Le Journal

By STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN, Associated Press VIENNA (AP) — In the wake of spiraling tensions between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s violent crackdown on protests, analysts warn that the internal upheaval affecting the Iranian theocracy could carry nuclear proliferation risks. While in recent days President Donald Trump seemed to have backed away from a military strike on Iran, he called Saturday for an end to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s nearly 40-year reign in Iran. Trump’s comments came in response to Khamenei branding Trump a “criminal” for supporting protesters in Iran, and blamed demonstrators for causing thousands of deaths. Meanwhile, a U.S. aircraft carrier, which days earlier had been in the South China Sea, passed Singapore overnight to enter the Strait of Malacca — putting it on a route that could bring it to the Middle East. With those dangers, analysts warn Iran’s nuclear material could be at risk as well. Nuclear material could fall into the wrong hands David Albright, a former nuclear weapons inspector in Iraq and founder of the nonprofit Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, said that in a scenario of internal chaos in Iran, the government could “lose the ability to protect its nuclear assets.” He said that Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile “would be the most worrisome,” adding that there is a possibility that someone could steal some of this material. There are historical precedents for such a scenario. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, highly enriched uranium and plutonium suitable for building nuclear bombs went missing due to eroded security and weakened protection of these assets. So far, Iran has maintained control of its sites, even after the U.S. bombed them in the 12-day war in June that Israel launched against the Islamic Republic. Iran maintains a stockpile of 972 pounds of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based U.N. nuclear watchdog. The agency said in a report last November that it has not been able to verify the status and location of this highly enriched uranium stockpile since the war in June. The agency said in November that therefore it had lost “continuity of knowledge in relation to the previously declared inventories of nuclear material in Iran” at facilities affected by the war. A diplomat close to the IAEA confirmed Monday that the agency had still not received any information from Iran on the status or whereabouts of the highly enriched uranium stockpile. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity in line with diplomatic protocol. Albright said that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium would fit in around 18 to 20 cylinders that are designed for transport, weighing around 55 pounds each. “Two people can easily carry it,” he said of each container. Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Washington-based Arms Control Association, said that there is a risk that the stockpile “could be diverted either to a covert program or stolen by a faction of the government or the military that wanted to retain the option of weaponization.” She said that this risk increases as the Iranian government feels threatened or gets destabilized. Some of the nuclear material could get smuggled out of Iran or sold to non-state actors in the event of internal chaos or potential government collapse, Davenport said. “The risk is real but it is difficult to assess, given the unknowns regarding the status of the materials and the whereabouts,” she stressed. Related Articles Chile fights wildfires that killed 19 and left 1,500 homeless What to know about the train crash in Spain Fashion designer Valentino dies at home in Rome, aged 93 Prince Harry says Daily Mail scoops made him ‘paranoid beyond belief’ Inequality and unease are rising as elite Davos event opens with pro-business Trump set…

By MARTHA BELLISLE The U.S. has never won an Olympic medal in biathlon, the only winter sport where that’s the case. The drought could come to an end next month at the Winter Olympics. The team brought on Campbell Wright, a rising star and dual citizen from New Zealand who combined fast skiing and precision shooting to win two world championship silver medals last year and has had strong results this season. In addition, the team has a homecourt advantage, of sorts: Their Italian head coach, Armin Auchentaller, grew up in Antholz, the village that’s hosting the Olympic biathlon competitions. His assistant coach and support staff are also from the region, ensuring the team has the inside scoop on the ski trails, snow, climate, food and housing. “We feel Antholz is almost a second home to us,” said U.S. Biathlon CEO Jack Gierhart. “Armin made it easy for us to operate there. That will enable our athletes to focus and feel relatively relaxed, which is really important in this level of competition.” FILE – U.S. Coach Armin Auchentaller looks on at the shooting range of the World Cup of Biathlon in Oberhof, Germany, Thursday Jan. 8, 2026. (Jennifer Brückner/dpa via AP, File) Winning athlete and coach Wright said he trusts his fitness and training as he heads to the Games, where the pressure will be