VAC MAG

By Nicole Jao and Sam Li

BEIJING, May 28 (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped more than 2% on Thursday after Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted a ‌U.S. airbase in response to a U.S. attack in the port city ‌of Bandar Abbas.

Brent crude futures rose $2.34, or 2.48%, to $96.63 a barrel by 0701 GMT, while the more active ​August contract gained $2.24 or 2.43%, to $94.49. The July contract is set to expire on Friday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up $2.26, or 2.55%, at $90.94.

Both benchmarks slipped more than 5% to touch their lowest in a month in the previous session on the possibility of a U.S.-Iran ‌deal to end their war ⁠and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Thursday it targeted a U.S. airbase after what it described ⁠as an early morning U.S. attack near Bandar Abbas airport, Tasnim news agency reported.

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It warned that any repeat of what they called aggression would draw a "more decisive" response.

The U.S. military launched ​new strikes ​in Iran targeting a military site that officials ​believed posed a threat to U.S. ‌forces and commercial maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official told Reuters.

"The rise in oil prices highlights the fragility of the current 'no peace, no war' situation between the United States and Iran," said Simon-Peter Massabni, head of business development at XS.com.

"While the market holds onto hopes that the conflict is nearing an end, the increasing ‌frequency of skirmishes between the two sides, coupled ​with Donald Trump's evident frustration, suggests that this conflict ​may continue. As a result, the ​Strait of Hormuz is likely to remain closed," he added.

In the ‌U.S., crude oil stockpiles fell by 2.8 ​million barrels last week, ​the sixth straight week of declines, according to American Petroleum Institute data. [API/S]

Official inventory data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration are due on Thursday, a day ​later than usual due to ‌the Memorial Day holiday on Monday. [EIA/S][ENERGYUSA][ENERGYAPI]

(Reporting by Nicole Jao in New York, ​Sam Li in Beijing and Florence Tan in Singapore; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman; ​Shri Navaratnam, Stephen Coates and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Another Grand Slam, another iconic outfit delivered by Naomi Osaka.

The Japanese player continued her tradition of jaw-dropping looks at the majors with an outfit that sparkled like "the Eiffel Tower at night" at the French Open.

Osaka arrived on Court Suzanne Lenglen with a black corset and cascading pleated skirt that swept dramatically over the red clay.

Underneath the moody ensemble, Osaka wore a glittering gold tennis dress, with the sequins reflecting the scorching Paris sun.

The four-time Grand Slam champion also shone on court as she beat Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-3 7-6 (7-3) to reach the second round.

Asked about her inspiration for the outfit, the 28-year-old said: "Funny enough, you know the Eiffel Tower at night when its sparkly? I think I look like that a little bit."

Watching Osaka's entrance live on TNT Sports, top seed Aryna Sabalenka said: "This is sparkling. I love it. I love that she is expressing herself and feels confident.

"That's the beauty of the fashion world, there's space for anything and I love that she's bringing it on court."

Osaka joked afterwards that she had worried she would not be allowed to play in the dress.

"When I first saw it, I felt like I look like the Eiffel Tower at night time when it's bright," she said.

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"Then I actually got a little worried because when the sun hits the dress, it reflects a lot, so I was a little scared the umpire was going to kick me off the court.

"I got two back-up, normal dresses - thankfully I didn't have to wear them."

The outer black pieces were designed by Kevin Germanier, who is known for his sustainable approach to fashion, while the gold dress was custom made by Nike.

"Sometimes people say athletes are in show business or entertainers or whatever," Osaka said.

"For me, Grand Slam walk-ons are the only time that I possibly feel like I'm an entertainer."

At the Australian Open in January, Osaka made a statement entrance in ajellyfish-inspired outfitwhich she dedicated to her two-year-old daughter Shai.

Former British number one Annabel Croft said a lot of players "would not be able to live up to the expectation" of walking out in custom made outfits like Osaka's.

"If you out there in an extraordinary outfit, you've got to live up to that and have the confidence to play in it and give the crowd the tennis as well as the outfit," she said on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra.

"Naomi can handle it. She really loves it and she's not fazed by it."

Since the birth of her daughter in 2023, Osaka has re-established herself in the world's top 20 and she reached the semi-finals at the US Open in September.

The former world number one will face Croatia's Donna Vekic in the next round.

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Jason Kelce has voiced concern that the NFL is moving away from its traditional Sunday identity.

The schedule for theupcoming seasonlooks markedly different from previous years, with only Tuesday left free of fixtures as games are now spread across the other six days of the week. The expanded slate of standalone matchups has drawn significant attention from fans and observers alike. Among those raising concerns is the former Philadelphia Eagles center who has criticized the change as part of a broader shift he believes is moving the league away from its traditional structure.

On a recent episode of theNew Heightspodcast, Kelce said he feels the NFL is drifting away from making Sunday the central day of the football calendar. "Sunday is the day of football," Kelce said. "Outside of going to church in the morning, if you're still religious and do that, Sunday is where so many games happen and and that's what you grow up and you gear your entire week around watching football on Sunday." Meanwhile,Taylor Swift brutally snubbed live on ESPN after a public outing with Travis Kelce.

