GRIF MAG

Scientists have identified a newdinosaurspecies that lived190 million years agoin what is nowChina, bridging a major gap in ourevolutionaryunderstanding of the long-necked giant.

Xiangyunloong fengmingwas 9-10m long, making it one of thelargest-known plant-eating dinosaursfound in China. It lived during the Early Jurassic epoch, between 201 and 174 million years ago, which wasa pivotal evolutionary periodwitnessing the rise and diversification of long-necked, plant-eating dinosaurs.

The genus name is an amalgamation ofXiangyun,the county where the specimen was found, andloongfor the traditional “Chinese dragon”. The species name,fengming,meaning phoenix singing, is a reminder thatbirds are living dinosaurs. It also echoesLuming, the town the fossil was found in.

“Additionally, Fengming was the original name of Lin Fengmian, the artistic master and founding president of the China Academy of Art, whose staff participated extensively in this project,” the researchers wrote in a study published in the journalRoyal Society Open Science.

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The researchers identified the new species from fragments of cervical, pelvic, vertebral, and hip bones found at a fossil site in the Fengjiahe Formation in southwestern China’s Yunnan province.

They noticed thatXiangyunloongwas distinguished from fellow long-necked sauropod dinosaurs by a unique combination of features.“Xiangyunloongexhibits significant morphological distinctions fromXingxiulongand other early-diverging sauropodomorphs, supporting its designation as a new genus,” they wrote.

It had a larger body size, a shorter neck, and an elongated tail compared to similar dinosaurs, indicating an initial stage of gigantism characteristic of such species, as well as the potential ability to walk on two legs.

These features, according to the researchers, could represent an alternative evolutionary pathway to the neck elongation seen in many of its relatives.

“It provides further evidence for the diverse adaptive strategies employed by these dinosaurs prior to the dominance of the long-necked, gigantic sauropods,” they argued. “The discovery ofXiangyunloongsignificantly enriches the morphological and ecological diversity of early-diverging sauropodomorphs in southwestern China.”

What to know about the Iran war today:Iran has threatened to attack any vessel that tries to transit the Strait of Hormuz without permission from its military, challenging aplan announced by President Trumpfor the American military to "guide" commercial ships through the narrow waterway.The U.S. military says 15,000 forces and more than 100 aircraft are involved in the effort, which he called "Project Freedom."The Iranian regime says it has received a U.S. response to its latest 14-point peace proposal, which it says is aimed at ending the war, not extending the current ceasefire. Mr. Trump said over the weekend that he'd likely reject the Iranian proposal, as "they have not paid a big enough price." CENTCOM denies Iranian claim to have struck U.S. warship with missiles near Strait of Hormuz

A spokesperson for the U.S. military's Central Command, Captain Tim Hawkins, told CBS News on Monday that claims by Iranian media outlets that an American warship had been struck by two missiles near the Strait of Hormuz were not true.

Hawkins did not provide any further detail, but he rejected the report by Iran's Fars news agency, which is associated with the Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guard forces, that U.S. Navy frigate was struck on Monday amid an increasingly tense standoff between the countries in the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. military said it launched an operation Monday under the name "Project Freedom," under which President Trump says commercial vessels stuck in the Gulf can be guided out by the U.S. military via the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has warned that any ship trying to navigate the narrow strait without its explicit permission will be targeted.

CENTCOM later issued a briefstatement on social mediareiterating Hawkins' rejection of the Iranian report, saying: "No U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports."

Macron calls on U.S., Iran to coordinate to open Strait of Hormuz, says France won't join "unclear" military operation

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the U.S. and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in a "coordinated" way, indicating that his country won't join an effort announced by President Trump to "guide" commercial vessels out of the Persian Gulf under the threat of Iranian attack.

"What we want above all is a coordinated reopening by the United States and Iran — that is the only solution for reopening the Strait of Hormuz," Macron told fellow European leaders during a meeting on Monday in Armenia.

"We are not going to take part in any military operation in a framework that to me seems unclear," he said.

France and the U.K. have led efforts to build a coalition of nations to deploy military assets to the region to ensure the strait remains open and safe for shipping once peace is secured, but European countries have declined to take up those efforts until a deal is reached to end the war.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard warns ships trying to transit Strait of Hormuz without permission "will be stopped with force"

Brigadier General Mohbi, a spokesman for Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned Monday that any vessel trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz without adhering to the regime's "transit protocols," which require coordination for passage "through designated routes with coordination," will "face serious risks."

"Violating vessels will be stopped with force," said Mohbi in a message shared byIranian state media.

It was the latest direct challenge from the Iranian regime to a plan announced by President Trump for a "humanitarian" military operation for American warships to "guide" commercial vessels out of the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz.