on him to perform. “I think having success in the past just gives me confidence because I’ve already done more than I thought I could do in this sport, so the way I see it anything extra is just cream,” he told The Associated Press. Related Articles Ice dancer Allison Reed returns to Olympics after 16 years, skating for Lithuania Vance and Rubio set to attend Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Italy. Trump isn’t on the list How Olympians think about success and failure and what we can learn from them Ukraine’s young skiers practice in a bombed-out Olympic training base Has figure skating reached the limits of human performance? Auchentaller said working with Wright has been one of the most rewarding experiences of his career. “From the very start, you could tell he had something special — not just raw talent, but that spark of joy when he moved, competed, trained. That early talent was obvious,” Auchentaller said. “But what made working with him truly remarkable was how quickly he combined that talent with professionalism.” Wright will be joined by Olympic newbie Maxime Germain and Paul Schommer, who is competing in his second Games, while Sean Doherty will race in his fourth. On the women’s side, Joanne Reid returns to competition after two years off and heads to her third Olympics. Teammate Deedra Irwin returns for her second and two new members, Margie Freed and Lucinda Anderson, will make their Olympic debut. Who is Campbell Wright? Wright, a 23-year-old from Wanaka, New Zealand, was born and raised Down Under by American parents who emigrated there in the 1990s. He spent his early years at the Snow Farm cross-country ski center, learned biathlon in Europe and raced for New Zealand at the Beijing Olympics. Seeking support from a seasoned team, his dual citizenship allowed him to join the U.S. in 2023. That support has helped him to thrive. In February 2025, he became the first U.S. biathlete to win two medals at one world championship event, taking home back-to-back silvers in the sprint and pursuit competitions in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. They were the first U.S. world medals since Susan Dunklee won silver in 2020. She also won silver and Lowell Bailey gold in 2017. Auchentaller said he was proud but not surprised by Wright’s performance. “I knew that beneath his talent lay a core of grit, a fearless heart, and a grounded, simple work ethic,” Auchentaller said. “His success didn’t feel like luck or a one-off; it felt like the natural outcome of years of hard, intelligent work, fueled by genuine love for what he does. Watching him step onto that podium, I saw a young man’s passion and dedication pay off — and I felt fortunate to…

FOXBORO — Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte made one of the great postseason touchdown catches in Patriots history Sunday, hauling in an over-the-shoulder throw from Drake Maye one-handed over Texans All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. THIS IS A DIME @DrakeMaye2 | @KayshonBoutte1 ESPN pic.twitter.com/dv7WK0ZKbT — New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 18, 2026 Boutte was asked Monday morning where that catch ranks in his own personal highlights. Related Articles Patriots-Broncos AFC Championship Game could have looked a lot different Patriots, Mike Vrabel provides injury update on starting wide receiver Callahan: Patriots carrying dynasty-era feel on return to AFC title game Patriots’ Drake Maye has humble take on Kayshon Boutte’s highlight TD Patriots look ahead to AFC title game in Denver: ‘The environment will be a lot’ “I never thought about that one yet,” Boutte said. “I think I’m still enjoying the moment, though. I still kind of look back and I was wondering, like, ‘how did I catch that?’ “I never realized that it was one hand until I got to the sideline and was watching it on the screen.” Stingley was Boutte’s college teammate at LSU. The Patriots’ wide receiver credited Stingley with helping make him better through practice reps. Boutte did acknowledge that Stingley’s coverage likely forced him to make the catch one-handed. “I would just say on deep balls, corners kind of get away with holding your left arm and the wrist and stuff like that,” Boutte said. “So, I mean, obviously, if I was able to catch it with two, it would have been over the shoulder, but I think maybe I was held a little bit. Just one hand, made a play.” The play was eerily similar to the first touchdown throw of Maye’s career, which was also the first touchdown catch of Boutte’s career. That play, in Week 6 of the 2024 season, also came with Stingley in coverage. “It was the exact same route, same end zone, same corner, on the same person,” Boutte said. Drake Maye DIME for his first career touchdown pass! : #HOUvsNE on CBS/Paramount+: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/psTLjZvOoK — NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024 Boutte remembered that Maye allowed him to keep that ball. The Patriots face another top-tier defense in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game when they travel to play the Broncos. Boutte has a history against Broncos All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II, having played him in LSU-Alabama games.

