Month: September 2026

Sept. 2 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a warning to airlines to stay clear of Russian airspace and airports due to a large-scale escalation in drone strikes on Russian targets by the Ukrainian military.

Zelensky said Tuesday that he wanted to notify every airline flying in Russian airspace, every insurance company and anyone that still used airport hubs such as St. Petersburg and Moscow, which have six airports between them, that the skies above Russia were “becoming completely dangerous.”

“There will simply be drones in Russia’s skies on a scale that has to be taken into account,” he said.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and our other institutions will provide international organizations with full information about the dangers in Russian airspace. Drone-infested skies are no place for civilian aviation,” added Zelensky.

Zelensky stressed that the warning was not intended to “threaten civilian aviation as such — not a single civilian aircraft” and Ukraine did not want the loss of any innocent lives.

The majority of Western airlines stopped over-flying Russia after the start of the war in 2022 but Chinese, Turkish and Middle East carriers and some others continue to do so, particularly on long-haul Asia to Europe flights where the Russia route can slash up to 2,250 miles from the journey, equivalent to four hours’ flight time and as much as 30 tons of extra fuel.

Russian aviation authorities automatically suspend flights if a drone sighting is confirmed within a certain radius of a specified zone with civil aviation disrupted on numerous occasions over the past year after Ukrainian drone assaults, often involving hundreds of drones at a time.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Zelensky’s warning was a “declaration of state terrorism,” vowing that Russia would not let up in its attacks on Ukraine.

On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry stoked Ukrainain fears they were facing another very tough coming winter by saying the Russian military was gearing up for “massive strikes” against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as a “response to the continuing attacks of the Kyiv regime against the Russian civil infrastructure and fuel and energy facilities.”

The defense ministry was referencing a sustained military campaign by Ukraine targeting Russia’s oil processing capabilities and logistics faclilities with long-range drones.

August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” the first of his plays to reach Broadway, catapulted the author’s playwriting career.

It’s the only drama in Wilson’s 10-play American Century Cycle not set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. But the series might never have come to fruition were it not for the way “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” heralded the emergence of a major new American dramatist.

Although it’s still one of his most produced works, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” has the hallmarks of an early piece. Wilson discovers his playwriting voice in this play, but he’s still working out his approach to dramatic structure.

I wasn’t champing at the bit to see another production of “Ma Rainey’s,” but I’m glad I didn’t miss this latest Wilson revival at A Noise Within, directed by Gregg T. Daniel. Acted with breathtaking ensemble naturalness, the play seems lived in rather than performed.

Francis C. Edemobi, from left, Amber Liekhus and CJ Obilom in August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at A Noise Within.

(Craig Schwartz)

The voices of the characters come through as though we’re eavesdropping from a discreet distance on their banter and squabbles. There’s nothing more riveting on stage than the truth, and here we have human beings in all their flagrant, unadorned and seemingly irreconcilable complications.

Set in a Chicago recording studio in 1927, the play splits its focus between the title character, a fictitious re-creation of the great blues singer Ma Rainey engaged in a power struggle with her white industry overlords, and the exchanges of her sidemen, a quartet of Black men with markedly different ambitions and sensibilities.

Levee, the role magnificently played by Chadwick Boseman in George C. Wolfe‘s 2020 film adaptation, may have more of a claim on the protagonist role than even Ma Rainey, who’s the play’s thematic center. As she throws her diva weight around in defense of a talent born out of Black suffering, she crystallizes the racial politics that Wilson powerfully illuminates.

But Levee’s role is the most dynamic in the play. A trumpeter who wants to move the band in a more musically sophisticated direction, he’s written his own arrangement of the song “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” that they’ve come to the studio to record. But Ma Rainey insists on doing it her way, even if Levee’s version is more interesting from a jazz perspective.

Overcome with anger from a traumatic childhood in which he witnessed his mother being raped by a mob of white men, he can’t tolerate slights, big or small. And his fiery temper, igniting at every possible moment with his older and more accommodating bandmates, turns this snapshot of history into genuine tragedy.

Kai A. Ealy, from left, Alex Morris, Gerald C. Rivers and Jamar Gilbert in August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at A Noise Within.

(Craig Schwartz)

The bedraggled studio has been visually renovated with the wood-slatted elegance of Tesshi Nakagawa’s scenic design. Daniel’s production demands that we experience the play in a fresh light. The period is respected but never allowed to become stiff or artificial. This isn’t a waxwork staging.

Standing microphones, placed on different tiers of the set, never let us forget that Wilson was first and foremost a conductor of voices. He bestows on his characters arias, and Daniel’s cast delivers them as though the words were expressly made for these particular actors.

Jamar Gilbert’s Levee moves through the world as if it’s a battle zone, which of course for him it has been. Conflict has dogged him his entire life, and injustice is what he’s come to expect. His focus is on himself, his music, his sensual pleasures and his determination not to be anyone’s victim. He takes as much pride in the shine of his new shoes as he does in the flirtatious giggle of a pretty woman.

Toledo (Gerald C. Rivers), the philosopher and historian of the group, tries to broaden Levee’s perspective, but the two men have a knack for getting under each other’s skin. Their antagonism is fueled in part by Levee’s immaturity, but there’s also a divide in their worldview: Levee wants society to change in time for him to make good while Toledo is more concerned with the collective spirit of his people.

Meanwhile, Slow Drag (Alex Morris) mostly wants to get on with the session, collect his money and enjoy life as it was meant to be enjoyed, with whiskey, a little reefer and good-looking women. Cutler (Kai A. Ealy) tries to be a moderating influence, but he winds up as exasperated by Levee as Toledo.

Alex Morris, from left, Amber Liekhus and Jamar Gilbert in August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at A Noise Within.

(Craig Schwartz)

The authenticity of the production encompasses the music. These actors don’t mime making music, as is often the case in revivals. They jam together, modestly but effectively enough to make their recording session real to us.

There’s nothing at all modest about Amber Liekhus’ musical talent. Indeed, Liekhus is the first actor who was able to convince me that the character of Ma Rainey really is a professional, jobbing singer. She doesn’t imitate being the mother of the blues, as her character is known. She earns the distinction through the wondrous depths of her soulful singing.

She refuses to be bulldozed by either Irvin (Bert Emmett), her manager, or Sturdyvant (Matt Foyer), the owner of the recording studio, knowing full well that they depend on her gift for their pile of money. Her insistence that Sylvester (Francis C. Edemobi), her nephew with a pronounced stutter, speaks the intro to her new record, is her way of asserting human control over corporate greed.

Liekhus’ Ma Rainey isn’t merely being temperamental, as Sturdyvant and Irvin assume. She’s using her limited leverage in whatever ways she can. There’s something touching about her imperiousness, a regal vulnerability that shines through even in her romantic interaction with Dussie Mae (CJ Obilom), whom Levee has his predatory eye on.

The honesty of the acting is so enlivening that I’m tempted to rank this production among the very best Wilson revivals I’ve seen. If there’s one slight misstep, it happens at the play’s violent climax. The moment makes perfect psychological and dramatic sense, but the confrontation needs a few more beats than Daniel allows.

But this encounter with “Ma Rainey” reveals that even early Wilson can, in the right hands, offer unadulterated playwriting greatness.

In an exclusive interview, European Union Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič told Euronews that the EU is not in a position to mediate in the trade war between Canada and the United States following the collapse of their trade talks.

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Ten days ago, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walked away from the negotiations with the Trump administration, blaming them for pressuring Canada over the use of the French language.

In the following days, US President Donald Trump announced 50% US tariffs on Canadian cars and trucks, to which Ottawa retaliated with tariffs on more than 700 US imports, worth about $20 billion (€17.2 billion).

“I don’t think that we are in a position to mediate,” Šefčovič said. “At the same time I know that they [Canada and the US] have such a close economic relationship that, despite the current tension, sooner or later there will be attempts to resolve it.”

The Commissioner added that “tariffs are taxes which are paid in the end by the economic operators or by the citizens”, a message he has reiterated several times over the last year during the EU’s own trade dispute with Washington.

