Month: October 2025

Lorraine Kelly strips off as part of ground-breaking Change + Check campaign raising awareness of breast cancer

TV star Lorraine Kelly has stripped off Calendar Girls-style for the first time – with only a pair of strategically-placed buns covering her modesty. Speaking to the Mirror about her first topless shoot, she joked how she worried her team would be “traumatised” by the sight of her bare flesh.

The shoot was all in aid of the show’s National Check Your Boobs Day initiative within its Lorraine’s Change + Check campaign. Lorraine admits: “I just loved this idea. It’s cheeky and funny and is a nod to the wonderful Calendar Girls.

“It also gave me the chance to say the iconic line “we’re going to need considerably bigger buns”.

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Opening up about stripping off, Lorraine adds: “I didn’t feel in any way vulnerable or uncomfortable as I was with my team who are my friends, and our amazing photographer had also gone through breast cancer herself. My editor Victoria asked if I was comfortable being filmed and I told her I was fine, but to check with the crew in case they would be traumatised!!

“It was all very light-hearted, and after all it’s all about getting the Change + Check message across.” The photograph was taken by photographer Sally Mais, a survivor of breast cancer.

The new day will take place today which show bosses hope will serve as a crucial reminder for everyone to make self-checking a regular monthly habit. Lorraine is even after an official endorsement from Prime Minister Keir Starmer to establish the day on the national calendar. It comes as the The Change + Check campaign is now officially endorsed by the NHS.

Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton said: “It’s so incredibly important to check for the signs of breast cancer because we know early diagnosis leads to better outcomes. The Change + Check campaign is a brilliant way for people out and about shopping on their local high street to quickly check themselves as they get changed, knowing the advice is accurate and officially supporting the NHS.”

Asda will also be selling specially created Change + Check ‘iced busty buns’ in their stores throughout the month of October, and the Change + Check sticker will now be visible in Boots pharmacies across the country. Lorraine says the campaign is one of the things she is most proud of in her 40 year career. She said: “Every year the campaign just gets bigger and bigger, and I am so proud of the work we’ve done and the lives we’ve helped to save.

“Launching Britain’s first ever ‘National Check Your Boobs Day’ is a huge step forward and will hopefully be a crucial reminder for everyone to prioritise their breast health. This is something that truly matters to me, and I’m so grateful for all the support we receive from the public and our partners to get this vital message out there.”

Founded by Lorraine producer Helen Addis MBE and host Lorraine Kelly CBE in 2019, the campaign aims to destigmatise conversations around breast cancer. Over the past seven years, more than 100 women and one man have contacted the show to report that they have received a breast cancer diagnosis as a result of seeing the campaign.

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Los Angeles County agreed to pay $20 million Tuesday to the family of Noah Cuatro, a 4-year-old Palmdale boy who was tortured to death by his parents in 2019.

The case brought intense scrutiny of the county’s child welfare system after it was revealed that the Department of Children and Family Services had failed to remove Noah from his parents despite a court order.

DCFS had been given 10 days to get Noah away from his parents and seen by a doctor after multiple reports of neglect and abuse, The Times previously reported. The department ignored the order.

He died less than two months later, right before his fifth birthday. His parents later pleaded no contest to murder and torture charges.

“He always begged me not to send him to his parents,” said Eva Hernandez, Noah’s great-grandmother. “I tried to explain to him so many times, but he didn’t understand. He’d take his little hands and look into my eyes and say, ‘Don’t make me go there.’”

Eva Hernandez cries while remembering her great-grandson Noah Cuatro as the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors prepares to approve a $20-million settlement to his family.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Hernandez sued DCFS in 2020, alleging the department had failed her grandson and should have intervened to keep him safe. Cuatro had been under the supervision of the agency from the time he was born because his mother had been accused of fracturing his half sister’s skull.

The child welfare department said since Noah’s death they’ve hired thousands of social workers to decrease caseloads and retrained social workers on interviewing techniques and use of forensic exams.

“It is DCFS’ hope that this resolution gives Noah’s family a sense of peace,” the department said in a statement. “DCFS remains committed to learning from the past, improving its work, and operating with transparency.”

At the time of his death, Noah remained under supervision by DCFS despite more than a dozen reports to the child abuse hotline and police from callers who believed that he and his siblings were being abused.

Attorney Brian Claypool, who represented Cuatro’s family in the lawsuit, said Noah’s death was a direct result of the county failing to follow the court order to remove him from his parents. A Superior Court judge had agreed to remove him after a social worker filed a 26-page request with the court, citing evidence of abuse.

“The county really blew it with the removal order. There’s no excuse for them not to have picked up Noah,” Claypool said. “The most shocking, upsetting part of this case is when I took the deposition of the social worker in the case and the two supervisors, none of the individuals read the petition of all the abuse that was submitted to the court. That was inexcusable.”

Eva Hernandez holds a photo of her great-grandson Noah Cuatro.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Noah’s parents initially called 911 on July 5, 2019, saying their son had drowned in a swimming pool of their apartment complex, but authorities grew suspicious after finding the boy unconscious and dry in the apartment. Doctors later found bruises across his body and signs of “mottling” around his neck.

County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Palmdale, called his death a “heartbreaking tragedy.”

“While nothing can undo the harm he suffered, today’s $20 million settlement awarded to his surviving siblings and grandmother provides some measure of support as they continue to heal,” she said in a statement. “Noah’s life was not in vain. His case has reinforced the need for ongoing review of child welfare cases, stronger partnerships with our schools, and a stabilized DCFS workforce to better protect children in the Antelope Valley. Noah leaves behind a legacy — he will not be forgotten.”

His great-grandmother, Hernandez, said she still thinks of him every day.

“I know that he’s not suffering anymore,” she said.

After a disappointing start to the season in which UCLA’s offense ranked among the worst in the nation, the Bruins and offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri mutually parted ways Tuesday evening, a university official told The Times.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the move has not been publicly announced.

Sunseri becomes the second coordinator to depart in the wake of coach DeShaun Foster’s dismissal, after defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe left earlier this month in another mutual parting of ways.

Tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel will be the offensive playcaller when the Bruins (0-4 overall, 0-1 Big Ten) face No. 7 Penn State (3-1, 0-1) on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Plans are underway to finalize additional staff and it is anticipated that former UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone will assume analyst responsibilities, pending completion of the appropriate university processes.

Neuheisel and Mazzone have a long history together, starting when Mazzone was UCLA’s offensive coordinator and Neuheisel a backup quarterback from 2012-15. After a stint playing professionally in Japan, Neuheisel joined Texas A&M’s staff as a quality control assistant before the 2017 season at the urging of Mazzone, then the Aggies’ offensive coordinator.