On Oceania Cruises’ new flagship, the spot occupied by the library on her older sister is now The Crêperie on Deck 14, trading the quiet rustle of pages for the alluring aroma of vanilla and caramelized sugar. Celebrity Cruises’ brightest and shiniest answers with a different kind of reinvention: At the aft of Deck 5, the boundary between ship and shore dissolves entirely at The Bazaar, reshaping a once-underactivated space in ways that sensorially redefine the Edge‑class experience. Whether discovering tasty nooks or cultural crannies, few joys rival boarding a brand‑new ship. With several fresh vessels already welcoming guests and more set to debut in 2026, a wave of new hardware beckons, promising surprises for ocean‑bound travelers drawn to uncharted pleasures. From splashy stage productions to novel dining concepts, these ships brim with reasons to climb aboard. The new year boasts a boatload of inaugural seasons. The unusually high swell of newbuilds earning their sea legs in 2026 has industry experts projecting that between 30% and 40% of the 21.7 million Americans expected to cruise over the next 12 months will do so on debuting or recently refurbished vessels. If you’re tempted to join these ocean‑bound early adopters, this roundup of the nautically new should easily float your boat. Premium/Upper-premium classes We’ll start with a deep dive into two buoyant beauties from the premium and upper‑premium classes — the middle tiers in the familiar “good‑better‑best” framework that, in cruising, typically aligns with mainstream, premium and luxury. “Typically” is the operative word as the new Caribbean‑bound flagships mentioned earlier are already nudging the definition of “best” forward. Bridging premium and luxury in several key areas, the latest and greatest from Oceania and Celebrity showcase two distinct interpretations of modern cruising — one boutique and culinary‑driven, the other big‑ship and theatrical. Oceania Allura — Oceania Cruises (oceaniacruises.com): While Oceania prepares to open bookings Jan. 21 for its next flagship, Sonata, arriving in August 2027, the upper-premium line is already in the spotlight thanks to the just‑out Allura — a 1,200‑guest ship that doubles down on the space and polish that define the brand. The design leans contemporary without tipping into flash: bright lounges trimmed in marble, a Grand Dining Room framed by floor‑to‑ceiling windows and a pool deck that feels more European seaside than megaship resort. A banoffee crêpe pairs well with a flat white on the Oceania Allura. (Photo by David Dickstein) Allura expands the line’s culinary footprint with 11 dining venues, including the new Crêperie, which replaces the library found on Vista. The concept adds French crêpes, Belgian and bubble waffles and gelato sundaes to the morning rotation, while refreshed menus at French-accented Jacques and expanded Japanese‑Peruvian dishes at Red Ginger broaden the global mix. Oceania’s hallmark 1:10 chef‑to‑guest ratio remains intact, and the Grand Dining Room’s over-the-top brunch returns with caviar, crab legs and regional specialties that shift with the itinerary, be it to the Caribbean out of Miami or the Mediterranean, for starters. Creative and enrichment spaces give Allura a sense of purpose on sea days. The Culinary Center features 24 individual workstations for hands‑on classes, while the Artist Loft hosts rotating instructors for drawing, painting and mixed‑media workshops. Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center’s nutrition consultations add to a lineup that leans toward learning and immersion. On port days, small-group outings led by onboard chefs — called Culinary Discovery Tours — involve market visits, vineyard tastings and regional cooking classes that tie directly back to the ship’s culinary program. Evenings onboard stay intentionally low‑key, with polished lounges, well‑paced entertainment and a bar program built around classics rather than theatrics. It’s a ship designed for travelers…