“We clearly support free and fair trade with the lower or no tariffs at all,” he told Euronews.

Ready to cooperate

Since the trade talks stopped, Carney has called for a closer relationship between Ottawa and Brussels and announced he will attend European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union in Strasbourg in mid-September, one of the main events in Brussels’ political calendar.

An EU-Canada summit is also scheduled for later this autumn.

Šefčovič said the Commission is ready to explore “all possibilities” to increase cooperation with Canada, but he added that any new arrangements “would very much also depend on how comfortable the Canadian side would feel and what is its level of ambition”.

He pointed out that after Brussels clinched a trade deal with Ottawa in 2016, trade between the EU and Canada grew by 75% – but he also suggested that the deal could be pushed further.

“On both sides, we have certain elements which we can improve, still certain barriers, certain sensitivities for the products. I really think that we can explore much more that.”

Šefčovič said that a digital agreement might be signed with Canada before the end of the year, and he also cited coming cooperation in critical raw materials with potential joint investments.

Ottawa is seen by Brussels as a like-minded partner sharing its vision of the new global trade order, and Šefčovič hopes to have its backing to get closer to members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which has liberalised trade between 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas, including Canada – but not the US. The UK became the pact’s first and to date only European member in 2024, with Canada ratifying its full accession as of 1 September.

“Canadians are very important partners for forging a new level of cooperation with the CTPPP,” Šefčovič said, “which represents together 40 percent of global trade.”

ALL-inclusive package holidays aren’t just for families squabbling over sunloungers – they also make great places for big group birthdays or stag and hen parties.

But as anyone who’s ever tried to organise one knows, finding a decent resort property that actually accepts group bookings without slapping you with ridiculous restrictions is an absolute nightmare.

That’s where being a Holiday Expert – like me – comes in handy.

Because I’ve studied the destinations, heard the inside track on the best deals and personally stayed in over 200 hotels across the world as a couple, solo, family and – most importantly – as part of a big group of rowdy Brits (my personal fave).

So using all that experience, I’ve found eight of the best group-friendly all-inclusive properties that give you massive value inside the hotel gates, with all of meals and drinks included to remove any arguments or maths over who is paying for dinner.

Not only that, but they put you within staggering distance of cheap local bars – and are complete with poolside sunbeds on standby, for when last night’s decisions catch up with you.

Read on for some inspiration for where to next book your mates’ holiday.

Prices correct at time of publication.

1. Dynastic Hotel, Benidorm, Spain

You don’t take a group of mates to Benidorm for a quiet retreat.

The Dynastic Hotel sits right in the heart of the lively Levante district, putting you a stone’s throw from the beach and surrounded by cabaret bars, sports pubs, and the legendary English Square.

Pints in the surrounding back-street bars are regularly advertised for as little as €1 (86p), making it an absolute goldmine for budget nights out.

And groups LOVE the Dynastic’s indoor spa and heated pool complex.

If someone in the group is suffering from a catastrophic hangover, you can retreat into the quiet, subterranean hydrotherapy circuit for a few hours to reboot before the evening session begins. Thank me later.

You can grab a three-night all inclusive stay here from £305pp, flying direct from London Luton on May 17, 2027.

2. Muthu Clube Praia da Oura, Albufeira, Portugal

If your group’s single requirement is “put us where the action is,” this is arguably the best-placed hotel on the entire list.

It sits right on the edge of Praia da Oura beach and is literally two minutes’ walk from Albufeira’s famous Strip – a neon mile of karaoke joints, sports bars and open-air clubs.

When I stayed, I’d jump into places like Wild & Co, Matt’s Bar and Liberto’s, where happy-hour cocktails can cost between €5 (£4.28) – €6 (£5.13), although head to sports bars for local beers from €3 (£2.57).

The standout feature here is that the property features a massive, elevated oceanfront sun terrace that steps directly down onto the sand.

It means you and your mates can load up on free all inclusive drinks from the pool bar and take them straight out to look over the Atlantic without spending a single euro on seafront bar prices.

And I found a three-night all inclusive break from £290pp, flying direct from London Stansted on May 2, 2027.

3. BLUESEA Montevista Hawai, Lloret de Mar, Spain

Lloret de Mar has been hosting big group trips for decades, and it remains one of the cheapest party enclaves in Europe – with shots in local spots frequently advertised for less than a quid.

The BLUESEA Montevista Hawai gives you a great pool set-up, buffet dining and multiple bars roughly a ten-minute stroll from the beach and main strip.

This is where where legendary late-night haunts like Disco Tropics and Moef Gaga keep things moving until sunrise.

The key perk at this hotel is its position slightly set back from the main strip noise.

You get all the rowdy benefits of Lloret’s legendary club scene by night, but the hotel courtyard itself stays remarkably calm during the day, giving your group an actual chance to sleep off the night before in peace.

And this is the cheapest deal on my entire list, because you can lock in three nights all inclusive here for just – wait for it – £175pp.

4. Las Piramides Resort, Playa de las Americas, Tenerife

If your crew wants guaranteed sunshine paired with a proper night out, this is the move.

Las Piramides sits right in central Las Americas, surrounded by Supermercados, sports bars and walking-distance access to both the Veronicas Strip and the Starco Centre.

The intense competition between local bars means 2-for-1 drink deals and free shot tokens are everywhere.

And an underrated perk for groups staying here is the fact that you’re getting an apartment to yourselves.

Having separate living rooms and private balconies means your group has a proper central base to congregate and pre-drink before heading out, rather than trying to cram six people onto a couple of single beds in a standard hotel room.

I tracked down a three-night all inclusive group holiday from £365pp, flying direct from Manchester on May 10, 2027.

5. Qawra Palace Resort & Spa, Qawra, Malta

Malta is a brilliant option for groups who want a buzzing nightlife scene without the wall-to-wall mega-club vibes in places like Ibiza.

The Qawra Palace sits right on the seafront with the waterfront pubs of Qawra and Bugibba Square stretching out right along the coastal path.

Local watering holes like Fat Harry’s Pub and the Royale Barrel Bistro run aggressive 2-for-1 happy hours and cheap pint-and-burger deals straight through the afternoon.

And I can guarantee that your group will love this hotel’s rooftop pool deck.

It gives you and your mates panoramic sea views over St Paul’s Bay while you make the most of the all inclusive bar, giving your trip a high-end, luxury-resort feel for a basic budget price.

You can book a three-night all inclusive stay here from £338pp, flying direct from Liverpool on May 11. 2027.

6. Sol Palmanova, Palma Nova, Majorca

Palma Nova in Majorca gives you the ultimate group compromise: a stunning beach by day, and walking-distance access to the famous party zone in neighbouring Magaluf by night.

And the Sol Palmanova hotel features outdoor pools, high-energy daytime sports activities and a massive buffet footprint to fuel up before a night out.

The killer feature for groups here is the hotel’s special late-breakfast service.

Unlike standard rigid hotels that shut their morning buffets at 9.30am sharp, the schedule here caters brilliantly to late risers.

So nobody in your group has to miss out on hot food just because they stayed out past 3am…

While searching for deals, I clocked a four-night all inclusive stay here from £340pp, flying direct from London Stansted on May 3, 2027.

7. Ponient Dorada Palace, Salou, Spain

While Salou is famous for theme parks by day, the resort flips into a massive party hub after dark.

With over 250 bars and 11 nightclubs packed into the resort, pint prices sit comfortably under £3.

The Ponient Dorada Palace sits a short walk from the main nightlife drag along Avinguda de Carles Buïgas, where spots like Danny Boy Irish Bar, Chaplins and Tropical Salou keep the energy high.

And this is another hotel with a rooftop pool section – only this time it’s adults-only.

It’s also equipped with loungers and a private bar, allowing your group to escape the family noise at the main pool deck and enjoy a sunbathing session overlooking the town.

You can grab a three-night all inclusive package from £250pp, flying direct from Birmingham on May 3, 2027.

8. BLUESEA Los Fiscos, Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote

Puerto del Carmen is perfect for groups who want a buzzing atmosphere centred around live-music pubs, sports bars, and tavernas rather than multi-storey nightclubs.

BLUESEA Los Fiscos sits elevated just above the historic Old Town, putting you within an easy downhill stroll of both the harbour bars and the lively Avenida de las Playas strip.

Because the poolside bar terrace is all inclusive, sure, but also gives the group sweeping views straight out across the Atlantic Ocean.

It’s an unbeatable spot to grab your free all inclusive afternoon drinks while watching the boats come into the marina below.

Perhaps a hotel for the more sophisticated groups among us… If they’re out there?

I found a three-night all inclusive stay from £260pp, flying direct from London Stansted on May 2, 2027.

NEW YORK — Whenever Venus and Serena Williams decide to permanently close the door on their storied careers — the duo are competing in the U.S. Open’s women’s doubles this week after receiving a wild-card invitation — the extraordinary tale of two sisters from Compton, just 15 months apart, who both reached No. 1 and won bushels of major titles will continue to reverberate. It might be the most implausible sports story of the last 50 years.

Although Serena’s career accomplishments exceed her older sister’s by considerable margins, including a 23-7 advantage in singles majors, what if Venus had been the baby of the Williams bunch? Would those numbers have evened out?

It’s a fair question.

Research has shown that younger siblings often benefit from being last in the birth order, sometimes called a “younger-sibling effect.” Turns out, the proverbial runt of the litter may have an edge. And while the Williams sisters remain the gold-standard example in tennis, the sport has no dearth of cases, from Alexander Zverev and Andy Murray to Naomi Osaka and Tracy Austin, to name a few.

The birth-order advantage

Serena and Venus Williams hold their trophies after winning the women’s doubles final at Wimbledon on July 9, 2016.

(Tim Ireland / Associated Press)

To researchers, Serena’s rise is not an isolated miracle of genetics, but a classic expression of family dynamics. Dr. Joseph Baker, a sports scientist at the University of Toronto, has found that elite athletes are statistically far more likely to be later-born children. “The birth-order effect means there’s some kind of social or genetic element in the family environment that’s driving it,” Baker says.

Dr. Frank Sulloway, a psychology research associate at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that the younger-sibling effect is a modest but reliable and statistically significant trend. While not deterministic — elite firstborns like John McEnroe and Novak Djokovic remain towering counter-examples, and both had younger siblings that played professionally — the later-born tilt repeats across the athletic landscape.

The backyard crucible

Some investigators trace the younger sibling effect to “situated learning.” That is, developing mastery through hands-on engagement, social modeling, and “vicarious experience,” according to Baker.

“Seeing someone from the same family unit achieve greatness gives the younger sibling the confidence to achieve the same,” he says.

For Serena, who is the youngest of five sisters in the blended Williams family, that meant learning to return Venus’s blistering serve on Compton’s public courts. It meant watching her more heralded older sibling navigate a mostly white women’s tour as a teenager. Because Venus was more experienced and stronger, Serena was forced to accelerate her development just to compete. And since their father, Richard Williams, largely kept them out of junior tournaments, that interdependent learning likely proved especially potent.

“I was able to learn, so I didn’t make the same mistakes she made,” Serena said in 2009. Now 44, Serena returned to compete at Wimbledon in singles and has teamed up for several doubles events this season, including in Cincinnati last month with 46-year-old Venus, after saying she was “evolving away from tennis” following her last appearance at the 2022 U.S. Open.

Sisters Jessica Korda and Nelly Korda walk on the ninth green at the Aramco Championship on April 3 in Las Vegas.

(Harry How / Getty Images)

This crucible is not unique to tennis.

Michael Jordan famously credited his older brother, Larry, with igniting his competitive fire. Golfer Nelly Korda followed older sister Jessica onto the LPGA Tour before surpassing her with major titles and an Olympic gold medal, while Peyton and Eli Manning grew up amid the backyard competition of a football-obsessed family that produced two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks.

The “rough draft” of parenting

Beyond hardwood or turf battles, younger siblings can benefit from a profound shift in parental behavior, a phenomenon Louisiana Tech University sport and exercise psychology professor Dr. Jordan Blazo calls the “rough draft hypothesis.”

Firstborn children are often a parent’s athletic test drive. Parents often face a steep, expensive learning curve when navigating youth sports with older children, overscheduling them and committing developmental mistakes. By the time a younger sibling arrives, parents know the ropes and the pathways to pursue, according to Blazo, who studies sibling relationships and social comparison in sports. They are more attuned to financial and other feasibilities, which gives them a clearer road map to success.

Southern California native Austin, the youngest of three accomplished tennis children and the youngest U.S. Open champion in history at 16 years and 9 months, says her physicist father maintained healthy boundaries. When Tracy once invited him to watch her play German great Steffi Graf, he declined because of a computer club meeting. “Having a parent that wasn’t overly engrossed in my winning and losing was the healthiest thing,” Austin says.

Meanwhile, her mother, having navigated four older siblings’ athletic careers, was free to travel with 14-year-old Tracy because the nest was empty.

Russia’s Mirra Andreeva, 19, agrees. The reigning French Open winner followed her sister, Erika, three years older, onto the pro tour. “I had more benefits because I’m younger,” said fifth-ranked Mirra of her sister, who has been ranked as high as No. 65. “[My] parents obviously knew what to do. Tennis-wise… maybe that saved me some time.”

Zverev, who followed brother Mischa, 9 years his senior, says traveling to pro events as a kid helped normalized the ATP Tour early. “Maybe I wasn’t as nervous… because I’ve seen them and known them for years,” says Germany’s Zverev, who captured his first major title at this year’s French Open and is the top seed in New York.

Swing for the fences: Risk-taking

This competitive ecosystem also shapes how younger siblings play. Sulloway’s research on birth order and risk-taking reveals that later-borns are more psychologically wired to take strategic risks to carve out their own niche and stand out in the family.

Sulloway’s 2010 study of Major League Baseball brothers, conducted in collaboration with psychologist Richard Zweigenhaft, found that later-born siblings were vastly more likely to attempt to steal bases (and were more successful at it) than their first-born brothers. They were also far more likely to strike out because they were literally swinging for the fences, a high-risk, high-reward strategy. In tennis, this could translate to a willingness to play more aggressively, such as going for more on second serves rather than playing it safe, according to Sulloway.

Warmth over hostility

Yet, this sibling incubator seems to work best with one critical condition: the familial relationship is based on warmth and companionship. Blazo’s research shows that when sibling dynamics are colored by hostility and toxic comparisons, younger siblings experience “differentiation.” They can suffer from lower perceived competence, burn out, and ultimately quit or flee to other sports to escape the older sibling’s shadow, which isn’t necessarily a negative course correction. Sometimes it works out best for both.

In other words, the most successful sporting siblings preserve their emotional bonds. Richard and Oracene Williams famously enforced a sisters-first rule, allowing Venus and Serena to battle on court but walk off as best friends. Mirra Andreeva says her parents taught them that sisters are “the closest people we’re gonna have in life,” and to protect that bond they rarely practice together to keep emotions from getting “messy.”

Sisters Venus and Serena Williams hold the U.S. Open doubles winners’ trophy on Sept. 12, 1999.

(Al Bello / Getty Images)

When Venus and Serena were leapfrogging each other early in their careers, often clashing in Grand Slam finals across continents and surfaces, Serena insisted their competition existed in a supportive environment. Certainly it did in doubles, where they teamed up to win three Olympic gold medals and 14 major titles, including two at the U.S. Open in 1999 and 2009.

At the 2001 U.S. Open, where Venus beat Serena in the first all-Williams Grand Slam final, Serena said: “If anything I prefer to play Venus because that means that we have reached our maximum potential and that we’ll both go home winners. So for me, I always want to see Venus do well. I never want to see Venus lose.”

