinion about the tech entrepreneur in the process. Any weakening of his financial position, therefore, could undercut his influence in the political and tech spaces where he now commands outsize attention.According to Bank of America, Tesla’s European sales plummeted by about 50% in January compared with the same month a year prior.

Some say this is attributable to a growing distaste for Musk, who has begun dabbling in the continent’s politics in the wake of his successful support of Trump’s candidacy last year.

Others note Tesla’s European market is facing increased competition from the Chinese electric-vehicle maker BYD, which has telegraphed ambitious plans for expansion on the continent.  

A more decisive blow to Tesla’s near-term fortunes may be emanating from China itself. There, Tesla’s shipments plunged 49% in February from a year earlier, to just 30,688 vehicles, according to official data cited by Bloomberg News. That’s the lowest monthly figure registered since July 2022 — amid the throes of Covid-19 — when it shipped just 28,217 EVs, Bloomberg said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS