27 Jun - It was revealed that the second season of "The Queen of News" is on and will begin filming this year.

As reported on TVBS, the news was shared by producer Chung Shu Kai at a press conference in Shanghai on 25 June, saying that season two will start production around the end of December and that the drama will maintain its original actors; including Charmaine Sheh, Samantha Ko, Bosco Wong and Kenneth Ma.

At the same time, Chung revealed that there will also be a movie version of the title.

"The story of the sequel is almost completed but we found that a very small piece is missing. In order to make the story more complete, we plan to shoot a movie version," he said.

He also confirmed that actress Hera Chan has been cast to play the antagonist to Charmaine's character, while the team has yet to cast for the other additional role, which he said will be a "particularly good anchor".

(Photo Source: Charmaine Sheh IG, TVBS)

At least 13 U.S. service members have died during the war with Iran, including six people who were killed when two refueling jets collided above Iraq. An Iranian drone strike that hit a command post in Kuwait killed another six service members.

Donald Trump’s administration quickly sought to frame the deadly incidents as tragic accidents. In the case of the refueling tankers, officials said the accident took place over “friendly airspace” and wasn’t the result of hostile fire. And in Kuwait, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the Iranian drone a “squirter” that managed to squeak through U.S. defenses.

But surviving service members and intelligence agencies reportedly warned U.S. military officials about potential vulnerabilities and the likelihood of enemy fire before the incidents, raising questions about Department of Defense narratives during the nearly three-month-long war.

A pair of recent reports from The Atlantic and CBS News suggest military officials downplayed potential threats and ignored requests for medical assistance, with one service member calling the Kuwait strike — the deadliest attack on American troops since 2021 — an outright “failure.”

The life of at least one service member could have been saved if more medical resources were onsite during the March 1 Kuwait attack, Major Stephen Ramsbottom told CBS News. He was expecting a “line of ambulances” coming to the rescue only to find that “we’re on our own,” he said.

Service members killed in the Kuwait attack were part of a logistical support unit at the Shuaiba port, where a prefabricated, triple-wide trailer-style structure was protected against ground threats by concrete barriers, according to satellite imagery.

The facility allegedly did not have any hardened protection to deflect or minimize explosive force.

In a statement on social media, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell refuted reports that the attack struck a “makeshift office space” at the facility and claimed “every possible measure has been taken to safeguard our troops — at every level.”

“You have air defenses, and a lot’s coming in, and you hit most of it,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon in the days after the attack.

“Every once in a while, you might have one, unfortunately, we call it a squirter, that makes its way through,” he added. “And in that particular case, it happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified, but these are powerful weapons.”

Ramsbottom, who was deployed with the Army's 103rd Sustainment Command at the Kuwait base, is among eight soldiers from the reserve unit who have publicly disputed the Pentagon’s account of the incident in interviews with CBS News.

Service member injuries from the Kuwait base attack were reportedly more severe than initially reported, with reports of brain trauma, burns and potential amputation. They scrambled in the aftermath to commandeer civilian cars and send people to a local Kuwaiti hospital to treat the wounded.

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Master Sergeant Ann Marie Carrier, who also survived the attack, said the Army had not prepared them for a mass casualty event.

“We didn't have any training,” Carrier told CBS News. “There was really nothing in place for something like that to happen.”

Two weeks later, two KC-135 refueling aircraft collided in what U.S. Central Command called “friendly airspace” above Iraq’s western Anbar province, according to a press release published that same day.

But initial intelligence reports indicated that the U.S. detected anti-aircraft fire from Iran-backed militias in the area, which potentially forced pilots to take evasive actions, The Atlantic found.

Central Command leaders, however, reportedly believed those reports were mistaken. An investigation from the Air Force is expected to conclude that the incident was an “avoidable mishap” due to congested airspace, officials told The Atlantic.

The Pentagon referred The Independent’s questions to Central Command.

“As we previously stated, the loss of the KC-135 was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” a spokesperson said.