“He said, ‘You’re coming with me, I don’t care what you say,’ ” Neuheisel recalled. “And I said, ‘You’re right, I’m coming.’ I got on the next plane to Texas A&M.”

Sunseri’s hiring was hailed as a coup for the Bruins given that he was co-offensive coordinator last season at Indiana, which averaged 47.8 points on the way to reaching the College Football Playoff. But the Bruins’ offense has struggled mightily in Sunseri’s first season as a playcaller, averaging 14.2 points to rank No. 132 out of 134 major college teams. UCLA also averaged 321.2 yards per game, ranking No. 117 nationally.

The lack of offensive production has been a big reason why UCLA has fallen behind in every game, trailing 20-0 against Utah, 23-0 against Nevada Las Vegas, 14-0 against New Mexico and 17-0 against Northwestern.

Sunseri also couldn’t replicate the success he had as quarterbacks coach at Indiana and James Madison. While UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava has completed a career-high 65.3% of his passes, he’s averaging only 197 passing yards per game and has logged nearly as many interceptions (three) as touchdowns (four), leading to a career-low quarterback rating.

Mazzone helped generate dynamic, high-scoring offenses in four seasons under then-UCLA coach Jim Mora. Mazzone later served as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M and Arizona before going on to serve in that same capacity for three teams in the United States Football League and United Football League.

Mazzone, 68, favors no-huddle offenses light on plays and heavy on simplicity. He’s also known for tailoring offenses to his personnel, particularly the quarterbacks.

“I try to create space for playmakers,” Mazzone told The Times in 2012. “I’m going to get you the ball where all you’ve got to do is beat one guy man-to-man. I do that, then it’s up to you.”

Neuheisel is a lifelong Bruin, having been born at UCLA Medical Center before going on to play quarterback for the team his father once coached, coming off the bench to lead the Bruins to a come-from-behind victory over Texas in 2014. He returned to his alma mater in 2018 as a graduate assistant before subsequent promotions to wide receivers coach and tight ends coach.

One of Neuheisel’s most visible roles is leading postgame locker-room celebrations after victories, yelling, “It’s a great day to be a Bruin!” before players repeat the phrase.

Neuheisel’s latest promotion to playcaller represents another step toward what he’s long said was his dream job: UCLA head coach.

“I didn’t get to put roses on my shoulder as a player,” Neuheisel told The Times in 2016, referring to a Rose Bowl game tradition, “but I’m going to come back and put the roses on the players as a coach.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gathered 800 top US military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia for an unprecedented meeting, where he railed against “political correctness” and revealed 10 directives to restore strict standards on fitness, grooming, and discipline.

A NORMAL-looking terraced home has hit the market for £140,000 – but it hides a “satanic” secret.

The two-bedroom house went viral on TikTok after Ashleigh Anderson, 33, shared its unique decor with the world.

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The tattoo enthusiast bought the property in Barrhead, Scotland in 2022 and spent three years turning it into her dream home.

With its brick walls and manicured lawn, the house appears like a regular terraced home from the outside.

But inside lies a Goth’s paradise – fit with jet black cabinets and radiators, as well as signature Halloween-inspired artwork.

Ashleigh said her living room was inspired by a tattoo studio.

To achieve this particular look, she adorned the walls with a number of eclectic decorations.

The house features spooky sculptures and a large neon sign that covers part of the ink-coloured wall.

Eerie statues form the base of a glass-mounted coffee table, while dark sofa cushions are emblazoned with bold exaggerated eyes.

Meanwhile, two mannequin tattoo-covered legs poke out from either end of the sofa.

Continuing the gothic theme, skulls appear dotted around the room, alongside a zebra head taking pride of place by the steps.

Now on the market for £140,000, with Kelly Residential, the property has gained widespread acclaim for its “unexpected character”.

The listing reads: “This two-bedroom semi-detached property may appear understated from the outside, but step inside and you’ll discover a striking interior with a bold, gothic-inspired design.

“The front door opens into a spacious living room, where dark hardwood flooring, dramatic black walls, gothic artwork, and a distinctive tartan media wall create a stylish and memorable space.

“To the rear, the generous kitchen continues the contemporary feel with high-gloss black cabinets, integrated appliances, and ample worktop space, offering both flair and functionality.

“Upstairs, the main bedroom is large and finished with a neutral feature wall and built-in mirrored wardrobes.

“The second bedroom, currently arranged as a dressing room, offers ample space to serve as a comfortable double bedroom or versatile home office.

“Combining a bold interior aesthetic with practical modern living, this home is ideal for buyers seeking something truly distinctive.”

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Investors are bulled up on hypergrowth technology stocks right now, especially anything related to artificial intelligence (AI). I would guess that many readers have large exposure to these AI stocks that have been massive winners in the last few years.

There is nothing inherently wrong with allocating your portfolio to hypergrowth stocks. However, if you are an older or more conservative investor, now may be the perfect time to optimize your portfolio for performing through all market cycles. Hypergrowth AI stocks soar during bull markets, but when the inevitable bear market hits (like in 2022), they can crash. If you are not comfortable with 50% or higher drawdowns, more conservative dividend-paying stocks may be for you.

One ultra-high dividend-yielding stock that has done well so far in 2025 is Altria Group (MO 0.66%). The tobacco and nicotine giant has a dividend yielding over 6%. Does that make it the perfect stock to buy in preparation for a market crash?

Steady tobacco cash flows

Altria owns brands like Marlboro cigarettes, oral tobacco products, cigars, and electronic nicotine vapes. It also has a large investment in Anheuser Busch.

Usage of cigarettes in the United States — Altria’s core market — has been in decline for years. The company has optimized its profits despite these declines through price increases, cost cuts, and financialization of its cigarette business. This has driven consolidated free cash flow at the company to grow by 59% in the last 10 years, hitting $8.7 billion over the last 12 months.

In order to build its business for the future, Altria is slowly investing to move beyond cigarettes. Its cigars business is steady, while electronic vaping and nicotine pouches continue to grow. Its On! nicotine pouch brand reported 26.5% volume growth last quarter. To further expand into new nicotine categories, Altria just partnered with KT&G Corporation out of South Korea for exposure to new nicotine pouch brands and investments into the energy space. It is too early to tell what the effect of this partnership will be, but it shows where Altria is focused for the future of its operations.

Image source: Getty Images.

Steady dividend growth

Cigarettes keep providing Altria with steady cash flow, bolstered by price increases. The stock now has a dividend yield of 6.27%, with its dividend per share payout growing steadily in the past 10 years, up 87.6% over that timespan.