The long shadow

The McEnroe brothers, John and Patrick, separated by seven years, also saw their supportive relationship boost Patrick’s career. When Patrick, the youngest of three boys, was struggling in college and his mother pressured him to take the law boards, John stepped in, telling her to let Patrick chase his pro tennis dreams. Patrick eventually cracked the top 30 in singles and reached No. 3 in doubles, though he never reached the heights of John, who won seven Grand Slam titles and reached No. 1 in both singles and doubles.

“I think it holds water,” Stanford University alum Patrick said of his last-born experience, citing other examples such as Andy Roddick, whose older brother John was an accomplished collegiate player, and Hall-of-Famer Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, the youngest of four whose two older brothers, Emilio and Javier, were top ATP players. “It just so happened that my brother was exponentially more talented than I was as an athlete, but it’s definitely what at least got me into tennis.”

John McEnroe, left, and his younger brother Patrick compete during in a doubles match in Richmond, Va., on Sunday, Feb. 6, 1984.

(Joanna Pinneo / Associated Press)

The comparisons to John, however, played both ways. Patrick said they motivated him as a junior, but felt like a burden when he was trying to establish himself on tour.

With many physical, emotional and psychological variables in play, researchers admit it’s hard to pinpoint where DNA ends and drive begins when it comes to sibling dynamics. Ultimately, genetics and talent establish the ceiling, but the evidence suggests a supportive sibling ecosystem helps alchemize raw potential into greatness, and the sibling that benefits most is the one that comes later.

For Serena, the competitive yet protective shield provided by Venus was critical to her own success. Venus went first. She absorbed the bulk of pressure, provided the model and set the standard her younger sister spent a lifetime chasing, and eventually surpassing.

“Just everything that she does inspires me,” Serena said.

A new study has found that the cost of a week’s car hire can vary by hundreds of pounds

Drivers hiring a car abroad could be paying far more than they need to if they don’t do their due diligence before booking. A new study has found that the cost of a week’s car hire can vary by hundreds of pounds depending on which rental company customers choose.

The biggest difference was uncovered in Dubrovnik, where a medium compact car – such as a Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus – cost as little as £261 with one provider but £871 with another. That is a £610 difference, meaning the most expensive deal was 234% more than the cheapest.

The research, by iCarhireinsurance.com, compared prices from Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt for the period from July 25 to August 1, 2026. It looked at seven popular holiday destinations, including Dubrovnik in Croatia, Faro in Portugal, Milan, Nice, Crete, Barcelona and Dalaman in Turkey.

How much could you save by shopping around?

Destination – Cheapest – Most expensive – Difference

Dubrovnik – £261 – £871 – £610

Faro – £390 – £796 – £406

Milan – £373 – £547 – £174

Dalaman – £337 – £487 – £150

Nice – £301 – £401 – £100

Crete – £344 – £423 – £79

Barcelona – £257 – £315 – £58

Faro had the second biggest gap, with prices ranging from £390 to £796 – a difference of £406. In Milan, the difference was £174, with prices ranging from £373 to £547, while in Dalaman there was a £150 gap between £337 and £487.

Even in Nice, where the difference was smaller, holidaymakers could save £100 by choosing the cheapest deal rather than the most expensive. Across all seven destinations, the average cheapest price was £323, compared with an average highest price of £549 – a difference of £226, or around 70%.

But the rental price is not the only cost holidaymakers need to watch. The study found that common extras could add another £391 to the bill if customers bought them all.

An additional driver cost £68 on average for a week, while a sat nav added an average of £76. A week’s super damage waiver excess protection cost an average of £196, while separate tyre and windscreen excess cover added another £51.

The excess is the amount a driver could be liable to pay if a hire car is damaged or stolen. In the study, the average excess was more than £1,600.

Holidaymakers are therefore being urged to look beyond the initial headline price when comparing car hire deals and check exactly what is included. Ben Wooltorton, of iCarhireinsurance.com, said: “It can be easy to assume that car hire prices will be broadly similar, but our research shows just how much they can vary between rental companies.

“Taking a few minutes to compare prices before booking could save a significant amount. It’s also important to look beyond the headline rental price. Extras can quickly add to the cost, and one easy saving is buying a standalone excess reimbursement policy in advance from a specialist provider.”

A standalone excess reimbursement policy from iCarhireinsurance.com costs from £33.15 for an eight-day European trip, according to the company, while an annual European policy starts from £41.99 for eligible customers.

The research was based on quotes for a medium compact car, such as a VW Golf or Ford Focus, from six major rental companies across the seven destinations.

For some, peace and quiet is the perfect escape, but popular holiday hotspots can often come with crowds and noise. So why not swap the chaos for a getaway to one of the ‘world’s quietest’ countries?

As Brits lament about the quickly fading sunshine after a summer of record-breaking heatwaves, it might be tempting to head for warmer climes before winter finally sets in. And at this time of year, holidays can be cheaper — and often quieter — as people return to work after the summer break and children begrudgingly go back to school.

For some, peace and quiet sounds like the perfect escape. But the usual summer hotspots can mean crowds, queues and constant noise. So why not swap the chaos for one of the world’s “quietest” countries instead?

One such nation is a secluded haven, with temperatures climbing into the 20s in September. It’s even been named the quietest country on the planet — which may not come as a surprise, given it didn’t allow visitors until the 1970s.

Go2Africa has created a list of 10 destinations where tranquillity is part of the appeal, basing the results on various indicators rather than opinion alone. It weighed up how busy a place feels – including how many people live there, how concentrated tourism is, how much countryside and protected land, and how congested the roads tend to be.

It was Bhutan, in South Asia, that came out on top — scoring 89.44 on the “quiet score”.

Go2Africa notes on its website: “The country, sitting in the shadow of the Eastern Himalayas, is well known for being beautifully preserved, with tourists only able to visit through licensed local tour operators and by paying a daily Sustainable Development Fee.

“The country ranks particularly high for rural land density with 39,041km2 of forested mountains, terraced valleys, and sparsely populated highland terrain and an exceedingly high percentage of protected areas.”

Bhutan is known for its strikingly unspoilt landscape, with around 39,041km² of forested mountains, valleys and sparsely populated highland areas.

If you’re looking at a late-season break, autumn can still feel pleasantly warm: September through November often brings sunshine and highs near 25C. Just bear in mind temperatures aren’t uniform — they can shift depending on which valley you’re in.

Autumn is also prime season for trekking — and for catching big cultural celebrations such as Thimphu Tshechu.

Bhutan also protects its low-impact tourism model with a compulsory visitor charge — around £70 a day for adults. The levy, called the Sustainable Development Fee, is used to fund priorities including conservation, education and healthcare.

One of Bhutan’s standout sights is Taktsang — better known as the “Tiger’s Nest” — a 17th-century monastery seemingly clinging to the mountainside around 3,000 metres above sea level. But visitors should be prepared: reaching it means a demanding hike that can take anywhere from two to four hours.

Second on the list was Namibia, which recorded a Quiet Score of 86.69. The southern African country is famously arid — in fact, it’s the driest nation in sub-Saharan Africa — and Go2Africa sums it up as being “built on scale and emptiness”, promising travellers “complete solitude”.

As for the remainder of the rankings: Botswana came third, followed by Zambia, Gabon, Venezuela, Chad, the Central African Republic, Mongolia and Bolivia. At the opposite end of the scale, Singapore was crowned the noisiest country with a Quiet Score of just 6.78.

ONE woman was left in Turkey for almost a week with her family when her flight home with easyJet was cancelled last minute.

Macy Neve Flye was due to fly home from Dalaman in Turkey to Bristol with easyJet but was left “stranded” with her family after a technical problem with the aircraft.

The date of the original flight was August 22 , due to take off at 11:25pm.

But by the time it hit 12:30am, passengers were told to check their emails, to which they found out their flight home had been cancelled.

To maker matters worse, the return flights home were almost a week later due to the busy summer season.

Macy and her family were been split between two replacement flights departing on August 27 and August 28.

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Talking to creatorzine.com, Macy said: “Being stranded has been nothing but stress, anger and confusion.”

She was travelling with her boyfriend and three members of his family, including a five-year-old who were all later transferred to a different hotel.

This was due to the original hotel not having enough space for all 150 passengers affected.