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Continuing his discussion about football Sundays, Kelce added: "It's an institution at this point, the NFL playing games on Sunday. With every day that we keep adding in there, we're getting away from that just a little bit. And I worry that I think the game got big.

"One of the reasons it got so popular and big was because all of the games, it was an event. Sunday is the NFL and everybody set their week apart to tune in to their games that were happening on Sunday and you're watching kind of all of them."

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Kelce added that he is concerned the league is moving away from that tradition as it continues to expand the schedule beyond the sport’s traditional game days.

The NFL is set to open the 2026 season on Wednesday, Sept. 9, departing from its traditional Thursday kickoff, with the usual opener instead shifting to Australia as theLos Angeles Ramsface theSan Francisco 49ersin an NFC West matchup. Kelce also pointed to a broader trend, noting that the league has scheduled games on the night before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day itself, Christmas Eve and Christmas, further expanding the footprint of regular-season fixtures.

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However, Kelce’s concerns were not universally shared. His brotherTravis Kelce, offered a contrasting viewpoint during the discussion. "I think it's awesome," Travis said. "I honestly do. As somebody who's played on Christmas, who's played on Christmas Eve, who's played on Thanksgiving Eve, Thanksgiving, who's played in a lot of like awkward short week moments, I think it's fun.

"And I don't think it's, you know, as taxing as it may seem because it's the NFL. You're living out your dream. If there's a chance to play on a f------ primetime game, which all these one-off games are that aren't on Sunday, I'm f------ getting so excited for those opportunities because those are the opportunities you really get to show yourself."

It comes afterTravis Kelce gave a 10-word reason for refusing to sign the autograph of a young Chiefs fan.

HONG KONG, May 27 (Reuters) - China is willing to work with the Czech Republic to improve ties and revive a traditional ‌friendship, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Czech counterpart Petr Macinka, state ‌broadcaster CCTV said on Wednesday.

Like most nations, the Czech Republic formally recognises only Beijing and ​not Taiwan, which is claimed by China, but it has grown closer to the semiconductor powerhouse in recent years, and has seen growing investment from it.

Both sides should "strengthen dialogue and cooperation, enhance political mutual trust and gradually ‌expand practical cooperation in areas ⁠such as economy, trade and tourism," Wang said, according to CCTV, to take ties in the correct direction.

Taiwan is ⁠an internal issue for China, Wang added, saying he hoped the Czech government would "practice the One-China principle ... and promote China-Czech relations back on a healthy development ​track."

China ​has been critical of ties between Prague ​and Taipei. It sees the ‌democratically-governed island as having no right to state-to-state relations, a view the government in Taipei strongly rejects.

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Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung visited Prague last week and spoke at a forum there.

Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil is leading a business delegation on a visit next week to Taiwan, where he ‌is set to meet President Lai Ching-te.

Relations ​were also strained last year after Czech ​President Petr Pavel met the ​Dalai Lama in India in July. A group from ‌the Czech parliament also travelled to ​Dharamshala in December and ​met the Tibetan spiritual leader.

In March, China said it strongly opposed the Czech Senate passing a draft resolution on the Dalai Lama's ​succession, saying it "grossly interfered" ‌with internal affairs.

(Reporting by the Beijing newsroom, Additional reporting by ​Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Jan Lopatka in Prague; Writing by ​Farah Master; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

Chelsea defender Sandy Baltimore has signed a new contract with Chelsea that will keep her at the club until 2030.

The France international joined Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain before the 2024-25 season and quickly became a key player.

Baltimore played an important role as Chelsea secured an unbeaten domestic treble in her debut season, making 29 appearances in all competitions while scoring nine goals and six assists.

Speaking after the signing, Baltimore said:

"Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs. We have a top quality team, and I want to compete with the best players in the world every day, that's why I chose to stay here.

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"I want to keep improving and try to win every trophy possible."

The 26-year-old reached 50 appearances for Chelsea during the 2025-26 season, coming off the bench in a win against Tottenham Hotspur in February.

Baltimore is known for her pace, technical ability and attacking contributions from the left side.

At international level, Baltimore progressed through the France youth system and helped her country win the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, scoring in the final against Germany.

She has 55 caps for France women's national team and has scored 11 goals.

CLEVELAND — There would be no late-game heroics on Monday night. No pivoting, feinting and head-and-shoulder-shimmying his way into a fraction of a sliver of space — just enough to unfurl a feathery off-balance floater.

No hunting his preferred quarry in the pick-and-roll without compunction or remorse, again and again, to carry his team out of a fourth-quarter deficit. No pulled-from-your-wildest-childhood-dreams fadeaway jumpers over two outstretched hands with the clock draining down to zero.

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Jalen Brunson wasn’t on the court to deliver in crunch time on Monday night — he watched the entire fourth quarter from the bench, actually — because there was no crunch time for him to dominate in Game 4 in Cleveland,which the Knicks won by 37. Just like there wasn’t in Game 4 in Philadelphia,which the Knicks won by 30. Or in Game 6 in Atlanta,which the Knicks won by 51.