Dozens of tankers and cargo ships have been stuck in the Gulf for months as Tehran, in retaliation for the joint U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, has declared the strait — long an open international waterway vital to the transport of gas and oil — under its control, and attacked ships that don't get its permission to use it.

While an ongoing ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has ended American strikes on the country, the U.S. has imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels, which Tehran considers a breach of the truce. Iran has responded by maintaining its threat to commercial shipping, which has kept oil and gas prices high and fueled inflation around the globe.

U.S. military tells ships safe corridor established to transit Strait of Hormuz, with "high traffic volume" expected

The United States kicked off an effort to "guide" stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, as it tries to counter economic disruptions that outlasted the peak of fighting with no peace deal in sight.

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A day after President Trump announced what he called "Project Freedom," the Joint Maritime Information Centersaid Mondaythat the U.S. had set up an "enhanced security area" south of typical shipping routes and urged mariners to coordinate closely with Omani authorities "due to anticipated high traffic volume." The strait sits between Iranian and Omani territory.

The center warned that passing close to the usual routes, known as the traffic separation scheme, "should be considered extremely hazardous due the presence of mines that have not been fully surveyed and mitigated."

The U.S.-led maritime task force's announcement marked the start of the effort to revive traffic and restore confidence among commercial vessels transiting the strait.

The disruption of the waterway through which roughly one‑fifth of the world's oil typically passes has become one of the most enduring consequences of the war that the U.S. and Israel launched Feb. 28. It has squeezed countries in Europe and Asia that depend on Persian Gulf supplies and added new volatility to energy prices for households and businesses worldwide.

Iran military says U.S. forces will be attacked if they enter Strait of Hormuz

Iran's military said Monday that U.S. forces would be attacked if they entered the Strait of Hormuz, after President Trump announced Washington would begin escorting ships through the blocked waterway.

"We warn that any foreign armed force — especially the aggressive U.S. military — if they intend to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz, will be targeted and attacked," said Major General Ali Abdollahi of the Iranian military's central command, in a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.

"We have repeatedly stated that the security of the Strait of Hormuz is under the control of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and under all circumstances, any safe passage must be coordinated with these forces," he added.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards say U.S. faces stark choice

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Sunday the United States faced a choice between an "impossible" military operation or a deal with Tehran, after President Trump disparaged Iran's latest peace proposal.

Iran's foreign ministry said Tehran had submitted a 14-point plan "focused on ending the war" and that Washington had already responded to it in a message to Pakistani mediators, which Iran was reviewing.

Project Freedom to include guided-missile destroyers, 15,000 service members, CENTCOM says

Project Freedom, the effort announced by President Trump to help merchant vessels get through the Strait of Hormuz, will include "guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members," U.S. Central Command said Sunday night.

Further details on what the operation would involve were not provided.

Trump announces effort to guide ships out of Strait of Hormuz

President Trump on Sunday said an effort to guide ships from countries not involved in the war with Iran safely out of the Strait of Hormuz, dubbed Project Freedom, will begin Monday.

"For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business," Mr. Trump wrote onTruth Social.

"In all cases, they said they will not be returning until the area becomes safe for navigation," Mr. Trump wrote.

The president said the effort is a "Humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran," noting that the ships are running low on food and other essential supplies.

"If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully," Mr. Trump concluded.

President Donald Trumpsaid Sunday that the U.S. will escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as he hasoffered little optimismthat he will accept a recent proposal from Tehran to end the war.

Trump said the U.S. will begin escorting the ships Monday, and said that it was a response to other countries — which he did not name, but said were not involved in the conflict — asking the U.S. to help free up ships locked in the passage.

“For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business,” Trumpwrote on Truth Social.

Trump added that the operation to escort the vessels will be called “Project Freedom,” and said that interlocutors had communicated his decision to impacted countries.

The president acknowledged that there were still discussions ongoing with Iran, which he said “could lead to something very positive for all.”

“The Ship movement is merely meant to free up people, companies, and Countries that have done absolutely nothing wrong — They are victims of circumstance. This is a Humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran,” Trump said.

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Trump added that if the U.S.’ efforts to escort ships is interrupted, it will “have to be dealt with forcefully.”

Trump’s announcement comes as a cargo ship near the straitwas attacked Sunday morningby multiple small craft, according to the British military.

A fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran has held, but it’s not clear what a longer-lasting peace deal might look like.

Trump said Saturday thathe was reviewing a proposalfrom Iran to end the war, but signaled little hope that the U.S. would accept the offer. He also left open the possibility of resuming strikes on the country.

Since the war began, Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz to essentially all shipping except its own. The U.S. has blockaded the strait since April 13.

Trump, who is facing pressure from lawmakers to seek congressional approval for the conflict, insisted last week that that wouldn’t be necessary given the temporary ceasefire.