On the ordeal, Macy said: “‘As you can imagine, it has just been awful and stressful. We had budgeted for a two-week holiday.

“This experience has made us not want to fly with them again.”

The family have been advised to keep receipts so they can claim back additional expenses incurred during the disruption.

easyJet confirmed the flight was cancelled after the aircraft experienced a technical problem.

They also said it arranged hotel accommodation and meals, and would reimburse the family for expenses.

It said alternative flights with other airlines and indirect routes were extremely limited because of the busy summer travel period.

Some members of the family were therefore given seats on a flight on August 27, with the remainder booked to travel the following day.

An easyJet spokesperson said: “We are very sorry that Ms Flye and her family’s flight from Dalaman to Bristol was unable to operate due to the aircraft experiencing a technical issue.

“The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority and we have been doing all we can to support the family, including providing hotel accommodation and meals.

“Alternative flight options including with other airlines are very limited at this busy time of year and so while we have transferred the family onto the next available flights this week, we are sorry for the difficulty caused by the delay returning home.

“We are in touch with the family to apologise for their experience and reimburse them for any expenses incurred.”

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (UPI) — Korea Zinc said Wednesday that its production capacity for semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid has increased by more than 14% as the country’s two leading chipmakers boost production to meet rising demand.

The world’s largest non-ferrous metals manufacturer noted that it recently built two additional production lines for ultra-high-purity sulfuric acid at its Onsan Smelter in Ulsan, roughly 190 miles southeast of Seoul.

With the two new lines now in full-scale operation, Korea Zinc’s annual production capacity has risen from 280,000 tons to 320,000 tons.

Eventually, Korea Zinc aims to raise its domestic production capacity to 500,000 tons a year. It is also considering installing semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid lines at its planned integrated smelter in the United States.

In cooperation with the U.S. government, Korea Zinc is set to construct the smelter for strategic materials on a 160-acre site in Clarksville, Tenn. Under the $7.4 billion Project Crucible, the facility is expected to start production in 2029.

Korea Zinc said that it supplies more than 60% of South Korea’s demand for semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid. The Asian nation is home to the world’s two largest memory chipmakers, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.

The corporation said that its product has a purity of more than 99.9999 percent, known as “six nines,” or 6N, purity.

“Through this capacity expansion, we will respond in a timely manner to the operation and ramp-up of key domestic clients’ new manufacturing facilities,” Korea Zinc said in a statement.

“Moving forward, we will phase in additional domestic production capacity in alignment with our clients’ demand and investment timelines. At the same time, we plan to establish a supply base in global markets, including the United States,” it added.

The share price of Korea Zinc fell 3.92% on the Seoul bourse on Wednesday, while the benchmark KOSPI declined 3.99%.

THE HOOK

Late Monday, Donald Trump signaled the ceasefire with Iran was effectively over, threatening fresh strikes and casting doubt on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude jumped past $90 a barrel. By Wednesday morning, the US Dollar Index had climbed to 99.73 — its highest in nearly three weeks — and the 10-year Treasury yield touched 4.81%, just shy of a 52-week high. The reason: traders now put the odds of a September Fed rate hike near 65–70%, not a cut.

THE MECHANISM

The chain runs cleanly enough to name. Iran’s conflict with the US raises the odds of a shipping disruption through Hormuz, which carries roughly a fifth of global oil supply; oil-price risk feeds straight into headline inflation; and a Fed under Chair Kevin Warsh — already fighting credibility questions after an ambiguous hold in July — cannot afford to look soft on prices while a war pushes them up. That is why futures markets have swung from pricing no move in 2026 to pricing a hike at the September 15–16 meeting.

Higher US rates make dollar assets pay more relative to everywhere else, which is the direct channel behind both the stronger DXY and the 4.81% ten-year. The winners are near-term and narrow: holders of short-dated Treasury bills, whose yields rise with the policy rate; US money-market funds; and, oddly, the stablecoin issuers whose reserves sit almost entirely in T-bills and now earn more for holding them. The losers are broader and slower-moving: emerging markets carrying dollar-denominated debt face a double bill, since a stronger dollar raises the local-currency cost of repayment at the same moment their own borrowing costs rise in sympathy with Washington’s. Oil-importing economies — India, Turkey, Japan, the eurozone — take a second hit, paying more for crude in a currency that is simultaneously getting more expensive to buy. Gold, meanwhile, is caught between two forces: safe-haven demand from the war pulls it up, rate-hike expectations pull it down, which is why it sits near $4,304, off its recent peak but still up 21% over the year.

WHY IT MATTERS

The apparent contradiction — dollar strong this week, dollar weaker for the decade — is really two different clocks running at once. Reserve managers make multi-year diversification bets; traders react to a war in hours. The IMF’s COFER data put the dollar at 57.13% of allocated reserves in the first quarter of 2026, down from 72% in 2000, and a recent survey of reserve managers found roughly three-quarters expect that share to keep falling over the next five years. None of that is undone by one hawkish week from Kevin Warsh.

What is new is where the dollar’s reach is actually growing: not in central bank vaults but in stablecoins. The GENIUS Act framework — now the subject of a Treasury rulemaking comment period that closes in October — has pushed issuers to back their tokens almost entirely with short-dated Treasuries, and forecasts from Standard Chartered and Senator Bill Hagerty put potential T-bill demand from stablecoins as high as $2–2.3 trillion. That is dollarization happening retail-first, in emerging-market wallets and crypto exchanges, invisible to COFER. For Washington, a Fed hike timed to a war raises borrowing costs precisely when the deficit needs cheap financing, and when the countries least able to absorb dearer dollars — many of them US partners, not adversaries — get hit hardest. That is a form of collateral leverage no sanctions list ever names.

WATCH FOR

The September 15–16 FOMC meeting is the date that resolves this. A 25-basis-point hike would confirm markets are right to treat this as an inflation fight, not a growth scare, and would likely push the dollar and yields higher still. A hold — especially if Hormuz tensions ease and oil retreats from $90 — would suggest Warsh blinked, and could send gold back toward its highs faster than the dollar can catch up. Either way, watch the Fed funds futures curve shift in the two weeks before the meeting.

The Great ADHD Myth? sparked fury among viewers as it sought to ‘determine whether ADHD is a genuine neurodevelopmental disorder, or a social construct’

Channel 4 has been hit with hundreds more complaints over its controversial ADHD documentary.

The Great ADHD Myth? sparked fury among viewers as it sought to “determine whether ADHD is a genuine neurodevelopmental disorder, or a social construct”. Last week, the media regulator confirmed that it had received 9,656 complaints after the show aired on Tuesday, August 18.

And the rage is still ongoing, with Ofcom receiving another 561 complaints, bringing it to a jaw-dropping total of 10,217.

An Ofcom spokesperson told the Mirror: “Complaints relate to the representation of ADHD in the programme.”

It comes after charity ADHD UK filed a furious complaint to the media regulator themselves, saying: “ADHD is not a myth. It is not a social construct.”

The documentary featured a 10-year-old boy with ADHD who made changes to his lifestyle and stopped taking his medication in an attempt to see how it would affect him. At the end of the programme, his mum said that he would continue to not take his medication – however a caption later confirmed at the end that he had resumed taking the drugs and his school performance improved.

“The programme’s own end credits told you what its 60 minutes wouldn’t: the boy at its centre went back on his medication, and his schoolwork improved,” said ADHD UK. “Their experiment disproved their conclusion. They aired their version anyway. We have already complained to Ofcom.”

The NHS recently released information about the number of people affected by ADHD. Data from May 2025 reports that it is estimated that 2,498,000 people in England have ADHD, including those without a diagnosis.

Of those, an estimated 741,000 are children and young people aged between five and 24. The report also stated that in March 2025, up to 20,000 people were newly referred for an ADHD assessment to mental health services, an increase of 13.5% from the previous year.