There was no crunch time for him to dominate because when the 2025-26 New York Knicks see an opening to exploit, they don’t hesitate to hammer it, and when they have the opportunity to go for the throat, they seize it. They behave that way because attitude reflects leadership, and because Jalen Brunson — measured and unassuming with the media, king of the anodyne quote — is a stone-cold killer between those four lines.

This team follows his lead. He has now led the Knicksfarther than anybody has in this millennium: to the NBA Finals. And he’s not done yet.

As soon as she heard the news thatBridget Phillipson, the equalities minister, was providingguidance on single-sex spacesin line with the Supreme Court ruling, a friend texted me jubilantly to say that perhaps a portal into sanity was finally opening. “Being allowed to say no to men in women’s toilets is the first step to being allowed to say no more broadly to insane, bad things,” she said.

One wants to believe that if people see the light about A, they’ll see the light about B, the whole woke edifice will simply crumble; some semblance of cultural rationality and decency will return and the West will survive.

But on receiving his text, I shook my head ruefully. For unfortunately I think that glimmers of sense pushing against the incursions of the trans activist agenda are rather more contained than one would hope.

We’ve already had endless would-be Eureka moments – theHilary Cass reportinto the scandal of puberty blockers liberally dispensed by NHS trusts to children, the slow progress on banning men from women’s sport, the Supreme Court ruling itself that sex should be defined as biological and so, praise be, women’s loos really do mean women’s loos.

These were all important strikes against madness, but never really seemed to go beyond themselves. The reason the Government is now belatedly issuing guidance is that the activists running our public institutions largely ignored the Supreme Court. For instance there is a new sign up at theLadies Pond on Hampstead Heath, where I frequently swim, saying that trans women are welcome.

Conspiracies spread like wildfire, but good ideas, sadly, don’t.The killing of George Floydwas a starting gun for an era in which progressive Western societies lost their heads. Longer-running wokisms, like extreme affirmative action, were amplified, and new fires of madness, like teaching pre-schoolers about “white supremacy”, were ignited.

In the years since George Floyd and the atom bomb explosion of identitarianism, we have – as creatures of hope – heard many times about how the madness might finally have been defeated. But it most certainly hasn’t, and those celebrating are, I fear, clutching at straws.

That’s not to say some things haven’t shifted. Greenism has had a battering, though in the typicallyirresponsible style favoured by Trump(rather than the way it ought to be battered: by encouraging enterprise to solve the real problem of global warming). At any rate, Trump has opened the door to a culture in which pursuing the bottom line, environmental virtue-signalling be damned, has become more acceptable.

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In the UK, there is a bit more honest conversation about what a luxuriously silly campaign net zero is. But… meh. It’s barely a dent in the sprawling edifice of loonyism in which we all must live.

False hope is everywhere. Ever heard of “grandpersoning” an idea into reality, or a person to success, rather than “grandfathering”? The Aussies have, thanks to Greens senator Nick McKim deploying it to describe some aspect of the opposing Labor Party’s housing policy. It was met with jeers and consternation. Well, you might say, at least we get to laugh at such things now. Sanity has surely returned!

Let us not forget the poor eco-zealous restaurateurs who were awarded newfangled green stars from Michelin, in recognition of their commitment to the environment, only to have them wrenched away because everyone confused them with the gastronomic red ones.

Do spare a thought for Hylton Espey, owner ofCulture restaurant in Falmouth, who serves mushrooms from a nearby “no-dig” garden, and Cecily Fearnley, ofHomestead Kitchen Garden in North Yorkshire, who have now lost their green stars and are very unhappy about it. To be fair, their food sounds great so maybe they will soon get some real red ones.

And they can take comfort that Michelin Guide’s zeal for saving the planet, one plate offoie grasat a time, is not dwindling in the slightest, thanks to its Mindful Voices initiative, a “global editorial platform” about sustainable restaurants.

It’s not impossible that a small thing could unravel the whole. And so I am always on the lookout for signs that chinks in the armour of the woke beast are connecting to, and diminishing, the horror and falsehood that defines treatment of Israel. And the answer to that question is repeatedly and disappointingly no.

Take the existence of prominent persons in the Western feminist movement who have staked their morality ondenying that Hamas raped and sexually tortured Israeli womenon and after October 7. Some of these women are “gender-critical” feminists, i.e. they are opposed to the trans movement. Sadly, this does not offer the assurance you’d think it would.

I have repeatedly encountered fellow travellers who are crestfallen and confused when they find out that this or that “gender-critical”, i.e. sane-seeming, feminist, still seems keener to bolster a jihadi Islamist group 2,000 miles away than the Jewish women they butchered (and the Muslim women they continue to butcher).

EM Forster introduced the evocative injunction “only connect” inHoward’s Endin 1910. But in a world of fracture, boredom, anxiety, intellectual thinning and incoherence, it is becoming increasingly hard to do so. If one bit of madness is punctured, a million more remain intact.