The company is generating free cash flow per share of $5.15, versus the current annual dividend per share of $4.24. This gap between free cash flow and dividend obligations should allow the company to keep growing its dividend payout to shareholders, even at a starting yield of over 6%. Along with share repurchases that reduced shares outstanding and therefore make it easier to raise the dividend per share, Altria has a clear path to keep growing its dividend per share over the next decade, just as it has in the last one.

MO Dividend data by YCharts.

Is Altria Group a buy to prepare for a market crash?

Unlike other trendy businesses such as AI infrastructure investments that may experience huge levels of volatility in a market crash or recession, tobacco businesses such as Altria remain steady through all market environments. In fact, volumes for tobacco and nicotine usage actually improve when the economy is in rough shape.

That makes the stock a perfect buy to balance out a portfolio of hypergrowth AI names. If you own steady dividend stocks like Altria, not only do you get 6%+ back on your investment every year in cash, you might have a stock that does well when the market inevitably crashes. That could give you a counterbalance in your portfolio to take advantage of any dips.

If you are worried about having too much exposure to AI growth stocks, Altria Group may be the perfect ultra-high dividend-yielding stock for you.

The expression “stay woke” started out as an affirmation for African Americans.

In the last decade it has been used by some Republicans — and some Democrats — as a pejorative for people thought to be too “politically correct,” another term that took on negative connotations as it gained wider use.

“Woke” has come up in cultural and political firestorms. Eight months into his second term, President Trump pledged to review content at the Smithsonian Institution for being “WOKE” and where “everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was.” At the beginning of this year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared in his State of the State address that government would keep “woke agendas” out of universities and K-12 schools, including “woke gender ideologies.”

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was ending the “woke” culture in the military, saying the service has been hamstrung by political correctness. He referenced diversity efforts, transgender troops, environmental policies and other disciplinary rules.

“America is no longer woke under President Trump’s leadership. The word ‘woke’ represents radical ideologies that are used [to] divide the American people and harm our country,” Liz Huston, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement.

Here’s where “woke” came from, and how its meaning has evolved:

The history of ‘woke’

“Wokeness” originated decades ago as African American cultural slang for having awareness and enlightenment around racism, injustice, privilege or threats of white supremacist violence.

Several historians trace the idea to a 1923 compilation of speeches and articles by Jamaican-born Black nationalist Marcus Garvey. In one essay, Garvey writes “Wake up Ethiopia! Wake up Africa!” Another reference appears in 1938 in the song “Scottsboro Boys,” by blues artist Lead Belly, whose real name was Huddie Ledbetter. The tune follows the true story of four Black youths unjustly convicted by an all-white jury of the rape of two white women (they were later freed). The lyrics warn Black listeners to be careful and “stay woke. Keep your eyes open.”

Gerald McWorter, a professor emeritus of African American studies and of information sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, says “woke” was about having a voice after hundreds of years of Black suffering going back to the African slave trade.

The phrase also popped up in a 1962 essay by novelist William Melvin Kelley for the New York Times. The headline — “If You’re Woke, You Dig It.” Kelley’s widow and daughter believe he heard the term while walking around their Harlem neighborhood, said Elijah Watson, a pop culture writer and editor who has written about Kelley, who died in 2017.

‘Woke’ reawakening

In the 21st century, singer-songwriter Erykah Badu is often credited with reviving the term “woke.” Her song “Master Teacher” on her 2008 album, “New Amerykah: Part One,” includes the refrain “I stay woke.” Badu picked up the phrase from co-writer and producer Georgia Anne Muldrow, who heard it from a saxophone player she collaborated with — Lakecia Benjamin.

The 2014 fatal shooting by a white police officer of 18-year-old Michael Brown — who was Black and unarmed — in Ferguson, Mo., made “woke” and “stay woke” galvanizing pledges in the growing Black Lives Matter movement.

The movement drew support from other racial groups. “Woke” also became popularized by white liberals who wanted to show they were allies.

The war on woke

The backlash against “woke” and “wokeness” bubbled up in the 2010s, amid discussions about including more Black history in American history lessons. Many people said that bringing “critical race theory” to schools was meant to program children to feel guilty for being white.

This argument became front and center in 2022 when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act” into law. It banned teaching or business practices on race and gender. (The law is now on hold after a federal judge deemed it unconstitutional).

For George Pearson, a former chair of the Illinois Black Republican Coalition, “woke” is a hollow word.

Democratic politicians who purport to be “champions” of wokeness and DEI have done little for Black people, he said. So, “woke” has no sway as a rallying cry. He also thinks it’s unfair that those who do not support “woke-ism” are told “’you’re racist. You’re a homophobe. You’re a bigot.”

Even among liberal Black Americans, there is a debate whether the intention of “woke” does more harm than good.

Who says woke now?

In Watson’s experience, “woke” is no longer part of Black vernacular. If he hears it from anyone in his social circles, it’s almost always said “in jest.”

Some progressives are trying to take the word back. Academy Award-winning actor and activist Jane Fonda brought up being “woke” while receiving the Screen Actors Guild lifetime achievement award in front of an A-list audience.

“Make no mistake, empathy is not weak or woke. By the way, woke just means you give a damn about other people,” Fonda said.

Seena Hodges started her own business as a DEI strategist for individuals and groups in 2018 and called it the Woke Coach. She and her team consult on everything from workplace interactions to best recruiting practices. She touches on inclusion for groups from people of color to breastfeeding mothers.

The “bastardization” of “woke” and DEI as words akin to slurs doesn’t bother her, she said. To her, at its core being “woke” is about awareness.

“What it really boils down to is helping people develop a more acute level of emotional intelligence,” she said.

Tang writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Christopher Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.

It is the Mourinho who spent an age talking to another long-term Chelsea employee Thresa Conneely on Monday, the one who chatted to his former player Joe Cole after arriving 90 minutes before kick-off, relaxed with his arm draped on the one-time England star’s shoulder as he engaged in easy conversation. The one who stopped and signed a young Chelsea fan’s shirt before he headed to the dressing room for his pre-match team talk.

“Of course I thank them,” said Mourinho, when asked of the supporter reaction.

“I did it on the pitch. I live around here. I talk with them every day on the street.

“I hope to come back here [Stamford Bridge] in 20 years with my grandkids.

“They [Chelsea] belong to my history and I belong to theirs.”

Yet Mourinho wants to win. You could tell that as he challenged decisions and demanded more from his players, patrolling the touchline as he has always done.

It seemed odd to hear him talk about how well his team had played in defeat, even if the odds were stacked against them by the huge gap in income between England’s Champions League contenders and those from Portugal.

He sat in the same dugout as when he was manager, though it does make you wonder why the club waited for Mauricio Pochettino to change them given what is now the home dugout straddles the halfway line.