PrinceArchieis celebrating his 7thbirthday.

The eldest child ofPrince HarryandMeghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was born May 6, 2019, in London, near where the family lived at the time.

Harry and Meghan now live in California with Archie and their daughterLilibet.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle share holiday card featuring kids Archie and Lilibet

The family of four are expected to celebrate Archie's birthday privately.

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Last year, on Archie's 6th birthday, Meghanshareda photo of her son looking out at the ocean with the sun in front of him.

Archie's birthday falls just a few weeks after Harry and Meghan returned from a four-dayvisitto Australia, their first trip there since 2018, when Meghan's pregnancy with Archie wasannounced.

The 7-year-old's birthday also falls less than one week after his grandfatherKing Charles IIIvisited the United States on a four-daystate visitwith Queen Camilla.

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle are parents of 2: What to know about their kids

Charles and Camilla visited Washington, D.C., New York and Virginia during their time in the U.S.

Charles, Harry's father, is not believed to have seen his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, in person since 2022, when they and their parentsattendedPlatinum Jubilee celebrations for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Filmmaker Spike Lee stated in a new interview that he enjoyed the Michael Jackson biopic and criticized movie critics for calling attention to a lack of emphasis placed on child sex abuse allegations made against Jackson in the '90s

NEED TO KNOW

• Michael notably ends in 1988, and multiple outlets have reported that legal complications prevented the movie from dramatizing allegations first made against Jackson in 1993

• Lee notably directed two music videos for Jackson and directed a 2016 documentary on the early portions of Jackson's career

Spike Leethinks those who are criticizing theMichael Jacksonbiopic for not including allegations of child sex abuse made against the late pop star are simply asking for a different movie.

Lee, 69, toldCNNin a recent interview that he has already seenMichaeltwice since the movie hit theaters on April 24. The famed filmmaker simply stated, "Love it," when asked for his thoughts on the movie, which stars the King of Pop's real-life nephewJaafar Jacksonas Michael throughout the 1970s and '80s.

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On review aggregators likeRotten Tomatoes,Michaelholds negative reviews from professional film critics, but positive reviews from audience members. While speaking with CNN, Lee said he thinks it's unfair that the negative reaction to the movie has centered around its exclusion of the firstallegations of child sex abuse made against Michael in 1993.

"First of all, if you're a movie critic and you're complaining about the [allegations] that you know, all this other stuff, but the movie ends in '88," Lee said, when asked what he makes of the criticism against the movie. "You're talking about accusations [that] happen [later], so you're critiquing the film on something you wanted, but it doesn't work in the timeline of the film."

"But the people who showed up, they showed up worldwide," he continued. "People showed their love."

Lee notably directed music videos for Michael's 1996 song "They Don't Care About Us" and the 2009 track "This Is It," as well as the 2016 documentaryMichael Jackson'sJourney from Motown to Off the Wall. He referred to Michael, who died at 50 in 2009, and the late musicianPrinceas "beautiful people" during the interview.

When asked again if Lee thought it "wouldn't be appropriate" forMichaelto dramatize those allegations, Lee added, "The allegations came post-'80s. The film ends in '88. So people said [rude gesture], and have seen it more than once, like me."

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The biopic of the "Thriller" singer's life has attracted as much news for what it ultimately did not depict as for what moments from Michael's life it did feature. On April 20,Michael's directorAntoine Fuquashared new details aboutthe massive overhaulMichaelunderwentin 2025 after lawyers reportedly learned of a previously overlooked clause in a settlement agreement between the singer and one of his accusers in an interview withThe New Yorker.

In 1993, Michael was accused of sexually abusing 13-year-old Jordan Chandler. He ultimately settled with the Chandler family out of court for a reported $25 million.

The producers behind the movie had to rewrite and reshoot significant portions of the movie after lawyers realized that the settlement included an agreement that the Chandlers could never be mentioned or dramatized in a movie, per a January 2025 report fromPuck.

At the time, the outlet claimed the Chandler saga was a key "backbone" of the movie, which Fuqua confirmed while speaking withThe New Yorker. The outlet additionally reported that the movie was initially meant to open on the 1993 police raid onNeverland Ranch, the singer's infamous California compound, as investigations into those allegations began.

Despite critics' negative reaction to the movie,Michaelis already thethird-highest grossing movie of the year in North Americaand the fourth-most popular movie of the year at thebox office around the world, behindProject Hail Mary, the Chinese racing moviePegasus 3andThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Varietyalso reported on April 7 that the movie's studio Lionsgate believes "roughly 30%" of footage shot for the movie that did not make it intoMichael's final cut could be reused for a sequel. It is unclear how much of that footage involves the legal complications related to dramatizing Chandler's allegations.

The movie itself ends with a title card that reads: "His Story Continues."

Read the original article onPeople