In a statement shared after the documentary was announced, amid backlash, a Channel 4 spokesperson stated, “This documentary does not deny the lived experience of people with ADHD traits, but does hear from a group of senior medical and academic experts – many of whom work or have worked with the NHS or have held presidential roles at professional membership bodies – who seek to question whether ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder. They also ask whether modern living has contributed to a rise in diagnoses, and whether there may be better alternatives for children than medication.”

The documentary featured NHS psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton, who had previously said: “As a psychiatrist, I’ve watched ADHD go from a diagnosis that was only occasionally made and after careful assessment, to one that is increasingly demanded and dispensed, and I wanted to understand why.

“There’s no doubt that the people seeking these diagnoses are genuinely struggling; that isn’t in question. What the film asks is whether ADHD is really the best explanation for that struggle and my hope is that we come away with permission to ask better questions about what modern life is doing to all of us.”

When the documentary was first announced, viewers were left appalled. One wrote: “The endless hostility toward people with ADHD, autism, and anxiety is reaching a terrifying point.”

Another wrote: “More demonising and minimising those with mental health struggles. Fabulous.” One person called it “absolutely disgusting”, while another said it was “incredibly hurtful”.

However, some viewers called the documentary “interesting”, with one writing: “Interesting programme on Channel 4 about ADHD.” Another called it “great”, while a third said: “I filled it in to say how interesting I found the programme. I have a child with a diagnosis of ADHD.”

The Mirror has reached out to Channel 4 for comment.

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The Amass case is a strange one. A natural left-back in United’s academy, who did well in a loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday last season, then got injured straight after switching to Norwich in the winter window, Amass, 19, impressed many observers with his performances during pre-season, when he shadowed Shaw.

Yet, for some reason, United were willing to let him leave.

In the summer of 2024, then manager Erik ten Hag opted not to pick the teenager in his squad for the Community Shield, even though Amass had given a creditable account of himself up against Mo Salah in a pre-season game in the United States just a week earlier.

Ten Hag felt, physically, Amass was not at the level required. In theory, the two years that have elapsed since then should have made the defender bigger and stronger.

There have been multiple expressions of interest in Amass. Even heading into deadline day, his omission from United’s Premier League 2 game against Leicester on Monday reinforced a widespread belief he would leave, probably on loan.

But that has not happened and it is not clear what his role will be within the senior squad.

The willingness to view Mazraoui as a left-back option was helped by the performances of Leny Yoro in pre-season.

Signed from Lille for £52m in 2024 as a central defender, Carrick used Yoro mainly as a right-back this summer.

Against Ipswich on Sunday, that was the slot Yoro was introduced into as a replacement for Dalot, at the same time as Mazraoui was coming on for Shaw.

At just 20, Yoro has plenty to learn about the right-back role. However, he has pace, is strong and is good on the ball. United supporters only have to look at how Josko Gvardiol has adapted to the full-back role at Manchester City after signing as a central defender to realise switching positions can have a positive outcome.

That is the calculated risk United have taken.

What they absolutely did not want to do, having taken a hardline stance all summer on the fees they were willing to pay, and a refusal to spend more than they thought a player was worth, was end up making a signing like Alex Telles, or Matteo Darmian, or Sergio Reguilon, who all arrived in recent years but were evidently short of the standard required.

It makes sense. It is probably the right call.

But that is a view taken away from the emotion of matches and the rollercoaster of results. And the reality is they will be the deciding factor in whether it was a good decision or not.

IF YOU fancy a night out, the UK has some cracking spots – from more chilled venues to lively spots with big crowds.

One UK city was even recently named as one of the best places to go on a night out in the world.

With so much choice though, it can be hard to know where to go in the city.

So, here are our top spots for a night out across the UK:

Brighton

According to Time Out, Brighton is the best city to go on a night out in the UK and one of the best spots in the world.

The publication commented: “Brighton’s legacy as the home of the UK’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene continues to thrive.

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“Of all cities on this ranking, Brighton received the highest score for its sense of community, with 84 per cent of locals saying it’s easy to make connections in the seaside city.”

Travel reporter Alice Penwill said: “Brighton is fun whatever the weather, and whatever the time.

“During the day you can enjoy the delights of the seaside, then in the evening head to the pubs and club – which is why it’s a hot spot for hens, stags, birthdays and a good ol’night out.

“One of the most popular spots is OHSO Social thanks to its position on the beachfront.

“During the day it has a relaxed vibe full of friends catching up over a pint with live music in the background. Then from the early evening it turns up a notch with DJ events and beach parties.

“You can stay there for the whole day if you like as on Saturdays it opens at 10am and closes at 2am.

“On one wet and windy night in Brighton, myself and some friends ventured to the Beach Huts down on the front to try out some karaoke.

“You can book out the hut, pick the tunes and staff will deliver drinks to you don’t even have to leave to go to the bar and stay singing your heart out instead.”

London

Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without the capital and when it comes to a night out in London, there really is something for everyone.

For example, the city is home to Britain’s biggest nightclub – Drumsheds.

Able to host up to 15,000 people, the venue is inside a former IKEA warehouse and has various different events including parties, festivals and DJ sessions.

And you’ll be able to find 24-hour cafes in the city as well – for example, you could head to Polo Bar on Liverpool Street which serves full English breakfast 24 hours a day.

Or head to Duck & Waffle which is on the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate, so you can enjoy panoramic views no matter the time.

There are some other spots that don’t quite run the 24 hours a day but are still worth visiting like Bar Italia for espresso at between 7am and 5am the following day.

Or head to London Night Cafe in Aldgate – a dedicated late-night workspace and lounge.

When it comes to themed bars, London has a load as well.

You can head to Bunga 90 in Covent Garden, where you venture through a time machine disguised as a fridge, back to the 90s – complete with giant pizzas and fun memorabilia.

Or drop by Fairgame right next to St Paul’s Cathedral, where you can get competitive with different carnival-style games.

Manchester

Manchester is a a fantastic night out for a late one (with many bars open past 3am) but is also seen as the Gaming Capital of the North.

So for any keen gamers, there loads of fun things to choose from.

Try Chaos Karts, a real-life indoor Mario Kart attraction, or NQ64, with retro arcades and themed drinks.

Of course some of the biggest nights out are found on Canal Street, part of the city’s Gay Village.

Expect everything from live music to drag shows as you bar hop along the pubs.

Deputy Travel Editor, Kara Godfrey added: “Manchester has a fantastic bar scene with one of the most famous being Schofields, often named one of the best in the UK.

“But my favourites? Try The Morris or Bar Shrimp, both of which have very unique cocktail menus that transport you back in time.

“But if you want to go on into the late hours, end your night at K2, with two floors of karaoke which is open until 4am on weekends.

“And end with some chips and gravy, of course…”

Glasgow

Glasgow was recently named one of Time Out’s best cities to visit in Europe this year, ranking fourth.

Having recently visited the city, Travel Reporter Cyann Fielding says she gets it: “Often overshadowed by the capital Edinburgh, Glasgow has a lot to see and do.

“Rather uniquely, Glasgow’s night scene transports you to deep south America. Buck’s Bar is great for famished visitors, with giant chicken burgers and a true Texan vibe inside.

“A couple of doors down, you’ll find Maggie’s Rock n’ Rodeo – and it is as fun as it sounds.

“A small crowd shuffled around the dancefloor, performing a number of different line dances to a live country singer – what could be more fun?

You can even have a go at a mechanical bull at the venue as well.

If you want to continue your night, head to The Park Bar, , which is a traditional and historic Scottish pub dating back to 1895 with live traditional music often including an accordion player.

Newcastle

Up in the north, Newcastle is a great spot for a walkable night out with many spots close together.

Former Sun reporter, Ryan Gray said: “Newcastle isn’t just a place for crazy nights out, cheap trebles and drinking shots with celebs.

“It also has more than its fair share of relaxing pubs, perfect for whiling away an evening with a couple of pints.

“Undoubtedly the best place to do that is the Ouseburn Valley, with historic boozers like the Cumberland Arms, the Tyne Bar and the Ship making for a fantastic pub crawl away from the craziness of the city centre.

Here you can head to Free Trade, which has amazing views of the Tyne as well as a beer garden.