It did mean he was nearer the Benfica fans though, as he produced another classic Mourinho moment in the second half.

Chelsea might have paid the Lisbon club a British record £107m to sign Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez two years ago, but the money clearly has no bearing on how his old club’s supporters think about him.

As he went to take a corner, Fernandez was bombarded by missiles from the upper and lower sections of the stands around him.

Mourinho saw what was happening, bounced out of his seat and took off down the touchline – a reminder of when he was Porto manager at Old Trafford and celebrated knocking Manchester United out of the Champions League in 2004.

The knee slide is beyond him now. Instead, he kept himself to angry waves, telling those supporters to stop.

They might not all have acted as he wished but the bombardment at least reduced long enough for Fernandez to take the corner.

Jose the peacemaker. Jose the friend.

Benfica didn’t win – and Chelsea weren’t that good – but Mourinho’s return was memorable all the same.

There will always be mutual respect around here.

Time Out has released its list of the 39 coolest neighbourhoods in the world for 2025, and one unexpected UK area has made the cut for its community spirit and multiculturalism

The UK’s coolest neighbourhood has been unveiled, and the location might come as a shock. Prestigious travel guide Time Out has just dropped its annual list of the world’s 39 coolest neighbourhoods, with one unexpected British area securing a coveted place.

The publication updates this ranking yearly, spotlighting the latest districts that have earned “cool” status. Notable past UK entries like Stokes Croft and St Paul’s in Bristol failed to make this year’s cut.

London claims the title for Britain’s “coolest” neighbourhood, though it’s probably not the area you’d expect. Most people would immediately think of trendy spots like Camden, Shoreditch, Hackney, Dalston or Peckham when considering London’s hippest districts.

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Yet none of these well-known areas secured a place on the list. Instead, a compact but flourishing neighbourhood in London’s southeast corner has been crowned the country’s coolest district.

Time Out ranked Camberwell fourth on its global list of the world’s trendiest neighbourhoods, reports the Express. Contributor Lauren O’Neill praised this “community-oriented little patch” for its “young-at-heart vibe, the independent spirit, the multiculturalism”.

She added: “One of the big draws of the place, of course, is the food. Over the years, Camberwell Church Street has become the stuff of legend, and now, it’s easily one of the heaviest-hitting roads in the capital for hungry Londoners.”

For an ideal day out in Camberwell, the writer suggests kicking things off at Toad with a scrumptious sandwich and a cuppa, then heading over to the South London Art Gallery. While wandering around, she advises popping into Dash the Henge for some vinyl hunting, followed by a refreshing pint at The Clarendon.

When it comes to dining, she raves about “FM Mangal for Turkish food that absolutely always hits the spot.” Impressively, Camberwell has outshone a host of trendy global spots to clinch fourth place.

This year, it’s ranked above locales in Paris, Chicago, Lisbon, and New York. Another British area also made the cut, with Digbeth in Birmingham securing the number 13 position.

Time Out described Digbeth as possessing a “rough-edged beauty” and being a hub for the city’s creatives including writers, artists, and filmmakers.

Hopping over the Irish Sea, Dublin’s The Liberties nabbed the 23rd spot on the list. Known for housing the iconic Guinness Storehouse, The Liberties was lauded for its historic charm and an array of distinctive, traditional pubs, cafes, and distilleries.

The coolest neighbourhoods in the world for 2025, as per Time Out, are:

• Jimbōchō, Tokyo
• Borgerhout, Antwerp
• Barra Funda, Sao Paulo
• Camberwell, London
• Avondale, Chicago
• Mullae-dong, Seoul
• Ménilmontant, Paris
• Nakatsu, Osaka
• Vallila, Helsinki
• Labone, Accra
• Nguyen Thai Binh, Ho Chi Minh
• Anjos, Lisbon
• Digbeth, Birmingham
• Red Hook, New York
• Perpetuo Socorro, Medellín
• Burwood, Sydney
• Linden, Johannesburg
• Former French Concession, Shanghai
• Quartieri Spagnoli, Naples
• Bencoolen, Singapore
• Endoume, Marseille
• Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montréal
• The Liberties, Dublin
• North Melbourne, Melbourne
• Portales, Mexico City
• Davenport, Toronto
• Little River, Miami
• Kemang, Jakarta
• Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro
• Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
• Barranco, Lima
• Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
• Clarksville, Austin
• Margit-negyed, Budapest
• Glen Park, San Francisco
• MiZa, Abu Dhabi
• Villa Devoto, Buenos Aires
• Mehrauli, Delhi
• Poblacion, Metro Manila

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Sept. 30 (UPI) — Hollywood’s actors union SAG-AFTRA on Tuesday sounded the alarm over reports that talent agents are interested in signing Tilly Norwood, an actress generated by artificial intelligence.

SAG-AFTRA’s statement opposing the replacement of “human performers by synthetics” comes days after Deadline reported that AI studio Xicoia has engaged with multiple agents who are interested in signing the digital creation Tilly Norwood for representation.

Studios’ use of AI technology was a central issue in the 2023 SAG-AFTRA-led strike that was the longest actors’ work stoppage in Hollywood history. Now, Norwood’s emergence points to an ongoing source of dispute between studios and actors.

“To be clear, ‘Tilly Norwood’ is not an actor, it’s a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers – without permission or compensation,” SAG-AFTRA said in the statement. “It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we’ve seen, audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience.”

The union said that Norwood relies on “stolen performances” and will put actors out of work.

Norwood resembles a brunette twenty-something who speaks with a British accent and made her debut over the summer in a short AI-generated film. She already has an online presence.

Eline Van der Velden, an actor and technologist, revealed Saturday during a panel at the Zurich Summit that agents were interested in signing Norwood, the creation of the AI production studio Particle6 she founded, according to Deadline. She also said that studios and other entertainment companies were quietly embracing the technology.

“We were in a lot of boardrooms around February time, and everyone was like, ‘No, this is nothing. It’s not going to happen’. Then, by May, people were like, ‘We need to do something with you guys.’ When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘What’s that?’, and now we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her in the next few months,” said Van der Velden.

Van der Velden later responded to the initial backlash over Norwood, with a statement saying she is “not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art.”

But concerns about what Norwood means for the industry remain. Actress and producer Anne-Marie Johnson told Los Angeles NBC affiliate KNBC that “this is no laughing matter.”

“Our agents and our managers have to be partners in this because when we don’t get hired, they don’t get their commission,” she said.

Thanks to some Turkish fishermen, we are getting a pretty good look at a Ukrainian Magura drone boat they found last night. Also known as an uncrewed surface vessel (USV), the Maguras have become a key component in Ukraine’s campaign against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet (BSF). It was found days after a video emerged on social media showing a claimed Russian capture of another Magura, which you can read more about later in this story.