Central Command did not respond to allegations in the reports.

Days before the crash, Hegseth touted “total air dominance” in the region.

The episode follows the Trump administration’s apparent pattern of omissions about critical details during the war, including efforts to downplay or deny outright reports of civilian casualties, Iranian military capabilities and threats from Iran-linked proxy groups.

Military officials have also denied or refused to investigate reports of U.S. attacks that killed Iranian civilians following news investigations and analysis from watchdog groups.

Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper told members of Congress last week that there is “no way” and “no indication” that the military can corroborate reports that detailed the alleged destruction of 22 Iranian schools and 17 healthcare facilities from U.S. bombs. Airwars, a nonprofit watchdog group that monitors conflict zones, has identified at least 300 incidents of civilian casualties.

Cooper’s statement also comes two months after a preliminary internal investigation linked American forces to a lethal strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed 150 children, according to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. The future of that investigation remains unclear.

The Pentagon initially said a critical surveillance plane was heavily damaged after an attack on a Saudi Arabia air base in March, but subsequent assessments and congressional reports confirmed the aircraft was completely destroyed — along with more than 40 other military aircraft that have been lost or damaged during the Iran war.

Among the losses are F-15 fighter jets, an F-35 Lightning II aircraft, drones, and a HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search-and-rescue helicopter, according to a Congressional Research Service report published May 13.

The war is taking a mounting toll on American forces, with injuries growing to more than 500, as the U.S. faces dwindling munitions stockpiles and potential budget cuts without emergency funding from Congress.

Last month, the Pentagon officials told Congress that the U.S. had spent $25 billion on the war, which Democratic leaders believed the true cost was much higher. Weeks later, that figure had grown to $29 billion.

But administration officials, facing bipartisan concerns from members of Congress about growing costs of the war, have repeatedly declared victory while admonishing lawmakers and members of the press who have questioned or doubted American success in Iran.

“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth told a House appropriations subcommittee this month.

“How this gets resolved will be on our terms, on President Trump’s terms, and we have all the munitions and capabilities necessary to enable that,” he said.

Iran has agreed to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of a “largely negotiated” deal to end the war, according to US sources.

The deal includes an “apparent commitment” to giving up the uranium, but a concrete plan of how this would be done is expected to be established in further rounds of talks, two US officials told The New York Times.

Reports said the deal would also involve a 60-day ceasefire extension, during which the ‌Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, and Iran would be able to sell oil freely.

Amid reports that the deal could be announced on Sunday, Mr Trump appeared to play down the prospect, saying the blockade would remain in place until a final agreement to end Iran’s nuclear weapon programme was reached.

“The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal when that time is on our side,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

“The blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed. Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes! Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one. They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a nuclear weapon or bomb.”

Iran’s nuclear programme has been a sticking point in negotiations since the US and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in April, and agreeing to give up its uranium would represent a major concession from the Islamic Republic.

However, Iran’s Tasnim news agency said on Sunday that Tehran was yet to accept any actions on its ‌nuclear programme, adding to the uncertainty over the deal.

The emerging agreement would also reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls during a 60-day ceasefire and allow Iran to resume unrestricted oil sales, according to a report by Axios citing a US official.

Iran would agree to clear the mines it has deployed in the waterway. Meanwhile, Washington would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and hand out sanctions waivers on Iranian oil.

In return, Iran would be required to commit never to pursue nuclear weapons and to enter negotiations over suspending its uranium enrichment programme and transferring its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium, Axios wrote.

US forces mobilised in recent months will remain in the region for 60 days, withdrawing only when the final deal has taken shape.

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Billions of dollars worth of frozen Iranian assets held overseas would also be released as part of the deal, but this would only take place when Tehran agrees to a final nuclear agreement.

On Saturday, Donald Trump said that he was on the brink of a “largely negotiated” agreement to end the war in Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, promising it “would be announced shortly”.

“Final aspects and details of the deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” the president wrote. “In addition to many other elements of the agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened.”

Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, said an announcement on a deal was possible later on Sunday.

“I do think perhaps there is the possibility that in the next few hours the world will get some good news,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

Tehran added that it was “finalising” a memorandum of understanding to end the war.

Esmaeil Baghaei, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, said: “Our approach has been to draft a 14-point memorandum of understanding that includes the most important issues necessary for ending the war and matters that are fundamental for us.

“We are in the final stage of finalising this memorandum of understanding.”

However, Fars, a semi-official state-aligned Iranian news agency, reported on Sunday that the agreement being discussed would leave control of the strait in Tehran’s hands, calling Mr Trump’s claims about the waterway’s reopening “inconsistent with reality”.

Tasnim news agency reported that if the US blockade was not completely lifted within 30 days, there would be no change in the strait.

Washington’s negotiators reportedly threatened Tehran with a resumption of bombing if it refused the condition to surrender its highly enriched uranium in the initial round of negotiations, despite Tehran’s attempts to defer discussions on the topic.

Military officials drew up potential plans for Mr Trump in recent days to strike Iran’s nuclear stockpile, much of which is believed to be housed at the Isfahan nuclear facility. One option under discussion was striking the facility with bunker-busting bombs, The New York Times reported.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran’s stockpile is made up of some 440kg of uranium enriched to 60 per cent.

Nuclear talks in the coming weeks or months will focus on how to dispose of the stockpile and address Iran’s enrichment programme, with the US pushing for a 20-year moratorium, while Iran has proposed a much shorter pause.

US officials hope to motivate Iran to agree to a final nuclear deal by promising the release of frozen Iranian assets abroad worth billions, to be placed into an economic reconstruction fund.

Mr Trump has previously said he will only consider a deal that tackles Iran’s uranium enrichment programmes as well as its vast stockpiles. However, Iran has argued it is entitled to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.

The draft memorandum also states that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon will be brought to an end, according to Axios.

This has prompted concerns in Israel, with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, reportedly calling Mr Trump on Saturday to register his worries about that condition as well as other aspects of the deal.

Mr Trump said that the phone call with Mr Netanyahu “went very well”.

A source familiar with the issue told The Telegraph that Israel had “zero confidence in Iran or the deal”, adding: “But of course Israel is being very careful with what they’re saying publicly.

“Israel was hoping and pushing for a deal with guarantees from Trump that the highly enriched uranium would be dealt with. However, not all details are out yet and completely settled.”

Mr Netanyahu will convene a “limited” security cabinet at 6pm local time to discuss the emerging deal between the US and Iran.

Israel’s Channel 12 cited a senior Israeli official who said the deal sent a “dangerous” signal to Iran that the Strait of Hormuz could be as powerful as a nuclear weapon.

Dan Shapiro, former US ambassador to Israel, told Israel’s Army Radio that the deal was “not good” and “very weak” but that it was the “least bad option” other than a deal that would have maintained all sanctions.

The US president held talks on Saturday with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey, who reportedly urged him to assent to the nascent agreement.

Pakistan, which mediated negotiations between US and Iranian delegations in April, hoped to host another round of talks “very soon”, said Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistani prime minister.

He said Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief who visited Tehran on Friday, also joined the call, which “provided a useful opportunity to exchange views on ... how to move the ongoing peace efforts forward to bring lasting peace in the region”.

Sir Keir Starmer said any agreement between the US and Iran must ensure “unconditional and unrestricted” access to the Strait of Hormuz.

“I welcome the progress towards an agreement between the US and Iran,” Sir Keir said. “We need to see an agreement that brings the conflict to an end and reopens the Strait of Hormuz, with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation.”

He added: “It’s vital that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. My Government will continue to do everything we can to protect British people from the impact of this conflict.”

US-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb 28 sparked the war, with fighting persisting for weeks before a temporary ceasefire came into force in April.

“Final aspects and details of the deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly,” Mr Trump said, without providing details.