The city is also home to some great tap rooms and breweries.

For live music enthusiasts, there are a number of venues with large gigs as well as venues with more intimate shows.

Ryan added: “Smaller venues like the Head of Steam opposite the train station showcase the next generation of musical talent, while the Cluny in the Ouseburn Valley regularly hosts established names.

“Elsewhere, the City Hall and Utilita Arena are your go-to spots for bigger names, while Newcastle United’s football stadium St James’ Park has been known to host blockbuster gigs as well.

“With a scene that has produced the likes of Sam Fender in recent years, going to the smaller venues might be worth your while if you want to catch the next wave of talent before it hits the big time.”

Under heavy escort, the USS Abraham Lincoln transited the Strait of Malacca and Singapore Strait over the weekend, en route to Thailand for a highly publicized and much-needed liberty port call. Guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls led the three-ship column, with guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. following astern of the supercarrier as she entered the South China Sea. Multiple Thai officials have confirmed the upcoming port visit since it was first reported by USA Today last week, with the flattop expected to pull into port at Laem Chabang in the coming days. Meanwhile, America’s other two deployed carrier groups are in the Middle East enforcing the ongoing blockade as the U.S. and Iran exchange fire for the first time since July.

Here’s TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information. Check out last week’s report here.

Lincoln Enters The South China Sea, Again, En Route To Thailand For Liberty

Abraham Lincoln flipped her Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder on ahead of the transit, broadcasting the flattop’s position publicly for the first time since January 28, 2026, when the CSG made the transit in the opposite direction prior to Operation Epic Fury. Lincoln has now been deployed for 285 days without a liberty call, but that streak is set to end this week.

For friends and family, we anticipate an arrival back home in late September or early October, depending on how long the crew stays in Thailand and whether any other stops are made along the way. When all is said and done, Abraham Lincoln’s deployment will likely become the second-longest in the modern carrier era behind the historic 326 days logged by the USS Gerald R. Ford earlier this year.

While the composition of the Abraham Lincoln CSG has shifted over the nine-plus-month deployment, Frank E. Petersen Jr., a Flight IIA Technology Insertion (TI) Arleigh Burke class destroyer and one of the newest in the fleet, embarked the commander of Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) throughout the six months of almost nonstop combat operations against Iran. The IAMD commander is responsible for coordinating the detection, response, and interception of inbound aerial threats, and Petersen Jr. is equipped with the world’s foremost integrated naval combat system – the Aegis Combat System Baseline 9 – which delivers quick reaction times, concentrated and networked firepower, and advanced electronic countermeasure capabilities for anti-air warfare.

The unannounced addition of Ticonderoga class cruiser USS Robert Smalls, which has historically served as the IAMD commander for the carriers forward-deployed out of Yokosuka, Japan, adds 122 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells packed with missiles for protection and firepower. The rationale for the additional Tico cruiser, an iconic class that will be completely retired over the coming years without a comparable replacement, is unclear. TWZ has not received an on-the-record response from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) or U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) public affairs explaining the redirection.

Robert Smalls was part of the George Washington CSG as recently as August 18, making the northwest-bound Malacca Strait transit with the strike group the week prior, before peeling off to escort the Abraham Lincoln back through.

U.S. Launches Another Round of Strikes Against Iran Today As Tensions Escalate

Ahead of publication on Tuesday, CENTCOM announced a fresh round of strikes against targets in Iran that began at noon Eastern Time. “The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region,” the command posted in a statement on social media.

George Washington, which is currently accompanied by a single destroyer, USS Shoup, relieved the Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East earlier this month. Other U.S. 5th Fleet ships are reportedly moving in and out of the CSG, but the situation is fluid and TWZ cannot confirm the current, complete composition of the group. It’s unknown which warship, if any, is currently serving as IAMD commander for the CSG, which chopped into the CENTCOM area of responsibility (AOR) on or around August 19.

Also operating in the Middle East, the four-ship George H.W. Bush CSG is underway at an undisclosed location in the Arabian Sea. Alongside USS George H.W. Bush is Tico cruiser USS Princeton, the IAMD commander, and two Burke destroyers, USS Ross and USS Donald Cook.

The carriers are enforcing the ongoing blockade of Iran – and presumably participating in the latest round of airstrikes – although they are both officially on station to “support maritime security and stability in the Middle East,” according to DVIDS, the military’s content-sharing platform. CENTCOM forces have redirected 84 commercial vessels, disabled three using kinetic force, and boarded another two since the blockade resumed, as of September 1.

Over the weekend, the United States and Iran traded blows for the first time in over a month. CENTCOM opened the tit-for-tat exchange on Sunday by targeting rocket systems on Larak Island, located in the Strait of Hormuz on the Iranian side of the northern corridor, that are fitted to launch naval mines, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was observed making preparations to fire into the contested waterway.

“I can confirm that earlier today U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, CENTCOM’s spokesman, told TWZ. “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” he added. The IRGC retaliated by launching a salvo of ballistic missiles at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a Jordanian installation the U.S. military operates from. Jordan’s military said it successfully intercepted eight missiles.

The preemptive strikes to prevent Iran from deploying additional mines came just days after CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said U.S. forces “successfully cleared” Iranian sea mines from international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. Commercial traffic through the strait is slowly recovering but still well below pre-war levels.

Ongoing Maintenance Delays Stateside Impact Fleet Readiness

On the other side of the world, in the United States, three carriers are active: two are underway training while one is in homeport getting ready for an upcoming deployment. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which left Norfolk on August 21, transited south in the Atlantic Ocean and was last operating approximately 70 nautical miles off the coast of Florida, well into East Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) and Training Command (TRACOM) Carrier Qualifications (CQ). After departing San Diego on August 10, USS Carl Vinson was spotted on satellite imagery off the California coast by ship-tracker MT Anderson, in the process of completing Tailored Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA) and Final Evaluation Period (FEP) training.

USS Theodore Roosevelt, the next carrier slated to deploy from the continental U.S., is pierside at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, based on commercial satellite imagery. Speculation is rampant about where Theodore Roosevelt will deploy, but as the Navy has told us many times, “we do not discuss future operations or timelines.”

The balance of America’s carriers (excluding USS Nimitz, which will begin deactivation in 2027) is either in maintenance or scheduled to begin an availability in the future.

The next flattop that will re-enter service, USS Ronald Reagan, is expected to finish a roughly 17-month Docking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) soon. “The docking planned incremental availability for Ronald Reagan is on track for its scheduled completion at the end of August 2026,” Catherine Norton, the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, told Stars and Stripes earlier this month. However, the ship has not gotten underway as of publication, even though yesterday was the end of the month, and it appears the DPIA will stretch into September. TWZ reached out to Puget Sound’s PAO but has not received a response yet. For the latest status of the other three carriers in current or upcoming maintenance, marked in red on the map above, check out our recent deep-dive here.

Current Big Deck Force Posture At A Glance

Overall carrier force posture is unchanged compared to our previous report on August 24. Three U.S. carriers are deployed (although one is on the tail end of her deployment and heading home to San Diego), one is preparing to deploy in the near term, two are working up in various states of readiness, four are in maintenance, and another, the USS Nimitz, is being used primarily for training before deactivating next year. One amphibious ready group is deployed, one is forward-deployed and at homeport, four are working up or in port, and three are in maintenance.

Note: Positions are general approximations. Non-deployed LHA/LHD amphibious warships are not shown.

Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@recurrent.io

“Obsession,” the indie horror movie written and directed by Curry Barker, has proved to be one of this year’s most successful films. Made for a reported budget of about $750,000, it has earned more than $500 million at the global box office since Focus Features released it in May — the biggest hit in the distributor’s history, according to a new lawsuit.

But one of its producers, Leonora Ann Darby, is claiming she hasn’t received her share of the profit.

Darby, who rose to become one of three producers at Tea Shop Productions, the U.K. company behind the movie, sued Tea Shop, its Delaware affiliate The Tea Shop & Film Company, and co-founders James Harris and Mark Lane in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The 135-page complaint lays out 10 causes of action — among them, breach of contract, retaliation for wage complaints, whistleblower retaliation and unfair competition — and describes a seven-year pattern of “unequal treatment and broken compensation promises.” Darby has demanded a jury trial.