This explosive-laden Magura was found offshore near the town of Çarşıbaşı, according to Turkish authorities. The town is located about 900 miles from Ukrainian-held territory on the southeastern shore of the Black Sea. The location is about 600 miles southeast of the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, where Ukraine has carried out the bulk of its USV attacks.

“Our fishermen found a fiber boat at sea last night and brought it to the port,” the Turkish IHA media outlet reported on Tuesday. “Authorities came and inspected it. It was determined that there was a bomb inside. The boat is sitting in our port. Our fishermen cannot enter the port; we have closed the port to fishermen, and we are suffering because of this. The bomb squad is coming. We are waiting for them.”

IHA and Russian Telegram channels described the USV as a Magura V5 model, which seems to line up with what we have seen in previous imagery, given the location of the electro-optical turret in relation to the bow.

As you can see in the following video and image, the Magura has the aforementioned gyro-stabilized electro-optical turret. In addition, it appears there are two planar satellite antenna arrays atop the hull.

A third satcom antenna array can be seen on the broken riser.

Though originally designed and used primarily as a kamikaze drone boat, GUR has used several variants of the Maguras to perform different functions. They include launching first-person view (FPV) and bomber drones, firing machine guns and serving as a platform for anti-aircraft missiles. The one recovered in Turkey did not appear to have FPV drone launchers, missile rails or gun turrets.

Last December, GUR claimed it fired an adapted R-73 (AA-11 Archer) air-to-air missile from a Magura V5 to down a Russian Mi-8 Hip helicopter over the Black Sea. It marked the first known time a USV had ever shot down an aircraft. The attack is visible in the following video.

Ukraine also claimed it began to launch FPVs from its Maguras back in January. In early May 2025, we were the first to report that (GUR) used its newer Magura V7 USV, armed with a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles, to shoot down a pair of Russian Su-30 Flanker fighters flying over the Black Sea. That attack was also captured on video.

This is not the first Magura variant that Ukraine has lost control of. Images showing up on social media over the years show the evolution of these weapons, with improved optics, guidance systems and increased length.

Our first glimpse of Ukraine’s USVs came in September 2022, when photos showed up on X a month before sea drones began to become Ukraine’s weapon of choice against the BSF. The USV was recovered near the city of Sevastopol, home to the headquarters of the BSF. 

In October 2022, Ukraine launched the first in a wave of what would be a game-changing campaign, using USVs and aerial drones to attack Sevastopol. Since then, drone boats have been used numerous times against targets.

You can see a portion of that attack in the following video.

Ukraine released a video from today’s attack on Sevastopol. It shows a naval drone targeting the Black Sea Fleet’s Admiral Makarov Project 11356 frigate, which Russian sources said was damaged (it replaced the Moskva as the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship). https://t.co/zdAeWUvDrb pic.twitter.com/TNnIu4OIap

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 29, 2022

Images of another captured Magura were seen on X in November 2023. It was captured intact by Russia in western Crimea, Russian milbloggers reported on Telegram. It was attempting to attack Russian ships in western Crimea “when it fell into Russian hands,” the Russian Military Informant Telegram channel stated. In commenting on the capture, the Two Majors Telegram channel offered an ominous warning: “Soon a surprise will await the enemy,” a seeming indication that Russia might work to reverse engineer this USV. At the very least, they will pull it apart to gain any new intelligence they can, especially in regards to how they can disrupt their communications and what kind of drones they are using to attack targets on land.

Just a few days before the Turkish fishermen found the Magura, an undated video emerged online of what was claimed to be one captured by the Russians. It appeared to be outfitted with canisters for launching FPV drones. However, the location of the video and when it was captured remain unclear.

The Russians inspect a captured Ukrainian Magura Naval Drone outfitted with fibre optic drones onto.

This thing must look like a spaceship to the average Russian caveman. pic.twitter.com/zaqoDS5sZi

— Bricktop_NAFO (@Bricktop_NAFO) September 27, 2025

As we previously noted, Ukraine’s early drone boat attacks on the BSF were a “wakeup call,” marking a new point in unmanned warfare. These attacks have proven that a nation with nearly no significant remaining traditional navy but an array of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) can keep one of the world’s largest navies at bay.

Ukraine’s drone boat attacks have pinned down the BSF, keeping it largely away from Crimea and putting it at risk even in Russia’s eastern Black Sea ports. These attacks have removed larger Russian naval assets from operating in the northwestern Black Sea totally.

It is unknown what Turkish authorities will do with the drone boat that was recovered. At the very least, the fishermen will have a cool story to tell about the one that didn’t get away.

Contact the author: [email protected]

In the latest salvo between Hollywood and artificial intelligence companies, tech start-up Character.AI has removed many Disney characters from its chatbot platform after the Burbank entertainment giant sent the firm a cease-and-desist letter, alleging copyright infringement.

Chatbots on the Character.AI platform impersonated well-known Disney characters such as Elsa, Moana, Peter Parker and Darth Vader and generated replies that simulated the “essence, goodwill, and look and feel of each character” and also incorporated their backstories, according to a letter dated Sept. 18 from a law firm representing Disney.

“These actions mislead and confuse consumers, including vulnerable young people, to believe that they are interacting with Disney’s characters, and to falsely believe that Disney has licensed these characters to, and endorsed their use by, Character.ai,” the letter said. “In fact, Character.ai is freeriding off the goodwill of Disney’s famous marks and brands, and blatantly infringing Disney’s copyrights.”

Disney also raised concerns about reports that chatbots have engaged users in inappropriate conversations.

A spokesperson for the Menlo Park-based startup said in an email that Character.AI responds “swiftly” to rights holders’ requests to remove content and noted that all of the characters on the service are generated by users.

On Tuesday afternoon, a few Disney characters remained on the platform, including Elsa from the hit animated film “Frozen.” The spokesperson said removing the characters is a process.

“We want to partner with the industry and rightsholders to empower them to bring their characters to our platform,” the spokesperson said. “Our goal is to give IP owners the tools to create controlled, engaging and revenue-generating experiences from deep fandom for their characters and stories, expanding their reach using our new, interactive format.”

Friction between Hollywood studios and AI firms has been growing.

In June, Disney and Comcast’s Universal Pictures sued AI company Midjourney, alleging that its image generator infringed on its copyrighted characters from franchises such as “Star Wars” and “Despicable Me.”

Warner Bros. Discovery joined the legal fight earlier this month, alleging that Midjourney’s software was producing rip-offs of characters such as Scooby-Doo and Superman.

Ryanair has launched a brand new flight route to a popular Italian tourist hot spot which will make it easy for Brits to travel to – and it will create over 800 new jobs

Ryanair has announced a brand new holiday destination for Brits looking for a sunny getaway for next year.

A beautiful Italian holiday spot is now easier than ever to access, and it’s part of an ‘exciting’ expansion of the airlines presence in the EU country.

The new route, that will go from Bournemouth Airport to the western tip of Sicily in Trapani-Marsala will begin operation in January 2026 and the airline said it will “enhance connectivity and the availability of low fares for Sicilian residents”.

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It comes after Sicilian authorities decided to scrap the Municipal Tax at its smaller regional airports in Trapani-Marsala, and scrapping this levy has made access to the areas easier for tourists.

According to Daily Express, Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson said: “As Europe and Italy’s number one airline, Ryanair is delighted to announce this major investment at Trapani-Marsala with the opening of a new base from January 2026. We’ve worked closely with both the regional government and Airgest teams to deliver this exciting investment.

“Since first flying to Sicily in 2003, Ryanair has carried more than 100 million passengers to and from Sicily [and] our new Trapani-Marsala base will deliver two new aircraft, 23 routes, more than one million passengers annually and support over 800 local jobs.

“Ryanair welcomes [Sicilian] President Schifani and the Sicilian Government’s decision to scrap the Municipal Tax at the smaller Sicilian airports, and now is the right time to take the next step. Extending this measure to all Sicilian airports would unlock further connectivity, deliver low fares and strengthen year-round connectivity for Sicilian citizens and visitors.”

Alongside its route to and from Bournemouth, in southwest England, the site will see the launch of services to London, Baden-Baden, Bari, Bratislava, Brussels, Katowice, Pescara, Saarbrücken, Stockholm and Verona. The move also means there is a creation of 800 local jobs and will facilitate 23 new routes and 260,000 extra seats.

Mr Wilson has also urged the Italian government to “scrap” the Municipal Tax at all Italian airports, as Ryanair is prepared to invest $4 billion (£3 billion) in Italy.

Adding 40 new aircraft, 20 million additional passengers and over 250 new routes. Byscrapping this tax, it will “stimulate capacity” as well as help to reduce fares and drive economic growth.

He has also previously challenged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over a 0.5 euro per passenger rise in the municipal surtax for non-EU flights for airports exceeding 10 million passengers a year. He described it as a “short-sighted and regressive” policy that would be “damaging” for Italian tourism.

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Ulta Beauty (ULTA -1.26%) is back in favor. After a volatile stretch last year, Ulta shares are up roughly 25% year to date as investors warm to improving trends across the specialty beauty retailer. The company operates about 1,500 U.S. stores plus e-commerce and salon services, aiming to be a one-stop destination for mass and prestige cosmetics, skin care, hair care, and fragrance.

That rebound raises a reasonable question: Can the stock continue to climb from here? The latest numbers were encouraging, and management was confident enough to lift the company’s full-year outlook substantially. But when considered in light of the current valuation and a fierce rivalry with Sephora, expectations may now be about right rather than too low.

Image source: Getty Images.

Recent results point to healthy momentum

Ulta’s second quarter of 2025 showed solid progress in the areas investors care about, helping provide some support for the stock’s higher valuation.

Net sales rose 9.3% to about $2.8 billion, driven by a 6.7% increase in comparable sales (helped by both higher transactions and a higher average ticket). Gross margin expanded to 39.2% from 38.3%, aided by lower shrink and stronger merchandise margin, while earnings per share (EPS) increased 9% to $5.78 despite some selling, general, and administrative expenses (SG&A) deleverage, as incentives and store payroll increased. Management also continued returning cash to investors, repurchasing about $110 million of stock in the quarter and roughly $468 million year to date, with about $2.2 billion still authorized under its program. In the context of the stock’s market capitalization of $24.5 billion as of this writing, this is substantial.

Management was largely upbeat.

“Outstanding top line performance, fueled by growth across all major categories, drove market share growth and better-than-expected profitability,” Ulta CEO Kecia Steelman said in the company’s Q2 earnings release,

However, Steelman also offered some cautious words, saying, “Our outlook for the remainder of the year reflects both the strength of our year-to-date performance and our caution around how consumer demand may evolve in the second half of the year.”

Ultimately, however, Ulta did raise its full-year outlook. The company now expects fiscal 2025 net sales between $12 billion and $12.1 billion, comparable-sales growth of 2.5% to 3.5%, operating margin of 11.9% to 12%, and EPS of $23.85 to $24.30. Store opening plans also nudged higher.

Fairly valued

With the stock trading right around record highs, the debate shifts from “are trends stabilizing?” to “what’s already priced in?”

Trading at $547 at the time of this writing, Ulta trades around 23 times the midpoint of its full-year EPS guidance. That isn’t stretched for a high-quality retailer with a strong brand, improving comps, and prudent capital returns, but it also doesn’t leave a lot of slack if growth slows or margins stall.

Additionally, competition remains a key factor. Sephora, owned by LVMH, continues to post growth in revenue and profit and is adding market share globally — evidence that beauty demand is healthy but also that Ulta isn’t competing in a vacuum.

If Ulta’s comparable-sales growth holds in the low-to-mid-single digits, gross margin remains around 39%, and the company executes on modest store growth and omnichannel initiatives, today’s price could still deliver respectable returns. Furthermore, the company’s buyback authorization — about $2.2 billion remaining as of early August — also provides a steady tailwind. But there are risks: Higher incentives and store labor are lifting SG&A as a percentage of sales; inventory climbed to support brand launches and store additions; and management itself flagged uncertainty around consumer demand in the back half.

Overall, Ulta looks fairly valued after its run-up this year. Yes, the business is executing well, trends have improved, and guidance moved higher. From here, however, upside likely depends on either continued comp outperformance or further margin expansion, neither of which is guaranteed in a competitive, promotion-sensitive category. Investors already holding the stock can stay patient, given the company’s solid fundamentals and ongoing repurchases. Potential buyers, however, might want to wait for a better entry point — either on a pullback or a period when the stock treads water and earnings catch up.

BOSTON — The Trump administration violated the Constitution when it targeted non-U.S. citizens for deportation solely for supporting Palestinians and criticizing Israel, a federal judged said Tuesday in a scathing ruling directly and sharply criticizing President Trump and his policies as serious threats to free speech.

U.S. District Judge William Young in Boston agreed with several university associations that the policy they described as ideological deportation violates the 1st Amendment as well as the Administrative Procedure Act, a law governing how federal agencies develop and issue regulations. Young also found the policy was “arbitrary or capricious because it reverses prior policy without reasoned explanation.”