Harris and Lane allegedly treated Darby “as their subordinate, including in a highly demeaning and gendered manner,” and continually refused to compensate her properly, “culminating in ruthlessly cutting Darby out of the overall net profits” for “Obsession,” the lawsuit says.

“Ms. Darby has brought serious and substantial claims, supported by a detailed factual record,” Darby’s lawyer Thomas K. Richards of the Beverly Hills firm Singh, Singh & Trauben, said in a statement. “She is confident in her case and intends to pursue it fully.”

Tea Shop has already rejected the core of her claim. In an Aug. 13 letter attached to the complaint as an exhibit, the company’s lawyer wrote that Darby “was an employee and, subsequently, a consultant” who has never been a member, shareholder or owner of Tea Shop, and therefore has no right to inspect the company’s financial records. The parties’ written agreement, the letter says, does not entitle her to profit participation or collection-account status on “Obsession” or on any other film not previously identified in writing, and she “has been compensated in accordance with the parties’ agreement.” Tea Shop Productions did not respond to a request for comment.

Darby is credited on screen as an executive producer of “Obsession,” rather than as a producer — a decision she says the company made despite Lane’s absence from the production in 2025 and limited involvement with the film. She claims she functioned as a lead producer under Tea Shop’s own internal definition, a distinction at the center of the case, because the profit deal she is suing over applies only to films she lead-produced.

The complaint alleges that she stepped in at a point when the edit had been taken away from Barker and handed to a new editor, leaving the movie “mired in an edit that was not working.” She “provided fundamental and critical creative and structural notes that changed the course of the film,” “advocated heavily” for the edit to be returned to Barker, and recommended the reshoots that followed, according to the suit. She then took on the post-production, credits, clearance and delivery work that got the film finished in time for its Toronto International Film Festival premiere, where Focus bought it for about $16.2 million — well above the $14 million to $15 million that trades were reporting during negotiations.

Once the value of the movie became apparent, the lawsuit alleges, she was iced out. She wasn’t invited to the Los Angeles premiere and was “deliberately” cut out of major trade articles and interviews, the suit says, including a May profile of Harris and Lane that didn’t name her. Her name was added to that piece in August, after she complained.

Darby first started working at the company in 2019, as a development and production executive. In this role, the lawsuit said, she was responsible for originating and developing projects, attaching filmmakers, assembling financing and producing films from preproduction through delivery. She originated and produced movies including “A Banquet,” “Tornado” and “The Surfer,” which stars Nicolas Cage.

In 2024, she and Tea Shop allegedly reached an agreement raising her salary to 100,000 pounds and entitling her to a third of the net profits Tea Shop itself receives on films she lead-produced, “together with direct participation in the applicable collection account management agreements” — the deals that govern how money from a film is divided among its participants.

Tea Shop has allegedly honored that arrangement on other films. On “Obsession,” the complaint says, Darby was paid $300,000 out of the film’s initial minimum guarantee after Tea Shop directed her company, Runt Productions, to invoice for “Services: Obsession.” That payment, the suit argues, was fixed compensation for her producing services — not a settlement, release or buyout, with no writing calling it full and final.

In addition to her share of Tea Shop’s profits on “Obsession,” Darby is seeking a full accounting for several projects as well as unpaid wages, expenses and relief for retaliation.

Following a four-season absence from the WSL, Birmingham are back, having won Women’s Super League 2 last season.

The Blues edged a thrilling title fight with Palace and Charlton, clinching the trophy on goal difference by winning at The Valley on final day.

They showed quality going forward and in defence, scoring the second-most goals and conceding the second-fewest.

They also finished with the league’s best goal difference, while striker Lily Crosthwaite picked up her award for WSL 2 player of the year last week.

Among six new signings, head coach Amy Merricks has recruited experienced centre-back Millie Turner, who made 145 WSL appearances in eight seasons at Manchester United, has two England caps and is the new Blues captain.

She will play alongside talented 23-year-old Neve Herron, who was named in the WSL 2 Team of the Year.

“There’s going to be challenges, there’s going to be moments, highs and lows, but come that first game of the season, we’re going to be ready,” Herron told BBC Sport.

FANS are getting a sneak peak inside the new Harry Potter theme park at Warner Bros. World.

Potterheads will be able to immerse themselves into the world of Hogwarts within three magical lands.

In a teaser video, Warner Bros. has revealed what awaits fans in its upcoming Harry Potter theme park in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

The caption read: “It’s official! Hogwarts Castle, Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest are coming to @wbworldyasisland, Abu Dhabi. BackToHogwarts.”

For fans of the series, it’s believed that Mr Weasley’s car – the Ford Anglia – will form part of the new attraction.

Reports suggest that the ride will simulate scenes from the franchise when it soars over the English countryside.

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It could follow the Hogwarts Express steam train, battle the Whomping Willow and face the giant spiders in the Forbidden Forest.

Previous reports suggest it will have its own Diagon Alley and Hogwarts castle.

According to Gulf News, the project is estimated to cost somewhere between $545 million and $816 million (£600million).

The Yas Island Theme Park first announced that it was adding a Harry Potter-themed land in 2022 and it’s expected to open in 2029.

The Harry Potter development will be the first of its kind in the Middle East.

The Harry Potter land will be entirely indoors so it can be used throughout the year – even in the summertime when temperatures soar above 45C.

With it being indoors, visitors can expect some immersive-looking scenery from the world of Harry Potter.

The land is part of the Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi which is the world’s second largest indoor theme park which has a total of 29 rides.

Currently it has six themed lands such as Bedrock where visitors can explore the Flintstones Bedrock River Adventure.

Gotham City is home to Batman and the Joker attractions, Metropolis has DC characters, Cartoon Junction has rides inspired by Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo.

Other themed areas include Dynamite Gulch and Warner Bros. Plaza.

RYANAIR warns the price of jet fuel could soar next summer – meaning the cost of flights could too.

The airline has warned that other competitor airlines could struggle to ‘survive’.

Conflict in Iran has caused jet fuel costs to climb due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and it will continue to affect holiday prices.

In a statement, Ryanair said: “If high oil prices continue through to S.27 (summer 2027), Ryanair believes short-haul airfares in Europe will increase materially to reflect higher oil prices as some less well-hedged competitors will struggle to maintain capacity or even survive this coming winter season.”

Ryanair said it currently hedges fuel (which means it pays a set price).

The airline added that 80 per cent of its jet fuel is hedged through March 2027 at about $67 (£50) a barrel.

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Currently the price of jet fuel is around $140 (£103) a barrel.

Ryanair isn’t the only airline to warn of higher costs on the horizon, easyJet has said the same.

Talking to The Times earlier this year, easyJet said it would increase minimum ticket prices of its winter 2026-27 flights “by two to three pounds” to offset higher costs and uncertainty around customer demand.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby also said he expects fares to keep rising into the first half of next year.

According to Reuters he said: “I think you’re going to still see gradual increases in fares. Not as big a jump as happened this year.”

When it comes to finding the cheapest flights right now – it’s best to use a comparison site.

Skyscanner is a great option for comparing the price of flights with various airlines – and it even have a price drop tool.

The feature claims to scour up to 80 billion prices a day and shows which destinations have seen flights that have dropped 20 per cent compared to the last week.

Google Flights is another search engine which compares flight prices and shows multiple airline options.

If you choose the ‘explore’ option, it can show the cheapest, direct flights across the world.

For even more hacks on when to fly, Expedia has put together a handy list on the cheapest days to fly – which is Friday.

Compared to travelling on a Saturday, jetting off the day before can save up to 18 per cent.

It also found that found that international travellers can save £93 on average by booking between 15 and 30 days ahead, instead of six months.

Where you fly from also makes a difference – some of the most expensive UK airports to fly from are London Heathrow, Humberside and Manchester..

For more hacks, head here.