“This case — perhaps the most important ever to fall within the jurisdiction of this district court — squarely presents the issue whether non-citizens lawfully present here in [the] United States actually have the same free speech rights as the rest of us. The Court answers this Constitutional question unequivocally ‘yes, they do,’” Young, a nominee of Republican President Reagan, wrote.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Plaintiffs in the case welcomed the ruling.

“The Trump administration’s attempt to deport students for their political views is an assault on the Constitution and a betrayal of American values,” said Todd Wolfson, president of the American Assn. of University Professors union. “This trial exposed their true aim: to intimidate and silence anyone who dares oppose them. If we fail to fight back, Trump’s thought police won’t stop at pro-Palestinian voices—they will come for anyone who speaks out.”

The ruling came after a trial during which lawyers for the associations presented witnesses who testified that the Trump administration had launched a coordinated effort to target students and scholars who had criticized Israel or showed sympathy for Palestinians.

“Not since the McCarthy era have immigrants been the target of such intense repression for lawful political speech,” Ramya Krishnan, senior staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute, told the court. “The policy creates a cloud of fear over university communities, and it is at war with the First Amendment.”

The student detentions, primarily on the East Coast, had caused widespread concern at California universities, which host the largest international student population in the nation and were home to major pro-Palestinian encampments in 2024. At UCLA, faculty earlier this year set up a 24-hour hotline for students who feared being potentially detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — although there were no high-profile targeted removals of international student activists.

In separate actions this year, the government also temporarily revoked visas and immigration statuses for students across the UC system and at other U.S. campuses based on minor violations such as traffic tickets. Revocations were reversed nationwide after a federal suit was filed.

In the Boston case, lawyers for the Trump administration put up witnesses who testified there was no ideological deportation policy as the plaintiffs contended.

“There is no policy to revoke visas on the basis of protected speech,” Victoria Santora told the court. “The evidence presented at this trial will show that plaintiffs are challenging nothing more than government enforcement of immigration laws.”

John Armstrong, the senior bureau official in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, testified that visa revocations were based on long-standing immigration law. Armstrong acknowledged he played a role in the visa revocation of several high-profile activists, including Rumeysa Ozturk and Mahmoud Khalil, and was shown memos endorsing their removal.

Armstrong also insisted that visa revocations were not based on protected speech and rejected accusations that there was a policy of targeting someone for their ideology.

One witness testified that the campaign targeted more than 5,000 pro-Palestinian protesters. Out of the 5,000 names reviewed, investigators wrote reports on about 200 who had potentially violated U.S. law, Peter Hatch of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit testified. Until this year, Hatch said, he could not recall a student protester being referred for a visa revocation.

Among the report subjects was Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Khalil, who was released last month after 104 days in federal immigration detention. Khalil has become a symbol of Trump’s clampdown on the protests.

Another was Tufts University student Ozturk, who was released in May from six weeks in detention after being arrested on a suburban Boston street. She said she was illegally detained after an op-ed she co-wrote last year criticizing her school’s response to the war in Gaza.

Casey writes for the Associated Press. Times staff writer Jaweed Kaleem contributed to this report.

LeBron James did not participate in the Lakers’ first day of training camp Tuesday because of “nerve irritation in the glute.”

James’ teammates Marcus Smart, Gabe Vincent and Adou Thiero were “under either return to play protocols or modified protocols” during the team’s first sessions.

James is entering his NBA-record 23rd season and the goal is to ramp him up to be ready for the regular-season opener Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.

“Yeah, I think it’s probably a little bit longer of a ramp-up leading into opening night for him just obviously in Year 23, it’s uncharted territory here,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “So, I felt, and in talking with performance and in talking with Mike (Mancias, James’ personal trainer) and LeBron, like probably did too much last year in camp, which was great for me as a first-year head coach to get buy-in from him.

“But it’ll be a slower process with him leading into the first game. He’s obviously got 22 years so far of wear and tear on the body and he’s dealing with a little bit of nerve irritation in the glute. So, we’re just playing the long game with LeBron.”

Redick said Vincent was “just modified” and the hope is that he’ll play in the preseason game Friday against the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert.

“He should be good to go live by the end of the week and we expect him to be able to play Friday,” Redick said. “And that’s just, again, the management of, as we did last year as well.”

Smart could be seen shooting after practice, but the Lakers are taking it slow with him as well.

“Marcus, he’s dealing with a little bit of Achilles’ tendinopathy,” Redick said. “He’s been in a slow ramp-up. He was a modified participant, nothing live today. He’s expected to be fine by the end of the week.”

Thiero said Monday that he still has some “swelling” in his left knee that kept him out playing in the summer league in Las Vegas and has slowed his time on the court since then.

Redick said Thiero was running, cutting and jumping with coaches, but that they will take it slow with him.

“It’s really about playing the long game with him,” Redick said. “We look at this year as a developmental year and there’s no reason for us to push his body and create a long-term problem. His knee is in a really good spot. We just want to be really careful.”

Redick said, “that’s the goal,” when asked if James will be ready to play in the season opener.

James, 40, has played 71,104 minutes over his career, including the playoffs.

“You’ll hear me use this a lot: it is unchartered territory,” Redick said. “I don’t think there’s a proven way to handle someone who has this much mileage, this many minutes, been asked to do so many things on both ends of the court. We asked a lot of him last year, we asked a lot of him to start the year in camp, so it’s just working as a partnership and trying to figure it out.”

Even with James not practicing, Austin Reaves said it won’t be a problem for the three leaders to find ways to make it smooth for their teammates.

Along with James and Luka Doncic, Reaves is viewed as one of the Lakers’ stars and he says James always is engaged even when he doesn’t practice.

“Yeah, just communication,” Reaves said. “To have good dialogue back and forth, what everybody likes, what we can do to be successful. With him being one of the highest IQ guys to ever play the game, I think it’s not that hard to piece it in even if he’s not out there right now, He sees the game just as good as anybody that has ever played the game. So, like I said, it’s having conversations, dialogue back and forth what we feel like we can do to help our team be successful is going to be, I think, key.”

China is rolling out a new visa aimed at attracting foreign talent in the fields of science and technology.

The K visa comes into effect from Wednesday, following a proclamation last month by the State Council, China’s cabinet.

The visa has attracted particular attention in light of United States President Donald Trump’s tightening of the eligibility rules for the H-1B, which Silicon Valley heavily relies on to recruit skilled labour from overseas.

What is the goal of the K visa, and how does it work?

The Chinese government has cast the visa as part of its efforts to attract foreign talent to boost the country’s competitiveness in science and technology.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Guo Jiakun on Tuesday said the visa’s purpose was to “promote exchanges and cooperation” between science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent from China and other countries.

The visa is the latest in a series of recent reforms intended to make China more attractive to foreigners, including streamlined visa processing and the introduction of a redesigned permanent residency card.

“From the 1980s to the 2010s, China used to lose talent to developed countries such as the United States,” Zhigang Tao, a professor of strategy and economics at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing, told Al Jazeera.

“Now the task is to keep local talent and also attract some global talent.”

Chinese officials have said the K visa, which will be open to graduates of recognised universities and young professionals engaged in STEM-related fields, will offer more flexible conditions than existing options.

The main advantage of the visa is that, unlike previous skilled migrant programmes, it does not require sponsorship by an employer.

However, many key details of the visa remain unclear, including duration of stay and unspecified requirements related to age, educational background and work experience.

Is the K visa likely to attract foreign talent?

Edward Hu, immigration director at consultancy Newland Chase in Shanghai, said there has been strong interest in the visa, with inquiries up more than 30 percent since August.

Hu said there has been particularly strong interest from prospective applicants in India, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US.

“The K visa fills a gap in China’s talent system by lowering entry barriers for younger STEM talents – complementing the existing R visa, which targets top-tier experts,” Hu told Al Jazeera, referring to the visa as a “strategic move” to position China as a top destination for early-career STEM talent.

The R visa, introduced in 2013, is aimed at “high-level and professional” foreigners who are “urgently needed” by the state, and requires sponsorship by an “inviting organisation”.

Still, China’s drive to expand its talent pool with the K visa faces challenges.

While China has made moves to open to foreigners, the country is still far less internationalised than the US.

Unlike the US, China rarely grants citizenship to foreigners.

While Chinese permanent residency is more feasible to obtain, it is still only granted to a tiny fraction compared with the roughly one million non-US citizens who receive green cards each year.

Chinese work environments also present a language barrier for English-speaking applicants when compared with their Silicon Valley counterparts.

Michael Feller, chief strategist at Sydney-based business consultancy Geopolitical Strategy, said Chinese companies would need to offer English-language roles and “international-style” work schedules to compete with US firms.

“I can’t imagine many foreign graduates interested in the ‘9-9-6’ work-life balance that many Chinese firms are known for,” Feller told Al Jazeera, referring to the 72-hour workweek famously endorsed by Alibaba founder Jack Ma.

What does the K visa have to do with the H-1B?

While China’s drive to recruit talent has cast Trump’s crackdown on immigration in sharp relief, there is no direct link between the introduction of the K visa and his moves to rein in access to the H-1B.

Beijing officially unveiled its visa on August 7, weeks before Trump announced the introduction of a $100,000 fee on H-1B applications, sending shockwaves through the tech sector, especially in India, the source of about 70 percent of visa recipients.

However, many observers have suggested that the US’s inward turn could be to the benefit of other countries seeking to attract talent, including China.

“The K visa is incredible timing from China’s perspective,” Feller said.

“It’s unlikely that Beijing knew that Washington was about to hike the fees for its own H-1B visa category, but it certainly gives the K visa added impetus in the global war for talent.”

Hu of Newland Chase said he expected the shift in policy around the H-1B to “significantly boost” the appeal of the K visa, “positioning it as a timely alternative for affected talent”.

“The K visa offers a low-cost, sponsor-free pathway – aligning with the global surge in STEM talent demand and making China a more accessible option,” he said.

The United Nations Security Council has voted to expand an international security force deployed to Haiti and transform it into a so-called “Gang Suppression Force”.

The resolution passed by the council on Tuesday provides a clear mandate for the force to work with local authorities to “neutralise, isolate, and deter” gangs, secure infrastructure, and seek to secure institutional stability. It would raise the personnel ceiling from 2,500 in the current mission, first approved in 2023, to 5,550 personnel.

The resolution also requests that the UN secretary-general establish a UN Support Office in Haiti to provide increased logistical support amid the Caribbean nation’s overlapping security, humanitarian and political crises.

“The result today allows us to have the necessary reconfiguration on the ground in order to face the gangs and, therefore, address the insecurity situation in the country,” Panama’s Representative to the UN Eloy Alfaro De Alba said following the vote.

“Today, we say to Haiti that, once and for all, you are not alone,” Alfaro De Alba said.

Panama and the United States first introduced the latest resolution in August. It passed on Tuesday with 12 votes in favour and none against. Permanent Security Council members China and Russia, along with rotating member Pakistan, abstained from the vote.

Following the vote, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia said “the tools of international assistance to Haiti” previously approved by the Security Council had “failed to produce any sustainable results”.

He criticised the resolution for having a “virtually unrestricted mandate to use force against anyone and everyone labelled with the vague term ‘gangs’”, while further calling the plan “ill-conceived and rushed”.

Haiti has a controversial history when it comes to foreign intervention, particularly in light of rampant sexual abuses committed by peacekeepers deployed in the wake of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. The forces were also responsible for a cholera outbreak that killed about 10,000 people.

But speaking last week, during the United Nations General Assembly General Debate, Laurent Saint-Cyr, the current chairman of the Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti, voiced support for a new force, noting that the Kenyan-led security support mission deployed for more than 15 months in the country remains woefully understaffed and underfunded.

Fewer than 1,000 police officers have been deployed under the mission, which is officially set to end on October 2, despite an initial pledge of 2,500. Nearly all of the capital, Port au Prince, remains under the control of powerful gangs.

“It is a war between criminals who want to impose violence as the social order and an unarmed population struggling to preserve human dignity,” Saint-Cyr said.

According to the UN, at least 1.3 million Haitians remain internally displaced due to violence, with 5.7 million facing food insecurity. At least 3,100 people have been killed in violent incidents between January and June 2025. At least 2,300 grave violations against children have been recorded.

The country is also in the midst of a political crisis that began with the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. A general election has been repeatedly postponed amid the unrest.

On Tuesday, acting Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime hailed the resolution’s passage.

“This decision marks a major step forward in the partnership between Haiti and the international community,” he said.

Rights observers have also offered tentative support for a renewed international mission to Haiti, with Human Rights Watch saying any operation must have adequate funding and human rights protections.

The resolution passed on Tuesday does not provide specific details on such safeguards, including clear rules of engagement, saying instead that parties must work to establish those rules in line with “Haiti’s sovereignty and in strict compliance with international law”.

Like the Kenyan-led mission, the new Gang Suppression Force will also mostly rely on often unpredictable voluntary contributions from UN members.

In a statement following the vote, Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, said: “After months of reckless inaction, the UN Security Council has finally taken a step to respond to Haiti’s devastating crisis”.

“For the newly created ‘Gang Suppression Force’ to be effective and avoid repeating past abuses, it should have sustained and predictable funding, sufficient personnel, and robust human rights safeguards,” Goebertus said.